HAVERHILL - On the once-contaminated site of a decaying shoe factory, a thriving neighborhood is growing with the opening of hundreds of chic apartments, part of a renaissance in this Merrimack River mill city, which has seen plenty of hard times.
Longtime residents like Richard Lynch never believed the crumbling brick buildings and trash-filled parking lots near downtown could be recreated as modern housing with exposed brick, wood beams, and even a cyber cafe.
Today, however, developers, residents and government officials - including Governor Deval Patrick - are scheduled to celebrate the official opening of the 305-unit, four-building Hamel Mill Lofts complex, one of several Haverhill developments spurred by state and federal incentives.
“They were an eyesore,’’ Lynch said of the city’s decaying structures, which were once home to companies that made shoes, boxes, and other goods. Like many other Northern industrial cites, Haverhill suffered when jobs went to places where labor and other costs were cheaper.
“It’s nice to see these factories reused,’’ Lynch said. “They have been vacant for a long time.’’
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki said the city, with a population of about 61,000, is an example of successful planning. Last year, the state named it a “growth district,’’ a designation meant to further speed commercial and residential development. Patrick also plans to announce today the allocation of $1.7 million for a much-needed parking garage for Haverhill.
“There’s a lot more people living in downtown Haverhill. There’s a lot more people shopping in Haverhill,’’ Bialecki said. “It’s a local vision for how this new growth has made Haverhill a better community.’’
Forest City …
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