ReportWire

Tag: Tom Golden

  • Public money woos private investment in Frontrunner City Initiative

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    LOWELL — To represent Lowell on the world stage takes money, and city leadership is investing significant personnel and financial resources in a yearlong effort to bring United Nations-led investment and development to the city through its Frontrunner City for Urban Transformation designation.

    For a seat at the global table — in Geneva, Switzerland and Toronto, Canada — as well as to meet the numerous requirements in the memorandum of understanding signed with the Urban Economy Forum in August, the city has had to front considerable costs for travel, for documents and for access.

    Although the goal of those investments is clear — to position Lowell, the first city in the United States to receive Frontrunner City status, with international private development — what’s not clear, is how much taxpayer funds the city has actually invested.

    “The Frontrunner City Program is a tremendous opportunity for Lowell,” City Manager Tom Golden said by email Oct. 24. “It aligns directly with the Lowell Forward Master Plan, our Green Community designation, and our zoning and infrastructure reforms. It has already opened doors to international partnerships, philanthropic interest, and potential foreign direct investment that would otherwise be out of reach for the City of Lowell.”

    At the Oct. 28 City Council meeting, Councilor Erik Gitschier’s motion requested Golden provide the council with “a detailed report on all expenditures for the frontrunner city, including the program, travel and any other expenses.”

    That response is pending, but a look at publicly available records shows costs associated with marketing and publicity, council-approved travel expenses, UEF filings and documents, as well as broker and conference fees associated with Lowell’s participation in UEF that could exceed $1 million.

    Mayor Dan Rourke kicked off Lowell’s participation last September by attending UEF-6 in Toronto, for an international conference on financing sustainable tourism. Rourke participated as a speaker in the mayoral roundtable and his nominal travel expenses amounted to $1,300.

    “I believe this opportunity will greatly benefit our community by enhancing the City of Lowell visibility,” he said in his out-of-state travel request.

    It was at that meeting that Rourke first learned of the Frontrunner City opportunity.

    One month later, eight people were approved for out-of-state travel to attend the Front Runner Community Initiative Program in Toronto for almost $4,000. The UEF covered the travel costs for hotel, flights and lodging.

    This past February, the City Council voted to appropriate $750,000 from free cash to support economic development initiatives, including promoting the Frontrunner City Initiative.

    Free cash is composed in part of unspent, unencumbered appropriations from the prior fiscal year.

    By July, the city was hosting a UEF and World Pavilion delegation. It is not known how much the UEF contributed toward their visit, nor how much Lowell expensed to host them, which included group meals at the Athenian Corner and Cobblestones restaurants, the latter at which a memorandum of understanding was signed by the city with the UEF.

    During their three-day site visit to Lowell, the Department of Planning and Development pitched the UEF team on a dozen development sites including the Hamilton Canal Innovation District off Dutton Street in Downtown Lowell; both the vacant District and Superior Courthouses on Hurd and Gorham streets, respectively; the Gallagher Terminal area where the city owns vacant land; the South Common area in Back Central; and other locations.

    But the focus was on the development opportunities in the Jackson, Appleton and Middlesex streets area.

    “Lowell’s JAM+ project represents an area ready for transformation and includes infill housing opportunities, new retail and commercial opportunities, improved open space and recreation, improved transit and connections, and a potential geothermal project,” Assistant City Manager/DPD Director Yovani Baez-Rose said in a memo to the City Council.

    To attend the UEF and World Urban Forum at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva in August, the city shelled out $33,258 to cover the costs of 11 people — seven councilors and four staff members, including Golden.

    The business trip may have included some incidental costs paid by the UEF or other partner associations, which were not disclosed.

    “Following the formal announcement of the City of Lowell as the first United States Frontrunner City, we have received outreach and communications from global businesses interested in working with Lowell and the Urban Economy Forum,” Baez-Rose said in an Oct. 7 memo. “The city’s Communications staff have been working closely with the UEF on press coverage for this continued partnership.”

    Lowell leadership returned to Toronto for more Frontrunner discussions Sept. 17-18. One week later, Lowell was represented at the Global Expert Meeting in Toronto by Rourke and Department of Public Works Sustainability Director Katherine Moses. Out-of-state travel costs could not be determined for this trip, which may have come out of free cash.

    In October, Lowell leadership again traveled to Toronto to attend the seventh annual Urban Economy Forum, a global event dedicated to reshaping urban economies. The almost $10,000 cost to the city was offset by the UEF covering some unspecified incidental costs.

    Golden, Rourke, DPD Deputy Director Camilo Espitia, Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs/Chief Financial Officer Conor Baldwin and Councilors Corey Belanger, Corey Robinson, Paul Ratha Yem and Sokhary Chau attended the conference.

    The JAM project discussed in July is still in the draft phase, but it was presented during the UEF-7 sessions, which included global investors.

    Some incidental costs the UEF may not have covered was the $13,000 to register for the conference, as well as other costs to participate in the sessions and forums.

    In addition to an initial outlay of $12,000 in marketing collateral to promote the city, Lowell has purchased other public relations collateral in various real estate and financial outlets, not all of which has been disclosed to date.

