Eight units of much-needed senior housing got the green light from the Haverhill City Council on Tuesday.
A proposal by Shoe City Development Corporation, owned by the Haverhill Housing Authority, to convert the building from four to eight units received enthusiastic support from councilors. The property, at 335 Groveland St. and 0 Katsaros Drive, was purchased by the Housing Authority earlier this year for $883,000 and is adjacent to its Kennedy Circle senior complex. Attorney Robert D. Harb, told councilors the addition will be in the back of the building and, for the most part, will not be noticeable.
“So, we’re basically just adding these four units and we have sufficient parking. You can see that we’ve provided for parking on the Haverhill Housing Authority land,” he said.
Plans also call for one unit to be handicapped accessible.
Haverhill Community Development Director Andrew K. Herlihy said the city is pleased to work with the Housing Authority on this project, which received support from the federal government as well.
“Through the American Rescue Plan, $7 million fell onto the 30 city and town region in Essex County that splits home money, and we went after that money for this project and this project scored so highly that it was actually awarded a million dollars,” he explained.
Herlihy went on to say, with this improvement in the neighborhood, the city will be using Community Development Block Grant money to make additional improvements in the open space park across the street from the building.
The project was said to be the Haverhill Housing Authority’s first new construction in 40 years.
Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan praised the project and said he hoped it would be the beginning of many similar projects in the future.
The council ultimately voted 7-0 in favor of the project with Councilors Michael S. McGonagle and Melissa J. Lewandowski absent.
One other proposal for the construction of six new apartments on a vacant Vine Street lot was put on hold for one week at the request of the developer’s lawyer.