August/September 2026 Updates - Town of Ayer Community & Economic Development Office
August/September 2026 Updates
Greetings Ayer Businesses, Community Partners, Neighbors, and Friends,
School's back in full swing, it's feeling cooler by the day, and Newton Street Festival is right around the corner. Here are some recent updates we'd love to share with you as summer transitions to fall. Your community is up to some amazing things!
Department Highlights
The Industrial Development Financing Authority (the Town board stewarding a $1 million investment in local businesses) approved their first loan product – a gap-financing loan of up to $75,000, expected to be made available by the end of the calendar year. Additionally, the board elected David Cibor as Chair, Robert DiPierro as Vice Chair, Marissa Rivera as Treasurer and appointed Ray Friedlander as Secretary while also working through some milestone administrative procedures that will guide the operations of this reactivated board. Stay tuned for more updates, which will be made available here.
Our office along with the Town Manager, Land Use Director/Town Planner, and Building Commissioner joined MassDevelopment Leadership, Senator Eldridge, Representative Sena, and Devens Jurisdictional Framework Committee members for a tour of Vicksburg Square (historic barracks) in Devens. Vicksburg Square is one area identified for future housing as described in the Devens Housing Working Group Report 2025. MassDevelopment anticipates seeking a Special Town Meeting in each of the 3 towns in Spring 2027 to consider updating the zoning in the area including Vicksburg Square.
With an invite from the Ayer Housing Authority, we had the wonderful opportunity to connect with new Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Juana Matias while learning more about the needs of Ayer's local housing authority.
The Devens Jurisdictional Framework Committee authorized a smaller subcommittee to form and begin working on how to process and incorporate the matrix findings of the Devens residents, Devens Enterprise Commission, and Towns of Ayer, Shirley, and Harvard in a cohesive way. You can read the original submittals of 19 disposition scenario frameworks here.
A Sister Businesses Initiative in partnership with Acton, Maynard, Ayer and now Littleton is underway, with the first industry to participate being our local bookstores. The bookstores are working on a fun Bookstore Trolly collaboration tentatively scheduled for early March where participants can ride a trolly that takes them from bookshop to bookshop. Stay tuned for more details.
The Ayer Business Alliance (ABA) hosted its inaugural kick-off meeting just days after finishing up a successful Great Ayer Adventure experience for the community; congrats to all the raffle winners! Their next meeting is October 7th at 8:30am. Many thanks to the ABA for recognizing Archers Mobil and the Ayer Area Rotary Club for their many years of service to the region - congrats to both!
Upcoming Events
Ayer Library Good Neighbor Day: Community Read Celebration - Sept. 26: Join us to celebrate Good Neighbor Day and our Community Read! Starting in July, we invited kids and adults to read and consider "Nature's Best Hope" by Doug Tallamy. Let's get together and talk about it! On Saturday, September 26 at 10am, the Library and our community partners will gather to chat about this important book and celebrate local conservation efforts. Register here.
Housing Forum - Sept. 29: Join us for a community conversation about the future of housing in Ayer. 6-8PM in the Town Hall's Great Hall. All are encouraged to join us for this community event (and enjoy free pizza!). Learn more and register.
Newton Street Festival - Oct 3: We hope to see you at this fun community tradition. Thank you to Main Street Bank and Pulmuone/Nasoya for generously sponsoring the festival.
Ayer Fall Town Meeting - Oct. 26: We hope to see you there! Currently, warrant articles are going before the Select Board and Planning Board for their consideration, including a data center moratorium, inclusionary zoning area median income (AMI) amendment, tree bylaw amendment, and prohibition of crypto currency machines.
