>>Valley Patriot>>
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Ghetto to Replace Sacred Heart Church
Tom Duggan
08/02/06
 Months ago, developer Richard
DeRosas of Paramount Construction and representatives of
ETC Development Corporation, promised the residents of
Mt. Vernon that the redevelopment of Sacred Heart Church
would be a small development of owner-occupied
condominiums. Convinced that the developers would bring
an owner-occupied development to the community, many
neighbors expressed relief that Sacred Heart would be
brought back to life.
Now South Lawrence residents are wondering if Mr. DeRosas
is a better song-and-dance man than he is a developer who
keeps his promises.
City residents expressed shock and disbelief this week as
word spread that the well-off developers from out of town
would be cramming thirty-four (34) rental units onto the
grounds of Sacred Heart. And the bad news did not end
there. Not satisfied with only a reasonable profit, these
out-of-town developers went for what Planning Director
Michael R. Sweeney calls “the super-profit.”
The far majority of these rental units will now be
reserved for low-income inhabitants, specifically those
who make less than 60% of the area median income.
Just to make sure this area is forever changed and
becomes a haven for crime and chaos, Paramount
Destruction will reserve a special number of units for
those individuals making at or below 30% of the area
median income.
Just as disturbing, current plans do not include any
defined usage for the actual Sacred Heart Church itself.
What is to be done with the key piece of property and the
one that local residents are most concerned about,
remains a big question mark. Paramount has not disclosed
to the Planning Department or city residents what will
become of Sacred Heart. What is known is that out-of-town
developer Rich DeRosas and ETC Development Corp will
surround Sacred Heart Church with low-income rental
housing that will most likely bring down the values of
the surrounding homes and increase crime and congestion
in the area.
Tom Duggan is the president of Valley
Patriot, Inc., is a former member of the Lawrence School
Committee, and hosts the Paying Attention! Radio Program
on WCAP, 980AM, every Saturday afternoon from noon-2pm.
You can email your comments to Tdugjr@aol.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The August, 2006 Edition
of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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