    “It is important to emphasize that the city has not paid the UEF for a title or designation,” Golden said in his October email. “Rather, we have invested in the infrastructure necessary to support our role as a Frontrunner City. This includes the creation of a comprehensive profile of the City of Lowell to be used to attract investors. These are investments in capacity, not fees.”

    Golden emphasized that financial outlays were investments similar to creating Lowell’s Master Plan.

    “Lowell’s designation as the first U.S. Frontrunner City was not purchased — we are continuing to work and earn it,” he said. “It reflects over 12 months of work by our planning, sustainability, and economic development teams, and it positions our city to compete globally for resources and recognition. There has been continuous communication and collaboration between the city and UEF staff throughout this time.”

    The council is expected to receive an update on its Frontrunner City investment status in the coming weeks, and Golden told the council at its Oct. 28 meeting that a dashboard will be posted to the city’s website soon “with everything that’s been happening with the Frontrunner City.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Lowell’s Back Central neighborhood a ‘mini Mass and Cass’

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    LOWELL — During last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilor Corey Belanger called the city’s Back Central neighborhood a “mini Mass and Cass,” referring to the area of Boston plagued by the same homeless, drug and crime crisis that has been growing for several years in Lowell’s poorest neighborhood.

    “On the back of Charles Street … the sidewalk was completely overrun, tents on the sidewalk, open-air drug use going on,” he said. “We need help.”

    Between March and September, the Lowell Police Department recorded a staggering 10,000 police dispatch entries in the densely populated neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by Appleton Street to the north, Chambers Street to the south, Thorndike Street to the west and Lawrence Street to the east.

    The police calls resulted in more than 18,000 officer call-offs, reflecting the significant resources required to manage incidents in this area. During this same period, 606 arrests were made — or on average, 100 per month — with 117 individuals arrested two or more times, and 20 individuals arrested five or more times.

    Councilors Corey Robinson and Erik Gitschier’s motion requested City Manager Tom Golden have a conversation between the council and key stakeholders centered around “challenges with our transient community.”

    Golden said he was trying to “work toward a solution” on what he described as a “revolving door” of people being arrested by the police only to be released back out on the streets by the judges at Lowell District Court.

    “There’s a lot going on here,” he said. “I can report back.”

    But councilors, while praising the city’s policing and social outreach efforts, were exasperated by the lack of coordination between the courts, state-level departments and other social and legislative agencies.

    “We need everybody together to help on this, otherwise we’re just going to spin our tires,” Gitschier said. “Send them down to the courthouse, they’re going to come right out of the courthouse and these numbers are just going to continue to escalate and escalate and no one really gets help. And that’s the sad part — people are not getting help.”

    Although not exclusively a homeless problem, based on figures released by the LPD and the Office of Homeless Initiatives, which is under the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services, the rise in arrests of homeless people tracked with the rise in homelessness.

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines individuals as homeless if they lack a “fixed, regular and adequate nighttime address.” Last winter’s federally mandated point-in-time count, conducted during the early morning hours of Jan. 30, reported 250 homeless people in Lowell.

    Two hundred were sheltered through Community Teamwork Inc.’s hotel program in Chelmsford, and in both regular and emergency beds provided through the Lowell Transitional Living Center on Middlesex Street in Downtown Lowell. There were 50 unsheltered people living outdoors.

    Those unsheltered people were mostly living in squalid encampments scattered throughout the city, including South Common Park, a 22.5-acre public green space in the city’s Back Central neighborhood.

    The City Council passed an ordinance in November 2024 making it unlawful to camp on public property in the city of Lowell. The civil ordinance is enforceable through the LPD, and the city sanctioned so-called “sweeps” of numerous homeless encampments, including South Common.

    In early October, one person was killed and another person hospitalized after a garbage truck backed over them on Spring Street. Witnesses said the two homeless individuals had been sleeping on the narrow, alley-like street after they had been repeatedly told to leave other parts of the city, most recently South Common.

    But even homeless people with an emergency bed at night become unsheltered during the day when the LTLC, the largest adult emergency shelter north of Boston, asks its clients to leave the premises.

    According to the LPD, complaints about trespassing increased from 519 complaints in 2021 to 1,369 complaints in 2024, a more than 150% increase.

    The shelter clients generally congregate in the Jackson Street, Appleton Street, Middlesex Street, Summer Street, and Gorham Street corridors.

    “These areas have experienced a high concentration of transient individuals, which has led to recurring public safety and quality-of-life issues,” Assistant City Manger Shawn Machado said in the motion response dated Oct. 21.

    Councilor Vesna Nuon suggested that the task force approach the city took to address gang violence in the city almost 20 years ago may be a guide to Lowell’s current crisis.

    “When we had a gang issue in the city, the juvenile court judge and others participated in this,” Nuon said. “The [District Attorney] the [Middlesex] Sheriff’s Office, [Department of Children and Families] and all those entries, joined in. The court plays an important role in this.”

    Machado’s motion response noted that the city’s Community Opioid Outreach Program had been active in the neighborhood, offering outreach and services to individuals in need.

