Photo: Kyle Bray/ WBZ NewsRadio
PLAINVILLE, Mass (WBZ NewsRadio) — A landscaping materials company wants to build temporary housing on its property in Plainville for fans coming into Massachusetts for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The plan would be to build the housing on the Hatch Materials campus at 80 Washington St. The development — dubbed "Liberty Village" — would include leased recreational vehicles and mobile homes that would be rented out to visiting soccer fans, according to a statement from Mike Levinson, a lawyer for Hatch Materials. It would also include shuttle buses, 24-hour security, and "permitted hookups for water and sanitation."
Millions of soccer fans are expected to flood into Massachusetts for World Cup games hosted at Gillette Stadium in June and July. Gillette Stadium is located in Foxborough, about 6.5 miles from the Hatch Materials site.
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"Plainville will be impacted by the influx of people and hopefully it'll be a good thing for local restaurants and businesses," Plainville Director of Planning and Economic Development T.J. Torres said. "It'll certainly be a challenge for traffic and maintaining public safety."
Hatch Materials Owner Jared Hatch believes his proposal would "help alleviate the significant need for safe, secure and sanitary housing facilities for the upcoming major sporting event while also generating a significant financial benefit for the town," Levinson's statement reads.
Plans of this nature typically face a lengthy permitting and approval process, but Hatch is trying to fast track his proposal through the proper channels so the development can be up and running by the time Gillette Stadium hosts its first World Cup match on June 16.
"It is very late in the game," Torres said. "I would say the 11th hour, but in soccer terms, it's the 89th minute, because this starts in June."
Hatch intends to "work collaboratively with the town" during the approval process, according to Levinson's statement.
"He looks forward to addressing the concerns of the town boards and commissions during the permitting process to alleviate any potential issues which may arise from this proposed use of the property,” the statement reads.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.