Creating more affordable housing throughout the region and working collaboratively were the major themes of city leaders who spoke at the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Mayors and Managers Breakfast Monday in Andover.
Michael J. Sullivan, chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors, opened the event by reminding the 250 in the audience that “there are no fences” between their communities and working together builds a more prosperous region.
Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett built on that theme, saying she discovered the most effective method for accomplishing her goals is through collaboration.
“I’d like to publically thank my partners in government including all the city employees, the Haverhill city council, our state and federal delegation and the Healy-Driscoll administration. Collaboration is key to getting stuff done in government and beyond and I am fortunate to work alongside so may dedicated public servants to take on any challenge affecting our city from government shutdowns to massive snow storms.” Barrett said.
Barrett used the opportunity to do a little recruiting. She said Haverhill is seeking a new economic development director following the retirement of longtime Economic Development and Planning Director William Pillsbury Jr. in September.
“We would love if anybody here knows of anybody, send them our way. We have land. We have workforce. We have everything you need. We just need somebody to sell us. So come talk to me,” Barrett encouraged.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, keynote speaker, expanded on the attractiveness of the region for economic activity arguing that the Merrimack Valley region is one of the best places to do business in the state.
“I really feel like the Merrimack Valley is a region with tremendous strengths. We have an educated and increasingly diverse workforce, historic city and town centers that are, to me, the real economic anchors of their communities, but also of the region. It has one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing and industrial capacity in the Commonwealth. Some of you know that who work in those spaces. You also have incredible natural resources and open spaces that contribute not just to the quality of life but to the region’s long-term competitiveness,” Driscoll said.
She said affordable housing remains one of the biggest challenges every community in the state faces, noting the average age of a first-time homebuyer in Massachusetts is 40 and the highest percentage of people leaving the state are young people 26 to 35.
Methuen Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard Jr. spoke about initiatives to create more affordable housing units in his city at the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Mayors and Managers Breakfast Monday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston-Andover. (WHAV News photograph.)
Methuen Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard Jr. said encouraging and supporting the construction of more units of affordable housing is the top priority in his city. He reported the state had recently accepted the city’s formal housing production plan and he enumerated several housing projects in the works, among them plans to convert two vacant schools into affordable housing.
“We’re laying the initial groundwork to transform two former school buildings into affordable housing for low-income Methuen seniors and veterans, reusing existing assets to meet real community needs,” Beauregard said.
Amesbury, Newburyport and North Andover are also focusing on housing production, their city executives said. Newburyport Mayor Sean R. Reardon said his city is supporting the conversion of the former George W. Brown School into 29 units of affordable housing for very-low-income residents and that the old Kmart building in Port Plaza could soon become 212 apartments—25% earmarked as affordable. North Andover Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues said her administration is supporting the addition of 290 units of housing at the old Davis & Furber Machine Shop property on High Street, a portion of which will be set aside for low-income tenants.
Andover Town Manager Andrew P. Flanagan said he is pleased to report the occupancy rate for commercial properties in his town center is hovering at 96%. Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePena was unable to attend and was represented by his senior advisor, Octavian Spanner. The event was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Andover-Boston.