    “Despite their daily efforts, there remains a significant number of individuals who decline the services offered,” Machado’s motion response said. “This underscores the complexity of the issue and the need for a more comprehensive, multi-agency approach to address the underlying causes of chronic homelessness, substance use, and mental health challenges.”

    Machado said Golden will extend invitations to a representative from Sheriff Peter Koutoujian’s office, leadership from the LPD, district court judges serving the Lowell area, an a representative from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

    “The goal of this discussion is to explore collaborative strategies that address the root causes of recidivism, improve outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness or substance use disorders, and enhance public safety for all residents and businesses,” Machado said.

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Lowell’s old District Court faces uncertain future

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    LOWELL — Wall clocks were stopped at random times in the rooms throughout the vacant Lowell District Court at 41 Hurd St. The two public phone booths — from which visitors made calls before the age of cellphones — were missing the actual phone sets. And the water to the drinking fountain was shut off.

    But the ancient heating system was pumping out warm air on a chilly October morning, and the lights were working, giving a small group a toasty and safe way to navigate the sprawling courthouse buildings Thursday.

    The public tour was arranged by the Department of Planning and Development under the terms of the request for proposal issued by the city in August.

    “The RFP presents a unique opportunity for mixed-use development with the focus on residential development located in the downtown of the city of Lowell,” Asset Manager George Coulouras said at the onset of the self-guided tour. “We welcome you all here. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Purchasing Department.”

    The two-story courthouse is actually two buildings. The original courthouse, closest to George Street, is a Federal Revival brick structure built in 1925 and expanded west toward Central Street in 1969. The almost 32,000-square-foot property included seven courtrooms and chambers as well as the Clerk of Court, Probation and other court support functions.

    The District Court parcel has been vacant since 2020 when the new Lowell Justice Center, later renamed the Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center, opened on Jackson Street. The work of the District Court and the Superior Court on Gorham Street were moved to the gleaming seven-story, 265,000-square-foot modern building that March.

    The City Council tasked City Manager Tom Golden with exploring ways to take control of and utilize state and local buildings for housing or other uses.

    Last year, the city took possession of the District Court property when Lowell’s legislative delegation secured passage of a home rule petition allowing the city to acquire the vacant Hurd and Gorham street courthouses. So far, the city has only exercised its option on the District Court site.

    Once the city received the title to the property, the DPD put out a request for proposal in August, the first step in soliciting companies to develop the property.

    The hulking property is not without its challenges or expense. With last year’s agreement, the city assumed the operating costs of the building, and the fiscal 2025 budget allocated $200,000 to cover utility costs alone. The city also assumed all staffing and maintenance of the building, including plowing, cutting the grass, and trash removal and security, such as regular patrols and security fencing.

    Although the structure isn’t as waterlogged as the long-neglected Smith Baker Center on Merrimack Street, across from City Hall, and lacks the pervasive moldy, mildewy smell of that building, the courthouse shows many signs of decay due mostly to water infiltration.

    In 2020, a facility evaluation study commissioned by the Middlesex Trial Court identified existing infrastructure issues with the building.

    “The roof appears to require replacement, and there is evidence of water intrusion in several parts of the building,” the report said. “The buildings have many level changes with small flights of stairs between the various portions of the facility.”

    This reporter experienced those infrastructure challenges firsthand, climbing up stairs in order to go down a level, squeezing through narrow passageways and observing significant water damage in the walls and ceilings. There were numerous grade changes that were potential hazards.

    Although the newer side of the complex features more open spaces, the entire structure is a rabbit-warren of halls, stairwells, cubbyholes and doors — lots and lots of doors. The structure lacks modern conveniences like wiring for high-speed internet; energy-efficient heating systems; no air conditioning in the original wing; outdated bathrooms; and the structure is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    The interior space did not look vandalized — no graffiti was seen, there were no broken windows and the wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems appeared to be intact. But some interior doors were heavily fortified and a mini encampment was seen, ironically, in the old prisoner intake room in the basement that overlooked the six jail cells. Remnants included a pile of blankets, clothes, spoiled food, a dead phone and a broken crack pipe.

    Grafitti marked the exterior building and lots of trash littered the fenced-in grounds. The outdoor stairwell entrance off the back parking lot appeared to be a shooting gallery as the area was filled with needle caps and other drug paraphernalia. Syringe Collection Program Coordinator Andres Gonzalez picked up needles from that area following the tour.

    Despite its frozen-in-time charm, it’s hard to imagine how the space can be repurposed for anything, much less housing. Even the 2020 report acknowledged that “The layout of the building limits the adaptability and flexibility of the courthouse for other uses.”

    Elsewhere the report, which was available to the city before its acquisition, noted that the building would be “extremely difficult” to renovate “due to the condition and layout of the building,” and the “comprehensive nature of the renovations required.”

    The property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    The appraised value of the property is listed as almost $6.5 million. In 2020, demolition of the building was expected to cost $800,000, which no doubt is much higher in today’s market. Unless a potential developer assumes those costs, as owner, the city now bears full fiscal and physical responsibility.

