5 projects Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressed in her visit to New Bedford

With U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in New Bedford Wednesday afternoon, she did a lot of listening and offered her support for several infrastructure projects proposed by Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Here are five things Warren highlighted on her visit to the Port Authority offices in New Bedford:

It’s all about partnership

Warren said she wanted to return to New Bedford to say that President Joe Biden’s economic plans she referred to as “Bidenomics” is about investing and a focus on the use of public dollars as a partnership with good ideas locally that help build a future in a lot of places.

“I believe in New Bedford and all the ways in which you can see New Bedford succeeding and then building on that success,” she said.

She said the more direct stories she has to tell, the more effective she can be in Washington, D.C. to maintain the partnership.

Warren said she loves seeing all the activity in the port and New Bedford’s overall plans for growth.

On investing factoring in climate change and sea level rise

She said federal government investments are part of why New Bedford is doing so well, and she supports funding for the extension of Leonard’s Wharf, one of the major projects that Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed as part of an economic development strategy.

A letter has already been sent in support, Warren said. The plan includes elevating the deck of the pier by two feet. Mitchell said they are running out of space. The federal grant request is $24.4 million with a $18.4 million state match and a $1.6 million Port Authority match.

“I’m leaning into this, so is the federal delegation, and we have now sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to tell him how important this is to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to work up and down the coast, so we are hopeful that a little political pressure will be valuable here,” Warren said.

Homer’s Wharf, a longtime fishing pier, has to be rebuilt and it has to be higher than it is now. New Bedford Port Authority Director Gordon Carr said the plans are in the design and engineering phase and may be ready for the next round of Department of Transportation funding.

Warren said federal requirements dictate that climate change and sea level rise are part of the funding process, and no one is signing off on federal funding for projects that will be below water. Mitchell said the city is elevating all the piers in response to the threat.

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Support for NOAA to lease space

Warren also offered support for New Bedford’s proposal to have the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration lease space in New Bedford based on the release of a request for proposals for a new lease in three years.

Mitchell said the city has a strong case on its merits and should be able to compete fairly with other cities.

Planning should be part of any project

When it comes to other port priorities, including dredging of the federal channel, a waterfront parking garage, reconstruction of MacArthur Boulevard, a Massachusetts Marine Innovation Center and Homer’s Wharf, Warren shared her appreciation for all efforts being taken to plan ahead.

She said it’s too often suggested that you save money on a project by saving money on planning.

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“Planning is essential to a workable federal partnership,” she said, and referred to the passage a year ago of the Inflation Reduction Act and made a lot of money available for different projects all around the country, including helping to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen the country’s infrastructure.

“Almost none of that money will go directly to the states unless they have a plan in place to spend it in a way that meets the qualifications of the bills, and I can’t tell you how critically important it is that you are already lined up with the first dollars,” she said.

Getting the word out about solar

Warren also talked about the morning’s announcement that more money will be made available to communities that want to help their residents get solar installed. She said she encourages municipalities to apply for the money as quickly as possible so people can rely less on fossil fuels to heat their homes.

“The community has to have a plan on how to use that money and get that money to homeowners, to renters,“ she said.

New Bedford has already signed up.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren catches up with Mayor Mitchell Wednesday