Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.
One of the first buildings in Haverhill’s Washington Street Historic District to bring together an artist’s studio and living space is before the Haverhill City Council tonight for its historic restoration into six apartments and two commercial spaces.
Developer Jonathan Cody proposes to renovate the building that was once home to downtown pioneer Raymond F. Eason and his popular pottery shop, Kaleidoscope Gallery, at 29 Washington St. Haverhill Economic Development and Planning Director William Pillsbury Jr. recommends the project, saying it is one of the last to undergo historic restoration.
“The proposed project represents an excellent development consistent with all of the goals of the city to revitalize the downtown. The redevelopment of the entire building into a mixed-use, market rate project is a strong positive indication of the private sector confidence in investing in Haverhill,” Pillsbury said.
Cody seeks a special permit from the City Council to proceed.
According to attorney Russell S. Channen, Eason and his wife Mary-Ellen bought the property in 1976 from Marblehead Savings Bank and it stayed in the family until last year when Cody’s Atlantis Investments bought the building for $750,000. As it stands now, the historic brick building contains office space on the first floor; unfinished rooms on the second floor; three bedrooms and a bathroom on the third floor; open kitchen, bath, dining area and living room on the fourth floor; and open space in the basement.
Cody proposes retaining two commercial spaces on the first floor and constructing two small studio apartments on each of the upper floors, ranging in size from 470 to 611 square feet, and resident storage space in the basement. The developer falls just shy of the parking requirement with one space per apartment rather than the required 1.2 spaces. Spaces would be located on the other side of Washington Square at 191 Merrimack St.
The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., in-person at the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers, room 202, Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St. As a public service, 97.9 WHAV plans to carry the meeting live.