    Local historian and former Middlesex North Register of Deeds Richard Howe worked in the courthouse during his early career as a lawyer.

    “I spent nearly every working day from 1986 to 1995 inside the building,” Howe said by email. “That was the court-appointed public defender phase of my legal career (pre-register of deeds) so I know the building well. It is maze-like and probably best torn down since it’s not significant architecturally.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • HCID housing, retail development poised for take off

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    LOWELL — UMass Lowell hasn’t broken ground yet on its $800-million Lowell Innovation Network Corridor project, and the potential billion-dollar Frontrunner City Initiative is still in early stages, but the city’s Hamilton Canal Innovation District is having a moment.

    At its Sept. 9 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved access agreements with two major developers – Wexford Development and Winn Companies.

    “Wexford is proposing the development of a 75,000-square-foot research and development facility,” City Manager Tom Golden said in a Sept. 4 memo to the council.

    The HCID area is adjacent to Lowell’s downtown and within the boundaries of three historic districts: the Lowell National Historical Park and Preservation District, the Downtown Lowell Historic District, and the Locks and Canals Historic District.

    It is a critical part of the Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex urban renewal plan and the Thorndike/Dutton Street entry corridor to the city. It has a direct route to the Gallagher Transportation Terminal less than a mile away.

    It is also within walking distance to UMass Lowell’s LINC project, an 80% private and 20% publicly funded project that will build out the university’s East Campus footprint. The university hopes to break ground on a three-phased building plan that blends industry, infrastructure and housing. The groundbreaking for Phases 1 and 2 are to take place this year, with a two-year timeframe for completion.

    But the vacant HCID parcels have struggled to attract developers with the vision and scope to build out the centrally located and high-profile parcels.

    Wexford Science & Technology, which is pulling together the ambitious LINC project, is known for its mixed-use, amenity-rich, innovation-focused communities blending industry/university community models. It responded to a request for proposal on the three-phased housing-retail LINC project that UMass Lowell sent out more three years ago.

    “Wexford Development continues to have interest in developing parcel 15 in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District (HCID),” Golden said. “It is our hope this due diligence work will result in the successful negotiation of a Land Disposition Agreement for this parcel.”

    A formal land disposition agreement with Wexford is when the purchase price to the land would be agreed upon.

    At the same meeting, the council also unanimously approved the execution of an extended temporary access agreement between the city and WinnDevelopment.

    Sometime in 2028 or 2029, WinnDevelopment, the construction arm of the WinnCompanies, hopes to have built 124 apartments in a six- to seven-story, mixed-use building along Dutton Street. The area encompasses Parcels 11 and 12 in the HCID and is located across the Pawtucket Canal.

    The last development within the HCID was WinnCompanies’ 201 Canal Apartments in 2022.

    At the council’s next meeting on Sept. 23, it referred to an Oct. 28 public hearing an ordinance to amend the form-based code on parcels 2, 3A, 4, and 5 in the HCID to allow development by Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, which acquired the properties from the Sal Lupoli Companies.

    In an agreement negotiated by the city, Lupoli sold his undeveloped parcels to CC&F, although he will retain ownership of the $26 million, eight-story, 550-space parking garage on Parcel 1, across from Kiernan Judicial Center on Jackson Street.

    The form-based code specifies what goes on each parcel and has to be submitted to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for administrative approval.

    The new developer is proposing to build 270 market rate residential units and 10,000-square-feet of street level retail on the parcels.

    “A form-based code change would allow for a larger building footprint across the parcels and an increase in the maximum building height on parcel 5 – from 70 feet to 85 feet,” Golden said. “Combining parcels 2, 3a, and 4 will create an opportunity to build more housing units, directly addressing Lowell’s growing housing needs of all types.”

    LINC is poised to bring hundreds of units of housing, hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial space, and a new dormitory to the Mill City. One development will build out land next to the Tsongas Arena, and a counterpart will take place near the Wannalancit Mills.

    Both locations will each add about 300,000-square-foot buildings, about 20 percent of which UMass Lowell will occupy. Companies who want to be close to campus will lease the remaining space.

    “To date, the vision for the HCID that was created over twenty-years ago still resonates,” Assistant City Manager and Director of Planning & Development Yovani Baez-Rose said. “While there have been modifications over time, the creation of new housing, the introduction of retail, and office space is still guiding all ongoing discussions…the district has a lot of momentum at the moment.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Markley Group responds to concerns about data center operations

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    LOWELL — The Markley Group addressed concerns about its data center operations in a letter dated Sept. 22 that was sent to the Lowell City Council.

    On behalf of the company, attorney William Martin wrote that “We are hopeful that increased communication with all parties will ensure that any potential issues are resolved quickly moving forward.”

    The letter was sent to the council one day before the body met to consider Markley’s petition to more than double its emergency backup diesel fuel storage.

    “As part of this phase of construction they [Markley] are proposing to install additional emergency generators, each with an aboveground diesel fuel belly tank,” Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. PE Senior Project Manager William Taber said in a letter dated Sept. 5. “This will increase the on-site diesel fuel storage from 71,100 gallons to 168,000 gallons.”

