After Lengthy Construction, Pandemic, Common Ground Café Plans Grand Opening

New location of Common Grounds Café. (Courtesy photograph.)

Common Ground Café, which cares for Haverhill’s low-income and homeless residents by providing food, clothing and other support, is having its long delayed grand opening.

Food, refreshments and fellowship is planned for Tuesday, May 24, from 4-6 p.m., at Common Ground Café, 194 Winter St., in Haverhill.

Over the past few years—and during the COVID-19 pandemic—Common Ground Ministries purchased and transformed the brick building. Ron Mills, who served as the organization’s director for more than 20 years, told WHAV about the project just as the coronavirus took hold in 2020.

“We purchased a 10,000-square-foot building, of which we have established 2,200 square feet to the back of the building which a warehouse was prior and we transformed that into a café, commercial kitchen and food pantry of which will be open 365 days of the year for the use of supporting the homeless population in the city and the low income families,” said Mills.

Working with local architect Angelo Petrozzelli for more than two and a half years, the group by then had invested $350,000 into the building, improving fire alarm and sprinkler systems, gas intakes to five furnaces and gas-powered ovens, water intake pipes and an expansion.

Common Ground Ministries Executive Director Pastor Bill Spirdione discusses the undertaking today during WHAV’s live “Win for Breakfast” show.

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