Market Rate Housing to Replace Former Lahey Building

WHAV News Staff By |

A mix of commercial space and up to 35 market rate housing units is proposed to replace the former Lahey Behavioral Health Services and Angel Care Kids Therapy Center buildings on Merrimack Street.

What is being called “Harbor Place Phase II” is before Haverhill City Councilors Tuesday night for local property tax relief.

“It is with great excitement I bring forth to the city council the attached resolution which effectively marks the beginning of the next phase of the transformative redevelopment of downtown Merrimack Street,” Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini said in a letter to city councilors. The resolution before the council does not specify the amount of tax relief and over what period, but rather gives the mayor authority to “negotiate, approve and execute” a real estate tax increment exemption agreement.

Merrimack Street Acquisition, a consortium involving the Greater Haverhill Foundation and the Boston Archdiocese’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs, purchased the building housing Angel Care Kids Therapy Center, 68-70 Merrimack St., last January for $431,250. It also closed in March on the purchase of the building housing Lahey Behavioral Health Services, 60 Merrimack St., for just under $2.5 million. In a related transaction, the former Smiley School was purchased for $187,500 and is currently being rehabilitated for the relocation of Angel Care.

During a discussion last Tuesday, several city councilors said they discourage the construction of any more government-subsidized housing on Merrimack Street, but welcome market rate projects.

4 thoughts on “Market Rate Housing to Replace Former Lahey Building”

  1. Offer Armenian church to the Mormons or Darlene yeo for free.then toss some rehab money at true historic district on newcomb street.that’s where some of the city’s oldest, most historic houses are. Demolish the old Phoenix east

  2. Haverhill needs to attract middle and upper income people to move here. Good jobs is one and better zoning is another. Allowing 8 units on a half acre lot is insanity and nothing more than a death warrant to taxpayers forever.

  3. “several city councilors said they discourage the construction of any more government-subsidized housing” – Did they inform The Fish Family of this? I mean, The Fish Family already own/built so much in Haverhill, stuffing as many of the poorest human in a city as they can does wonders for social services, law enforcement, and our schools.