    The Planning Board approved the company’s site plan in 2015, and the council followed suit in 2016, but the project has been mired in conflict ever since. Neighbors have consistently testified to several city boards about noise and air quality concerns, violations of approved permitting and a lack of communication and transparency by the Boston- and Los Angeles-based international company.

    Markley Group LLC bills itself as New England’s largest and longest-operating telecommunications and data center developer. In addition to its 350,000-square-foot Lowell facility, it has a major fiber data hub center, also known as a connected carrier hotel, in Downtown Boston, which is almost 1 million square feet of space.

    Its systems power and provide routing to a wide variety of private companies, state and local governments, universities and internet companies.

    Markley’s state-of-the-art data-storage and cloud-computing company is located in an area zoned as light industrial, and the property abuts moving companies, welding shops, metal fabricators, plumbing services and auto shops.

    But the site of the former Prince pasta plant is also ringed by residential neighborhoods, as well as the Cardinal O’Connell School and several playgrounds and parks.

    In his letter, Martin said many of the neighbor concerns were being addressed including safety and security at the 14-acre high-tech facility, such as unsecured fences and broken gates.

    “A fence that runs along an abutters property to the north of the site had been damaged,” Martin said. “Markley has gained access via an access agreement to repair that chained link fence. The Andrews Street fence has also been repaired.”

    This reporter visited both locations Saturday and noted a large chain locking the emergency gate on Andrews Street. A free-standing chain link fence enclosed the northside of the property where the diesel generators are located.

    With regards to noise mitigation, Martin said the temporary chillers that can be seen in drone footage shot by resident John McDonough June 9 that  had “created disruptive noise in the area surrounding the site,” had been removed.

    “Markley is also in the process of applying sound attenuation equipment to the permanent chillers on site,” he said. “Each chiller on site should have this equipment installed by the end of October, and each additional chiller installed on site will have this equipment.”

    Martin also addressed the towering and exposed dirt pile in the lot off Andrews Street. At its Oct. 21, 2024 meeting, the Planning Board approved a previous Markley site plan for an expansion of its “critical infrastructure.” Some of the Planning Board’s conditions to that approval included remediating the dirt pile.

    “This pile is essential to construction over the next several months, but we expect that the majority of it will be cleared by the end of the calendar year,” Martin said. “The Markley Group will work with a site professional to ensure that excavation of any soil on the property is carried out in accordance with any other state and federal agency, and that dust-control measures are taken during the course of the construction work.”

    Regarding its commitment to the neighbors, Martin said Markley recognized the importance of transparency as they continued their work in Lowell and were committed to being better neighbors.

    “That’s why Markley has hired Jackie Martin to manage a public affairs program as they continue their growth and work within the city,” Martin said. “Markley is looking forward to having a more open line of communication with neighbors and the community, and encourages any neighbors to reach out to markleyneighbor@gmail.com with questions or issues regarding their operations. Neighbors are encouraged to reach out to this address before contacting the City to help work through issues proactively. Emails will be answered as swiftly as possible.”

    After hearing public testimony at the Sept. 23 meeting, the council voted to refer the petition to a joint meeting of the Environmental & Flood Issues and Neighborhoods Subcommittee to be held Tuesday at City Hall.

    Councilors Corey Belanger, Corey Robinson, Paul Ratha Yem, Erik Gitschier and Wayne Jenness will hear public comment on Markley’s petition.

    The public is invited to register to speak by sending an email to City Clerk Michael Geary at mgeary@lowellma.gov or by calling 978-674-4161. 

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Distinguished U.S. Navy admiral, Lowell native to keynote Parker Lecture Series event

    Distinguished U.S. Navy admiral, Lowell native to keynote Parker Lecture Series event

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    LOWELL — The fall schedule of the Moses Greeley Parker Lecture Series begins Wednesday evening with Lowell native and retired U.S. Navy Adm. Michael Gilday serving as the keynote speaker and roundtable participant at UMass Lowell’s Comley-Lane Theatre at 6:30 p.m.

    Gilday served as the 32nd chief of naval operations from 2019 to 2023. He has also served as naval aide to the president, and is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, four Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legion of Merit awards, a Bronze Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

    “We are thrilled that Admiral Gilday has graciously accepted our invitation to be a part of the Parker Lecture Series,” said Parker Lectures Chair John Carson. “With his background as a native Lowellian and a distinguished career serving our country, he is exactly the type of speaker that Moses Greeley Parker had in mind when he started the trust in 1917. We are pleased to offer our audience the opportunity to interact with Admiral Gilday in a roundtable discussion.”

    Gilday will participate in a panel discussion with Carson, City Manager Tom Golden and Mayor Daniel Rourke. After the panel, Gilday will deliver his keynote address, during which he said he will talk about the U.S. military by drawing on his experience in the Navy.

    “I’ll talk about why I think it’s important for people to understand what we do, and why we do it,” Gilday said in a phone call Friday afternoon.

