>>Valley Patriot>> |
During the 1980s and 1990s, Lawrence, Massachusetts was known throughout the nation as the arson capital of the country, the auto-fraud center of the country, and a place where businesses went to die. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts had to establish a fiscal oversight board because the city’s finances were in shambles, the operating budget was unsustainable and the school system was in constant threat of being taken over by the state Department of Education. Murders
were climbing, storefronts were covered with steel grates
and plywood, quality of life was dwindling, and the once
bustling mill buildings were vacant with no hope of
economic stimulation in site. As Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan said during his last election: “Take a good look around. In Lawrence, good things are finally happening.” And though there are always the naysayers and doom dwellers who obsess on every imperfection in the city as a sign of impeding catastrophe, an objective look at the once crumbling city shows a revival not seen in the past 200 years. Yes, if you drive around and see what is happening in Lawrence, you may start to notice that things are changing and they are changing for the better. Buildings are being renovated with millions of private and public dollars being funneled into projects that are attracting more businesses, more homeowners and, of course, more tax revenue. Many projects that have been in the planning stages for years are starting to come to fruition and they are worth mentioning because these projects are helping to create a renaissance in Lawrence where businesses and families want to come to spend their time and energy. Money is being invested in the private sector, for public infrastructure, in non-profits, and in education. All of these investments are helping to create a positive future for the people of our city. The Private Sector With
regard to the private sector, there are dozens of major
projects underway whereby private investors are
contributing Millionaire developer Bob Ansin recently purchased the Wood Mill on Merrimack Street and is now developing the mill in a project called “Monarch on the Merrimack.” Ansin plans on investing $200 million to create a mixed-use site. The mill will have more than 600 residential loft condominiums and upscale retail businesses, including a jazz club, a cyber café, a kosher deli and so much more. Ansin says it will be a “community within a community” where people can live, shop, dine, go to the movies and in the morning walk across the street to the McGovern Transportation center and take the train to work. The Monarch on the Merrimack project includes opening up 10 acres of river front property. To date, there have been more than 550 people from 70 cities in 12 states put on a waiting list for residence at the Wood Mill building. The New Balance Corporation is continuing to invest in the city of Lawrence. The company has spent more than $17 million to date. New Balance is expanding in research and development, manufacturing, and retail, and the company has more planned for the future. The Ayer Mill has invested $1 million and recently installed new windows, underwent a major renovation of the clock tower and is thriving like never before. Chet Sidell has invested over $5 million in the KGR Mill building. As a result, many organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Lawrence Community Works and Cambridge College are now housed in the KGR Building. Lawrence students finally have an opportunity to receive a four-year college education within the city limits. Malden Mills is once again growing. Recently purchased by the Winn Company, there is the potential for a $90 million apartment redevelopment project. Sal
Lupoli purchased the Riverwalk Mills on Merrimack Street
and has created “Sal’s Riverwalk.” So far, Sal has invested $15 million in the project and created more than 200 jobs. Several businesses have already moved into the once empty Riverwalk building, including “Imagine That,” the Merrimack Valley Credit Union, Paintball, and Sal’s Restaurant. The South Canal International Business Center has received more than $3 million in new investment. As a result, six new international companies have moved into Lawrence and four acres of riverfront property have opened up. The Washington Mills rehabilitation project has invested $32 million where 150 people “live and work” in artist apartments within the city limits. The Gleason Building is being renovated to include 15 new condominiums and retail shops, and the Blakely/Truell Buildings on Essex Street are being refurbished with more than $16 million, creating 68 new apartments as well as new retail storefronts for the downtown area. Finally, the Adtec Building has recently received a $6 million dollar investment, which brought in the Cambridge Culinary School and plush new condominiums. The Public Sector
Sullivan has also renovated the Lawrence Public Library, built a $33 million new water treatment plant (which will double the city’s water capacity), helped establish a $25 million regional transportation center (with a 900 car parking garage and community policing headquarters), built a new ball field at South Lawrence East School, kicked off a $6 million renovation project for the WW II Veterans Memorial Stadium, obtained a $1 million state allocation for the Gateway South River Walk, and secured $500 million for brownfield remediation as part of the Brook Street Park Restoration Project. “Ten or twenty years from now, when all of these projects are finished and the results are more easily visible to the casual observer or visitor to the city, people will stare in disbelief that Lawrence was ever on the downswing,” Mayor Sullivan said of the numerous projects going on in the city. “This is a revival, the fruits of which will be felt by generations to come. Long after all of us are gone, generation after generation will be able to say they are proud to live in the nation’s Mecca of business and industry and it is all happening right here, right now,” he added. Non-profits Are Also Investing in Lawrence. The Lawrence Boys & Girls Club has invested $8.5 million in the “Kelly’s Club,” which is presently under construction. Located on Water Street in Lawrence, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lawrence helps thousands of children every week, giving them a place to play and hang out as an alternative to getting into trouble on the streets. Lawrence General Hospital has also embarked on a hefty investment in the city, pumping more than $23 million into its emergency room expansion project on Prospect Street. The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center has opened up a new center with a $5 million investment. The YWCA has a new Family Aquatic Center built entirely with private funds to the tune of $3 million, and the YWCA Fina House has invested $6 million in the city while providing critical services to women in the Greater Lawrence area. Investing in Education in Lawrence
Central Catholic High School has also undergone a $12.5 million expansion paid for entirely with private funds and tax incentives. Cambridge College, Lawrence’s first ever, four-year secondary school, has more than 340 students enrolled in its new Lawrence campus on Union Street. This is nearly 3 ˝ times more than the number of students school officials expected would be enrolled when it opened its doors a few short years ago. At Merrimack College, there is a Lawrence collaborative with Bellesini Academy partnership, the Lawrence Math and Science Partnership and community service program. The Notre Dame High School offers the Cristo Rey and Corporate Work Study program, and at the Esperanza Academy there is the $1.2 million restoration of Grace Episcopal Church, which is now able to offer the “School of Hope” to Lawrence girls. The Bellesini Academy provides “Transforming Lives through Education.” The academy is undergoing a renovation of the basement of the former St. Francis Church building. There will soon be a new Lawrence High School and the Greater Lawrence Technical School recently underwent a $50 million dollar renovation project. So, while the media reports about Lawrence are never positive, and the perception of the city is similar to what it was it the 1980s and 1990s, the reality on the ground paints a very different picture. That
is - if you bother to take a look around! *Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com |
millions of dollars to
renovate the city and bring it back from the brink of
total economic devastation. 
On the public sector side, there
have been millions upon millions of dollars invested in
the city’s once-crumbling infrastructure. Lawrence
Mayor Mike Sullivan recently secured a $3 million bond to
restore historic City Hall. 
The Lawrence Family
Development Charter School spent more than $8.5 million
last year for the renovation of its new school building
on the site of the old Saint Anne’s School.