It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has made a difficult economic situation within our local, state, and national economies. In an effort to combat and recover from the economic difficulties created by the pandemic, Massachusetts has put forth the Rapid Recovery Program.
Today, let’s explore the Rapid Recovery Program, and how this program can help Burlington, MA businesses and the community recover from the unfortunate impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
What Is The Rapid Recovery Plan (RRP) Program?
According to the Mass.gov, “The Rapid Recovery Plan (RRP) Program is intended to provide every municipality in Massachusetts the opportunity to develop actionable, project-based recovery plans tailored to the unique economic challenges and COVID-19 related impacts to downtowns, town centers, and commercial areas across the commonwealth.”
The goals of this plan as follows:
- Identify actions that can help communities, such as Burlington, more rapidly recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
- Analyze and create a list of short-, medium-, and long-term economic goals that reflect the local communities needs and develop recommended projects to help meet those goals.
- Collect data that represents and analyzes the economic impact of COVID-19 on downtown areas throughout the commonwealth.
What Is The Rapid Recovery Plan Program’s Process
The RRP is a three-phase process that takes into account the needs of the community and analysis of state and local economic experts to support the program’s goals as listed above.
1. Diagnostic Phase
The first phase of the RRP focuses on intake, discovery, and diagnosis. Here, town and state officials collect information regarding COVID-19s impact on market information, the physical environment, the business environment, and administrative capacities. This phase also includes collecting community feedback, ensuring that data aligns with the town’s needs.
2. Synthesize Phase
The second phase of the RRP includes developing projects that meet the economic and infrastructural goals and needs of the Burlington, MA community and businesses. The town also receives support from subject matter experts who provide counsel when identifying the most actionable projects, as a collaborative effort between the plan facilitator, the community, and stakeholders.
3. Final Plan Phase
The third and final phase the RRP finalizes and puts forth the plans and projects researched and developed during the previous phases. These plans typically include projects in various areas, such as:
- Transportation & Infrastructure,
- Placemaking & Landscape
- Architecture
- Redevelopment & Private
- Investment
- Marketing & Promotion
- Land Use & Zoning Regulations
- Small Business Technical
- Assistance
- Cultural/Arts Organizations
Strengthening the Burlington Community And Business Economy
As we have explored, the town of Burlington provides dedicated support for innovative industries and businesses throughout the town and our local community. With the welcome assistance of the RRP Program, Burlington can continue to push even further in a successful post-pandemic economy, which flourishes under new initiatives, development projects, and infrastructural strengthening.
If you would like to learn more detailed information about the Town Center Rapid Recovery Program, please visit the official Burlington, MA website and its overview presentation regarding the RRP in Burlington.