About

The Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority (FRA) is an independent economic development agency for the City of Fitchburg. The FRA was established on January 21, 1964 under General Law Chapter 121 Section 26, as amended.

The FRA is responsible for urban renewal planning, land acquisition, business relocation, demolition of obsolete structures, and public improvements within the Urban Renewal District. To help spur private development in the Urban Renewal Plan (URP) area, the city of Fitchburg and the FRA has created the following initiatives:

Adopt economic incentives for private investment throughout the area.
Assist with the construction of public improvements and private economic development with the use of eminent domain or private sale, when necessary.
Complete public infrastructure improvements for traffic and public safety reasons.
Revise existing zoning within the Urban Renewal Area to facilitate the removal of incompatible land use and provide incentives for development.
Commit housing incentive programs presently used by the City to this specific area.
Dispose of publicly held properties within the Urban Renewal Area for private development.

The FRA also is the owner and operation of Putnam Place, at 166 Boulder Drive, as well as a number of properties throughout the city of Fitchburg.

The FRA is made up of five (5) members, four (4) of whom are selected by the Mayor and one (1) by the Governor. The FRA meets every third Tuesday at 7:30am at 166 Boulder Drive, Suite 104. The FRA is staffed by the Executive Director.

Our Staff

Meagen Donoghue | Executive Director

Meagen Donoghue brings with her a breadth of experience including economic development, grant writing, planning, and historic preservation, to name a few. She previously served as the Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Sudbury and has worked in other communities in various economic development and planning capacities including for the Town of Webster, MA, the City of Worcester, and the City of Chicopee. Since arriving in Fitchburg, she has spearheaded updating the Urban Renewal Plan, the sale of several long-time owned FRA properties, and the administration of FRA grants including during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Meagen earned her Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts, a Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Elmira College. She lives in Worcester with her husband and two boys.

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Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis | Business Administrator

Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis was excited to join the FRA team at the end of 2021 in the newly created role of Business Administrator. She grew up in nearby Pepperell and has a BA in American History from Keene State College. She has had a wide variety of professional roles in public and private sectors, including positions for the City of Lowell’s Historic Board, Preservation Worcester, Museum Textile Services, Worcester Public Schools, and Fruitlands Museum. She has served on the Holden Historic District Commission since 2019. In her downtime, she enjoys antiquing, gardening, and exploring the outdoors by foot or kayak. She lives in Holden with her two sons and two dogs.

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