Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, addresses those assembled at the topping off ceremony Thursday. (More photographs below story.)
Local and state officials said teamwork led to quick progress on the steel frame construction phase of the first building at the $68 million Harbor Place project downtown.
City government and business leaders, legislators and state officials joined with officials from general contractor Dellbrook Construction at an on-site “topping off” ceremony Thursday. Dignitaries and invited residents placed their signatures on the last steel construction beam before crews hoisted it into place at the top of the structure with a crane. Its place was also marked by attached American flag and a ceremonial evergreen tree. Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said progress at “such speed,” from vision a few years ago to an erected structure, came from a “great team” including the Greater Haverhill Foundation and City Economic Development Director William Pillsbury, among others.
“When you talk to folks in the city of Haverhill and everyone’s been very excited about this project, I think in the back of their minds they’re saying, ‘Is it really going to happen? Will it happen? How quickly will it happen?’ And you take a look at how quickly it’s happening and it’s happening because of this team,” Dempsey said.
Mayor James J. Fiorentini addresses the audience.
Mayor James J. Fiorentini said, despite offering local tax and parking incentives, the Harbor Place project would not have happened without Dempsey’s help to “bring you the money to make it really happen.” He also noted another transformation will come soon to public space overlooking the Merrimack River.
“I want everybody to take a look down there and see the wall and see the top of it because you won’t see it for long. Starting this spring or this summer you’re going to see a brand new boardwalk and this entire area is going to be completely redone,” Fiorentini said. “It’ll be part of Haverhill’s history, but not for long.”
UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney said there were “a lot of ideas” for a satellite campus at Harbor Place when Dempsey proposed the project.
“Honestly, we’re still thinking through what’s the right fit for it. We will have our satellite Continuing (Education) and day school program but we’re also looking at potentially putting an ‘incubator’ in this building. We credit you as a city for having the courage to move into this part of the city and to take on a project like this,” Moloney said. Her predecessor, Martin “Marty” Meehan, now-president of the University of Massachusetts, played a key role in having UMass Lowell lease the second and third floors of the commercial building
Besides UMass Lowell, owners and tenants at Harbor Place, which will be known as “Pentucket Bank Plaza,” include Randall Bennett, who purchased fifth floor space last May; Pentucket Bank, which will occupy the fourth floor; and Haverhill Community Television, which purchased a first floor corner condominium. Plans also call for an anchor first floor restaurant or retail space.
Officials add their signatures to the beam which will be moved to the top of the project.
Haverhill City Councilors William J. Macek and Colin F. LePage and state Rep. Diana Dizoglio.