    Gilday grew up in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood as the oldest of five children, and said the city provided all five siblings “a fantastic foundation for the rest of our lives.”

    “We all benefited from growing up in Lowell,” said Gilday.

    Gilday now lives in Alexandria, Virginia after retiring last year, but he said he comes back to visit the Mill City once or twice a year as his mother and two of his siblings live in the region.

    Following the keynote address, Gilday will engage in a Q&A session with the audience. Before the event on Wednesday, Gilday will also be bringing a younger sailor with him to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell and Lowell High School. He said it is “one thing for an old guy to talk about his experience in the Navy,” but he also wants the youth to be able to see and talk to someone about their experience much earlier in their naval career.

    “We are incredibly honored to welcome Admiral Gilday back to Lowell,” Golden said in a statement Friday. “His extraordinary service to our nation and his deep connection to our city make this a truly special event. It’s not every day we get to hear firsthand from a leader of such stature, and I know our community will benefit greatly from his insights.”

    Rourke said in a statement that Gilday “embodies the spirit of service that defines the city.”

    “He has made Lowell proud on the world stage, and we look forward to hosting him for this event,” said Rourke.

    UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen said Gilday “has had a profound impact serving the U.S. Navy, our nation’s top leaders and the people of our country.”

    “I look forward to hearing his views on leadership and the lessons he learned during an impressive and distinguished career in uniform,” Chen said in a statement.

    Admission to the lecture is free for all, with a seating capacity of about 400.

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    Peter Currier

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  • Groundbreaking ceremony marks start of Centralville housing project

    Groundbreaking ceremony marks start of Centralville housing project

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    LOWELL — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 13 to celebrate the start of a new affordable housing development in the Centralville neighborhood. The project, spearheaded by local developers Peter Marlowe and David Degan, is expected to bring much-needed housing to the area.

    The event was attended by city officials, including Mayor Dan Rourke and City Manager Tom Golden, as well as community members and project partners.

    Marlowe and Degan, both lifelong residents of Centralville, expressed their excitement about giving back to the community where they grew up. They emphasized the importance of providing affordable housing options for families in the area.

    The project involves transforming the property purchased from the East End Social Club into a mixed-use development. It will include new apartments and condominiums, as well as a renovated club space. The developers hope to create a vibrant community hub that will benefit residents for years to come.

    Funding for the project is provided through a partnership with Lowell Five Bank and the city of Lowell, who provided significant support with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financing supporting these affordable housing units. Marlowe thanked numerous individuals and organizations for their contributions to the project, including city officials, engineers, architects, and financial partners.

    Marlowe and Degan’s latest project marks another step in the ongoing revitalization of Centralville. With its completion, the neighborhood will be significantly transformed, offering a brighter future for new and current residents of the city of Lowell.

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    Submitted article

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  • Cha-ching: MSBA pays out cost overrun on Lowell High rebuild

    Cha-ching: MSBA pays out cost overrun on Lowell High rebuild

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    LOWELL — The Massachusetts School Building Authority cut a check for $10,594,239 to the city of Lowell in March.

    The money represents a partial reimbursement of supplemental funding that was approved for school building projects across the commonwealth in the fiscal 2024 state budget signed last August. Lowell’s share came to almost $37 million.

    “On behalf of State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, MSBA Chief Executive Officer James MacDonald, MSBA Executive Director Mary Pichetti and the MSBA Board of Directors, we are pleased to provide you with this reimbursement, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on the completion of the Project,” said a notification of payment email from the MSBA obtained by The Sun.

    In 2019, the MSBA voted to commit $210 million to Lowell’s then-$344 million project.

    The rebuild and renovation started in 2020 with the demolition of the doctors’ offices at 75 Arcand Drive, now home to the Riddick Athletic Center.

    In March 2022, representatives from Suffolk Construction and Skanska told the City Council that construction costs were going to be higher from supply-chain increases due to COVID.

    On average, steel went up 139%, curtainwall by 38% and drywall by 24%. Those budget overruns raised the project to its current $381 million cost, with the $38.5 million difference the responsibility of the city and its taxpayers. City councilors have long argued the unexpected costs should be the responsibility of the state.

    State Sen. Ed Kennedy filed legislation to address the issue in January 2023.

    “There are a lot of communities who went to the MSBA and got funding to move ahead with their project,” Kennedy said at the time. “They found out later that the building material costs had skyrocketed, and had raised the price.”

    In addition to Lowell, other communities were over their MSBA-approved budget funding, such as Groton at $16 million, Stoneham at $19 million and Somerville at $30 million.

    The MSBA uses the School Modernization and Reconstruction Trust Fund to fund school building projects, which in turn is funded by taking one penny from every sales transaction in the commonwealth. The Massachusetts sales tax is 6.25%.

    But the funding for Kennedy’s bill came from revenue generated by the Fair Share Amendment, also known as the “millionaire’s tax.” Passed by voters in the last state election, these funds are dedicated to transportation and public education.

    The legislation included 30 school projects estimated to receive approximately $270 million in additional grants based on increased funding limits from the MSBA.

    The supplemental funding was approved by the MSBA’s Board of Directors in October 2023.

