GA Blog: Gloucester

8.2.10 Affordable Housing at LePage’s Glue Factory in West Gloucester

The Cape Ann Beacon reports that the Swampscott-based Caleb Foundation and Caleb Group will break ground at a ceremony on July 22nd on Phase III of the Pond View Village housing project at the former LePage’s glue factory in West Gloucester.  Project coordinator Rob Bernardin said the plan calls for 6 one-bedroom apartments at an average rent of $715 per month, 21 two-bedrooms with an average rent of $910 per month, and 7 three-bedrooms with an average rent of $1,208 per month.

The units will be sold as affordable housing for people with income at 60% of the city’s average, with 4 units reserved for people with income at 30% of the average. The Caleb Group will also provide social service coordination for residents, as well as community space and a computer learning center.

Read the entire Cape Ann Beacon article.

7.22.10 Gloucester Preservation Awards

The Gloucester Historical Commission recognized several individuals and organizations during its annual Gloucester Preservation Awards ceremony held recently at the Cape Ann Museum. The accolades went to people and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation, protection, awareness and documentation of Gloucester’s long history.  Recipients for building renovation included:

• 4 Walker St. - E. Bonnie Akerley
• The Rudder Restaurant - Charlie and Jeanne Boland and Ginger Attaya
• Saunders House - Sawyer Free Library
• 304 Main St. - David Campbell
• 85-87 Prospect St. - David and Donna Lee Christensen
• 18 Western Ave. - Robert Dargon
• Action Energy Building, the former Forbes School and GAR, Hall, 47 Washington St.
• Action Shelter, 180 Main St.
• 705 Washington St. - Julianne Mackey
• 505 Washington St. - David Rosen and Laura Harrington
• Rogers Street School Condominium - 24 Elm St., Robert Wolfe
• 17 Conant Ave. - Gregg Zoske and George Hall

Read the Cape Ann Beacon - http://www.wickedlocal.com/gloucester/news/x242417113/Historical-Commission-honors-20-at-awards-ceremony

6.4.10 Gloucester Birdseye Property Request for Residences, Retail, Hotel & More

The Gloucester Times is reporting that developer Mac Bell has filed a zoning request that would open the door to developing the 3+ acres of Fort land that include the historic, but decaying, former Birdseye factory (shown above), to a mixed-use project that could include a hotel, medical center, condominiums, windmill, assisted living apartments, a small farm and recreation hall in addition to the marine industrial uses already allowed.

Bell, who purchased the property in 2009 for $2.25 million and envisions an eco-friendly urban development, with ground-level retail markets topped by residences and bolstered by commercial work space, maintains that only with broad zoning flexibility would any project be economically viable.

According to Reporter Patrick Anderson’s article, the zoning proposal is based on the concept of "planned unit development," a progressive tool included in state zoning law meant to encourage mixed-use projects on large properties by freeing them of restrictions if they are approved as a master plan.  The zoning freedoms of the planned unit development would be contained in an overlay district with the new permissible uses (residential, medical, etc.) pasted on top of the current marine industrial zoning.

In addition to all of the possible creative uses for Birdseye, the zoning proposal would open the door to a development overview written by architect Richard Griffin of Salem, which includes a number of "green" components including "net zero energy use."  A combination of solar power, wind power and energy efficiencies such as a "solar chimney" to cool the building, would have the complex create as much electricity as it uses.  Tenants of Birdseye apartments would be able to forgo gas-guzzling cars and use a fleet of plugged-in electric vehicles provided by the development.

Read the entire Gloucester Times article.

5.6.10 Affordable Housing in West Gloucester

According to the Cape Ann Beacon, the nonprofit Caleb Foundation will be taking on the creation of 34 new units of affordable rental housing for families on what was once the site of the LePage’s glue factory on the banks of the Annisquam River in West Gloucester.  The LePage Apartments at Pond View Village, when complete, will offer social service coordination to the residents, as well as access to a computer center and community room. LePage Apartments will be partially solar-powered.

The glue company, started in 1876, manufactured glue from fish waste and grew to be an internationally-known adhesive brand.  The Caleb Foundation and The Caleb Group, based in Swampscott, supports preserving old buildings, and provides services and/or operates nearly 2,000 units of affordable housing in four New England states.

The mill, which had one of the first steam engines in the country, was closed in 1955 and, with the exception of it being used as a set location during the filming of Jumanji in 1995, had mostly been vacant. Now partially solar-powered, the property has a patio in the back that overlooks the Great Works River, offers a walking path along the river to residents for fishing and recreation and is easy walking for elderly residents to town services and local shops.

The Caleb Foundation owns or manages nearly 1,200 units of affordable housing at 22 locations in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut and manages about 80% of the units owned. The Caleb Foundation, a non-profit organization, has created and maintained homes for low-income residents since 1992. Its affiliate, The Caleb Group, was created to provide the services and resources to help women, men and children achieve self-sufficiency.

Read the entire Cape Ann Beacon article.

2.10.10 Waterfront, Parking on Newburyport Mayor’s Agenda

According to the Newburyport Current, new Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday is looking to begin her term focusing on a few main projects, including the waterfront and parking.
The waterfront is high on the priority list, and Holaday is looking to bring together a group comprised of the city’s senior project manager, Geordie Vining, independent planner Rick Taintor of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority (NRA) and attorney Mark Guay of the Maritime Society to come up with an executive summary for what she is calling the “Newburyport Maritime Park.”

The proposed park will have an emphasis on the city’s rich maritime history. She said the proposed expansion to the Custom House Maritime Museum and the NRA’s plans for turning its parking lots into a park will be incorporated into one plan.

Read the entire Newburyport Current article.

2.9.10 First Time Homebuyer Workshops

The Cape Ann Beacon is reporting that First Time Homebuyer Workshops will be held at the Gloucester Housing Authority offices on Feb. 10, 17, 24, and 25. The four nights of classes are from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Local guest speakers will talk about safe mortgages, credit scores, down payment grants, when to contact a Realtor®, home inspections, foreclosure prevention, buying foreclosed properties, legal issues, multi-families, insurance, and more.

Class size is limited and expected to fill quickly. The cost is $55. Pre-register by printing the form at www.ghama.com/, calling Kathy Erkkila at 978-281-4770 ext. 110, or stop by the office at 259 Washington Street, Gloucester. There is a discount for early registration.
Full attendance will earn the certificate for HUD, MassHousing, MHP, and most lotteries.

Read the entire Cape Ann Beacon article.