Ayer Business Alliance Trick or Treat - Oct. 31: The ABA is in the process of organizing its trick or treat event for Halloween from 12:30-2:30pm. Please contact Melissa Fetterhoff if you'd like to participate, melissa@nvcoc.com
Major Town & Community Projects
Ayer Energy Program: Save money and go green! The Town of Ayer has signed a twenty-four month contract with its current supplier, First Point Power. Beginning with the October 2026 meter reads, the Ayer Community Choice Power Supply Program, designed to meet the specific needs of the Town’s electricity ratepayers, will continue to offer the same options but at new rates. From inception through March 2026, the Program has saved Ayer residents and small businesses over $466,000 in electricity costs as compared to National Grid Basic Service. See the attachment for more info.
Ayer Commons: Affordable Housing project coming to town! The nonprofit developer NOAH (Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc.) with support from the Ayer Affordable Housing Trust and Commonwealth, is targeting a Spring 2027 ground-breaking for Phase I of their housing project, which will construct 64 Affordable units. The project, located at 65 Fitchburg Road, consists of four 2-story residential walk-up buildings and one central 3-story elevator building with community space and amenities. NOAH recently was awarded a $4M federal earmark with the Town also receiving a $500k grant to help extend wastewater utilities to the site.
Senior Center Construction: The water line extension on Bishop Road has been completed. The entire project is at 95% design and will hopefully go out to bid in the next 1-2 months. We are awaiting state environmental permitting approval and hope to receive this in the next 1-2 months. The Friends of the Ayer Senior Center are continuing their fundraising efforts. We are still awaiting an awards decision from the Commonwealth for the CDB grant and Municipal ADA Improvement grant to help cover construction costs. Additional information on the project can be found here.
Nonacoicus Brook Bridge (West Main Street) Construction: As of 8/18/26, temporary utility relocations for stage 1 bridge construction are complete. Temporary sheeting & support of excavation work for stage 1 bridge construction is ongoing, and expected to be complete in the next few weeks. Following, footings for the new bridge within stage 1 will be installed. More updates are available here.
Main Street Redevelopment: Main Street hasn't seen a major update since 1983 and we are looking forward to working with the state to make some much-needed improvements happen. MassDOT is now requiring the Town to complete an additional task - subsurface utility engineering – before we can hold the 25% public design hearing. Due to this additional requirement, the 25% design public hearing will not be held this September. It will likely be pushed back several months.
Boards and Committees
Industrial Development Financing Authority (IDFA): The board's next meeting is January 29, 2027 at 10:00AM. The tentative goals for this meeting are to review the Aug. 28, 2026 draft minutes; review administrative materials such as the loan application form, rubric to evaluate loans, and more; consider any loan requests received; and grant program and award ceremony guideline adoption.
Affordable Housing Trust & Committee: Next meeting for the Affordable Housing Committee is Friday, September 18 at 10am at Town Hall. The Trust will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, October 21 at 6PM. More information about each of these teams, plus agendas and minutes, here.
Opportunities
Public Spaces: Do you know a musician or artist who would like to perform in Ayer? We are trying to find ways to bring some energy to Ayer's public spaces like the park between Town Hall & Main Street Bank or Depot Square (which is right where the commuter rail runs). Please reach out if you have someone in mind.
Serve on the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Program Advisory Committee: This committee is comprised of business leaders who help advise the school on ways to strengthen their academic/technical offerings. More info here.
Serve on the Town of Ayer's Capital Planning Committee: The Capital Planning Committee is responsible for reviewing the Town’s Capital Plan by the Town’s Capital Planning Policy and making formal recommendations on capital requests and funding to the Select Board for consideration by Town Meeting. Contact Select Board Chair Chris Tavares for more information, ctavares@ayer.ma.us
News & Resources
Surprising Fact
The Town of Ayer may be one of few New England Towns that have their Library Building as their Town Seal 🙂
Thank you for staying connected,
Ray & Katie
PS. If you know someone who might find these updates helpful, please feel free to share this email and encourage them to sign up!
Rachel "Ray" Friedlander, MPA
Economic Development Director
rfriedlander@ayer.ma.us | 978-772-8220 ext 120
Katie Neville
Community Development Program Manager
kneville@ayer.ma.us | 978-772-8220 ext 122
