City launches master plan

NEW BEDFORD — The city will complete a master plan for development that brings together the pieces of earlier efforts and creates "a road map" for the future, Mayor Scott W. Lang announced Friday.

City officials have finished or made progress with various planning projects, including the Hicks-Logan area, the downtown, the harbor and recreational areas. Now, they have money to draft a citywide plan and submit it to the Planning Board and City Council by October, officials said. "We are well on our way to different incremental types  [read more]

 Developers offer beams from mill building for Ernestina

NEW BEDFORD — The developers of Riverside Landing plan to donate 24-foot-long beams of southern yellow pine to the preservation of New Bedford's historic schooner Ernestina, city officials announced Tuesday.

The beams will "be carefully extracted as part of the demolition process of the remaining Fairhaven Mills structure," Mayor Scott Lang's office said in a press release.

At this time, however, a demolition permit has not been issued for the project and it is unclear  [read more]

 New Bedford Antiques finds new home at Wamsutta Place

A building in the Lofts at Wamsutta Place mill complex will soon be the new home of New Bedford Antiques; an antiques cooperative presently located in the Fairhaven Mills building on Coggeshall Street. The Fairhaven Mills property is the site of the Riverside Landing redevelopment project by Dickinson Development Corporation.

Upon relocation, the antiques cooperative will change its name to “New Bedford Antiques at Wamsutta Place”. The move is representative of the continued revitalization of the Hicks–Logan–Sawyer Growth District,  [read more]

 New Bedford progress highlighted in state-wide press

The Sunday Herald is taking a look at how communities across the state are poised for a post-recession recovery.

NEW BEDFORD - In the 19th century, when whales were oil wells on the high seas, New Bedford was the “city that lit the world,” and its residents lived in what was per capita the wealthiest community on the planet.

Whaling, cotton-making and the fisheries catapulted the port city onto the global stage, but then all but the fisheries went kaput and New Bedford’s economy  [read more]

 Environmental secretary narrows rail options to three

State environmental officials further narrowed the possible routes for bringing commuter rail to New Bedford, whittling down the list from five options to three.

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles issued a decision Friday that takes off the table two options using the Lakeville/Middleboro station.

The Executive Office of Transportation will study the remaining alternatives — rail through Attleboro, rail through Stoughton and rapid bus  [read more]

 Business Assistance for Nonprofits

A low-cost workshop series designed to assist nonprofit community organizations in capacity building and professional development will be launched April 16 as part of a series called Nonprofit Breakfast Briefs.

The Center for University, School and Community Partnerships at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will present “Marketing on a Shoestring” by Dr. Godwin Ariguzo, a marketing expert with the UMass Charlton College of Business.   [read more]

 New Bedford antiques company featured again

New England Demolition and Salvage, one of New Bedford’s well-visited sources of antiques and hard-to-find house restoration items was featured again – this time on a broadband video channel.

The video shows the great assortment of inventory at the south end location and features interviews with owners Harry and Jeanine James. Of course there is a shot of the hundred’s of famous claw foot bath tubs and several other surprises that will surely draw more   [read more]