Recent Project Examples
- Mass Pike I-90 Interchange Reconstruction and West Station transit project in Allston (Boston) MA
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
As part of a consultant team headed by Tetra Tech, FXM continues its work as the economic consultant for the proposed $2.5 billion project to replace an aging viaduct structure. FXM is responsible for assessing the project’s potential effects on land use, jobs, household income, business sales, and taxes. The study team completed draft EIR/EIS products and revised preliminary engineering, traffic, and impact assessments for a new preferred alternative introduced in 2024-25. (on-going as of 2025)
- Environmental Studies of New Bridges to Replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
FXM was retained by HNTB to prepare the socioeconomic components of EIR/EIS documents for replacing the two Cape Cod Canal bridges, both of which were constructed in 1935 and are approaching the end of their reasonable maintenance lives. The project involves construction of new bridges and associated ramp structures to replace the two original structures. Currently the project is estimated to cost about $4.2 billion. A DEIR has been published for the Sagamore Bridge reconstruction. (on-going as of 2025).
- North Reading Municipal Wastewater System Financial Assessment Study
Kleinfelder, Town of North Reading, MA
North Reading, MA is an unsewered town that is considering constructing a municipal sewer system. FXM completed an assessment of the differences in commercial property values in North Reading from those in ten surrounding communities with sewer service. The analysis revealed a substantial difference in the assessed and market values of comparable retail, office, flex and industrial properties with and without sewer. In a follow-on study FXM assessed the potential net fiscal impacts of alternative residential development scenarios with sewer. In each instance net positive fiscal effects were projected. (2022-23 and 2023-24).
- Town of West Newbury Fiscal Impact Assessments
Town of West Newbury, MA
FXM was retained by the Town to assess the fiscal impacts of two hypothetical multifamily development programs: one of 87 multifamily units and one of 38 multifamily units. The analyses were intended to inform Town officials of the potential impacts of zoning changes required by the MBTA Communities Zoning Law (G.L. c. 40A, § 3A). Both multifamily projects were found to be fiscally positive, yielding estimated annual revenues to the Town of $129,000 and $59,000, respectively. (2025)
- Bellingham Prospect Hill Village
Wall Street Development
FXM assessed potential municipal revenues and costs attributable to two possible development programs in Bellingham, MA:
- 156 town house condominiums with 2 bedrooms each
- 20 units of single-family housing with 4-5 bedrooms each
FXM’s analysis found that the development of 156 units of 2-bedroom townhouse condominiums at full build-out would be fiscally positive at $5,300 per unit. The 20-single-family home development would also be fiscally positive at $3,600 per unit. (2024)
- Bridgewater State Economic Impact
Bridgewater State University (BSU)
FXM prepared an overview of BSU’s economic contribution to a three-tiered hierarchy of economies: Plymouth County; Southeastern Massachusetts (Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk and Plymouth Counties); and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. BSU’s contribution consists of the University’s direct employment and expenditures in the state, as well as the multiplier, or “ripple,” effects of those initial expenditures as they are spent and re-spent throughout the broader state economy. The R/ECON™ Input-Output Model system was used for this analysis. (2025)
- Dennis MA Housing Production Plan, Market and Financial Feasibility Assessment, Assistance with Relocation Analysis
Tighe & Bond, under contract with Mass Housing.
The Town of Dennis identified an 11-acre municipally owned site that it wanted to evaluate for the development of housing. The overall scope included a zoning and development feasibility analysis including creation of up to three alternative build-out scenarios. FXM’s role was to assess market feasibility for rental housing using its proprietary Housing Demand Model and to develop financial pro forma for three alternative development scenarios. (2024-25)
- Tisbury Master Plan
Barrett Planning Group, with Horsley Whitten Group, and BETA Group
FXM worked on a Master Plan for the Town of Tisbury, MA on Martha’s Vineyard. FXM’s role was to produce a supplemental economic development component of the Plan. The firm profiled demographic and business characteristics in Tisbury andassessed historical trends in the supply, pricing, and net absorption of office, industrial, retail, and multifamily real estate in Tisbury and Dukes County. It applied our proprietary Housing Demand Model to assess opportunities for market rate rental housing and FXM’s Commercial Space Demand Model to assess opportunities for growth in commercial real estate and business expansion. Our team performed a comprehensive retail opportunity/gap analysis to include projections of square footage and number of stores by detailed retail NAICS codes. (2023-24). The project won the Massachusetts APA award for Best Planning Project.
- MacArthur Drive Area Design and Redevelopment Study
AECOM, New Bedford Port Authority, and City of New Bedford
FXM studied alternatives for improving local and through access on this vital waterfront roadway serving the fishing and seafood industries, cargo handling, and offshore wind staging areas. FXM’s assessed feasible intermediate and likely long-term market conditions that can influence the location and design of roadway improvements and related parcelization (2022-2023).
- Assessing Dartmouth's Blue Economy: Opportunities and Challenges
The MacArthur Drive study is one of numerous waterfront project assignments for FXM in New Bedford dating back to the 2001 Municipal Harbor Plan and including a feasibility, economic impact, and site location analysis that led to construction of the $130 million Marine Commerce Terminal. In 2023, FXM completed assessments of market-driven development opportunities and potential job creation linked to waterfront urban renewal plans in the North and South focus areas of this dynamic working waterfront. FXM’s analyses found support for residential, office, and retail/restaurant uses in the North Focus Area, outside the regulatory limited Designated Port Area (DPA), and for expanded ship building and repair, seafood processing, marine sciences incubator space, and offshore-wind related industrial uses in the South Focus Area, entirely within the DPA.
Town of Dartmouth, MA, with funding from the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council
FXM completed a comprehensive inventory and assessment of waterfront parcels, water dependent and water-related uses in Padanaram Harbor and assessed their economic and fiscal contribution to the Town. FXM made extensive use of GIS property data, secondary sources, and primary source interviews to assess current economic contributions and, working with the harbormaster, key businesses, and other town officials to develop a comprehensive strategy for maintaining these assets and expanding possible additional market-driven potential. (2024)