    Skanska Project Manager Jim Dowd told the School Building Committee in February that the MSBA increased its maximum facilities grant for the almost $400 million project.

    “The potential for the maximum facilities grant went from $215 million to $252 million, which is a total increase of $36.9 million,” he said.

    Some of that money is against the construction contingency funding, which may not be spent, thereby limiting the remaining $1.5 million overrun burden on the taxpayers of Lowell.

    A construction contingency is money set aside to pay for change orders from new requests or unforeseen construction requirements, and that amount of $21.2 million is built into the overall budget figures.

    As of February, the remaining funds in the contingency account were $17.2 million.

    “There have been 18 change orders to date totaling $3.9 million,” Dowd told the committee.

    The Executive Office of Education will transfer additional funds to the MSBA in April and June, which in turn will disburse remaining funds to the city.

    Kennedy is a member of the School Building Committee and City Manager Tom Golden publicly thanked him for his legislation during the February meeting.

    “Thank you to Senator Kennedy for spearheading this, and the representatives for making sure it got through on the House side,” he said. State Reps. Vanna Howard and Rodney Elliott also sit on the committee.

    “We’re very, very thankful for these additional funds that you shepherded through,” Golden said. “Senator Kennedy, on behalf of the entire city of Lowell and the City Council, I want to say thank you very much.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Mill City miracle: Draper Labs expands to Lowell

    Mill City miracle: Draper Labs expands to Lowell

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    LOWELL — A company that operated the computer guidance system that helped land Apollo 11 on the moon is coming to Lowell, to be an anchor tenant in the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor project that was announced last week.

    UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, flanked by local, state and federal leadership, introduced Draper President and CEO Jerry Wohletz during a welcome ceremony held Thursday at UMass Lowell’s University Crossing, in a room that overlooked the Merrimack River.

    “Today is a milestone in the history of this city,” Chen said. “Because [LINC is] setting in motion a vision that will not only transform UMass Lowell, but will transform this whole region for our students, but also all of the residents of this great city.”

    LINC is an $800 million development plan that leverages the prestige and innovation of the university and the resources and history of the city of Lowell with the job creation capabilities of industry like Draper Labs to envision a vibrant urban village/main street model and economic engine for the city.

    Until ground is broken on Phase 1 of the project next year, which will construct two industry co-location and professional housing apartment buildings, Draper Labs will temporarily move a microelectronics division of about 50 people into university-owned space in Wannalancit Mills.

    According to its website, Draper Labs “is an innovation company that pursues scientific advancements to solve that nation’s toughest national security problems for the betterment of the nation and secure democracy around the globe.”

    Pulling together this transformative project with a $600 million investment is Wexford Science & Technology, a company known for its mixed-use, amenity-rich, innovation-focused communities blending industry/university community models. It responded to a request for proposal that UMass Lowell sent out 16-18 months ago.

    The project will bring new housing, economic development, technology jobs and workforce development to downtown Lowell.

    The planning for this campus-style industry initiative was more than 12 years in the making, said UMass President Marty Meehan.

    “Some of the parcels that are involved in this, we acquired in 2010, 2011,” he said. “This was a vision that was set out over a long period of time.”

    That vision moved from the planning stage to implementation with support from Gov. Maura Healey and U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, both of whom were in attendance at the morning event. They were joined by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, state Sen. Ed Kennedy and state Reps. Vanna Howard, Rodney Elliott and Rady Mom. In the audience were several Lowell city councilors, former Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson, among others.

    Healey said her administration would draw on LINC as a “marquee” example of innovation in the commonwealth. The state was recently awarded $19.7 million to establish the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub, a regional hub that will advance the microelectronics needs of the U.S. Department of Defense while spurring new jobs, workforce training opportunities and investment in the region’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.

    “This is a space in which we’ve done really, really well,” Healey said. “Microelectronics is an example of a sector that is growing and that is key to our future and it’s going to happen here. I’m really pumped about this. Lowell deserves this … it’s good for the country.”

    Trahan brought the federal government to the table with CHIPS Act and other funding.

    The $280 billion CHIPS Act, which stands for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors, was passed in July 2022 to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.

    “We’ve secured investments that will position the Mill City for a multibillion economic and jobs boom the likes of which hasn’t happened here since the Industrial Revolution,” Trahan said.

    Wohletz said Draper needs talent, and lots of it. The company is doubling its staff of 2,400 in the coming years. It has campuses across the U.S., including Massachusetts with its headquarters in Cambridge and the U.S. Navy Integrated Repair Facility in Pittsfield.

    “Draper views UMass Lowell’s microelectronics program as one of the top programs in the region,” Wohletz said. “We view UMass Lowell as a strategic partner and a resource for state and federal engagement and a pipeline for engineering talent.”

    That pipeline includes Middlesex Community College, the Lowell Public Schools system, as well as Greater Lowell Technical High School.

    Several leaders spoke to a brain drain that happens in Lowell, in which promising talent leaves due to a lack of housing. LINC incorporates professional housing as part of the model. The project is expected to add almost 500 new units to the city’s housing stock.

    “LINC will retain and attract professionals to Lowell as well as ramp up economic development, entertainment and culture for Lowell residents,” City Manager Tom Golden said during his welcoming remarks.

    Golden added that the city and UMass Lowell are also planning infrastructure improvements as more people live and work in Lowell.

    The teamwork between the local government, the university and state and federal leadership is what brought Draper Labs to Lowell, Wohletz said.

    “The secret recipe has always been partnerships,” he said. “At the core of these great technology achievements has been a partnership between government, academia and industry. United in solving these tough problems while committed to educating the next generations of engineers and scientists.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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  • Hail Mary pass for Smith Baker Center, ‘Lowell’s Cathedral’

    Hail Mary pass for Smith Baker Center, ‘Lowell’s Cathedral’

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    LOWELL — The fate of the magnificent but derelict and potentially dangerous Smith Baker Center, once called “Lowell’s Cathedral,” was the focus of three motions on the City Council’s agenda Tuesday night, one of which called for it to be torn down.

    “It’s in no condition for anything other than demolition,” Councilor Erik Gitschier said.

    The imposing high Victorian Gothic-style edifice, located at 412 Merrimack St., across from both City Hall and the Pollard Memorial Library, was constructed in 1884 for use as the First Congregational Church.

    The city purchased the four-story, red-brick building in 1975 for $85,000. The building later became home to the Council on Aging and was known as the Smith Baker Center. The COA was relocated to its current location on Broadway Street in 2002, and the building has been vacant ever since. It is one of approximately 363 properties in the city’s portfolio.

    The City Council declared the property surplus in July 2011, and posted at least three requests for proposals, but no deals closed. Coalition for a Better Acre, a nonprofit community organization, considered buying the property in 2018, but could not agree on terms with the city.

    Six years ago, then-CBA Director of Real Estate Craig Thomas told the CBA board that projected development costs were $18 million with the unheated building needing significant site prep work.

    “The building is beautiful and amazing, but it is deteriorating,” Thomas said. “There is significant water damage and it needs to be weatherized and stabilized.”

    Gitschier’s roll-call floor motion failed with only himself and Councilor John Descoteaux voting in favor. Descoteaux said its “time had run out.”

    “The city has done its due diligence,” Descoteaux said. “If I had my druthers, I’d have a wrecking ball on it tomorrow morning. What have we been talking about for the last year? Housing. We need more housing.”

    He advocated for clearing the site for housing development.

    The Department of Planning and Development noted last September that the “DPD does not have a funding source identified that would cover the cost of (hazardous material) abatement and demolition at this time.”

    Councilor Paul Ratha Yem’s motion asked that the city have the appropriate department apply for Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission to preserve and restore the building.

    The deed on the property does not limit the city’s ability to sell the property or restrict its reuse options, but the property is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and any action utilizing federal or state funding would require approval by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

    Additionally, the state will only reimburse up to 50% of expenses of a maximum grant amount of $100,000. A 2018 facility condition assessment estimated capital needs of almost $3 million, which several councilors said the city doesn’t have.

    “… as a city, we cannot afford it,” Councilor Vesna Nuon said.

    The report noted numerous problems including no elevators serving the building and inoperable hot water, electrical, heating and cooling and fire protection systems.

    Six years later, the basement walls, which are the foundation of the entire structure, have a remaining useful life of 10 years, the roof is within one year of its useful life and the interior plaster walls and ceilings and flooring have no useful life remaining. The existing layout and interior components were rated as not being Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and not to code.

    Last year the city prohibited parking on the west side of the building parallel to Cardinal O’Connell Parkway due to concerns about debris falling off the façade.

    Public safety was raised in Nuon’s motion which asked for a report back from City Manager Tom Golden on the issue.

    Councilors noted boarded up windows, and Gitschier said the space is being used by unhoused people. A reporter visited the site last week and saw unsecured windows allowing both people and the elements into the space.

    “I’m worried that something may happen as we wait,” Nuon said. “What if that building somehow fell down and killed those unhoused people? This building is beyond repair.”

    In 2021, the nearly 140-year-old building was declared unsafe for firefighters to enter. Two red and white X’s are attached to the building, which signifies that unless it’s determined a person is inside, firefighters will battle the fire from outside. It’s one of more than a dozen such properties marked by the Fire Department throughout the city.

    Nuon also submitted a motion in 2022 requesting an update on the Smith Baker building from then-City Manager Eileen Donoghue.

    Then-Assistant City Manager and DPD Director Christine McCall wrote that the building qualified for earmarked funding based on its location within a Transformative Development Initiative district.

    “We see this as a unique opportunity to work with MassDevelopment, community partners, and residents to envision an appropriate reuse of this building and potentially unlock critical funding to rehabilitate the building,” she said.

    The status of that report was not discussed at council, but Golden acknowledged the toll that 20 years of neglect have had on the historic building. He asked to present options to the council at its March 5 meeting.

    “I am extremely concerned with this building, but facing the piece of taking it down is troubling,” he said. “Let me come in with an idea.”

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    Melanie Gilbert

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