Affordable Housing Downtown Site Plans

Posted on by Manuel F. Simoes

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Published by Manuel F. Simoes

Enjoying Life in Gloucester Mass

44 thoughts on “Affordable Housing Downtown Site Plans”

  1. You’re joking, right? That has to be the ugliest building I have ever seen. And entirely out of character–and out of time and place! I mean, it’s like the Jetsons landed in the middle of an historic neighborhood. It’s a joke, right? My god. What a disaster.

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    1. Their back isn’t the body part they are showing to Main Street–AND the people of Gloucester both past and present! This has to be a joke–and a very sick one at that. No one could possibly think that this is either an appropriate or desirable design. Dear god, please tell me this is a joke!

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  4. This can’t be real, can it? Is it me, or am I not seeing windows? I’m all for housing there, but really? Somebody help me out here. Maybe the artist didn’t have time to finish the drawing? This is about the strangest thing I’ve seen in some time.

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  7. I was disappointed by the turn out at last night’s meeting 7/30/2015 regarding affordable housing on Main Street in Gloucester hosted by Action Inc and the North Shore Community Development Corp.
    This project located at the site of the Cameron’s building is seemingly being fast tracked. Granted the city needs affordable housing and the Cameron’s building is an eyesore but there must be better alternatives both for a site for the project and for the use of the Cameron’s site. Commercial space on the first floor, thirty three units on the next three floors – with the possibility of 60 plus children along with 33 plus cars – crammed into this site at the corner of Main Street and Elm Street doesn’t make sense.
    Tom Daniel, Gloucester’s Community Development Director, made this statement in the Gloucester times this week regarding the affordable housing project – “economic development project that will enhance the city’s downtown”; however, when questioned how it would economically enhance downtown he couldn’t answer!
    Tom – how about helping the downtown property owners attract development/businesses that bring people to the city that have disposable income to boost the businesses on Main Street and beyond – that’s what I call community development – more money for the businesses, more employment opportunities and more tax dollars for Gloucester (project estimated to only contribute approximately $20,000.00 + annually to the tax base).
    The people of Gloucester need to pay attention to this proposal – whether you are for or against it. There is another meeting regarding this project on August 27th. This project should be more carefully considered, not railroaded through at a time when most people are either out of town or on vacation.
    Please contact interim mayor Sefatia Theken Romeo and Tom Daniel to help give them a more focused direction.

    Glen P. Hale

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  8. That building looks like an ugly fortress or a prison! WHO is proposing that design and WHO is proposing to put 30-40 residential units that will no doubt have little children in them in a place where there is absolutely NO yard, NO place for the kids to play EXCEPT on busy, dangerous streets? If this were a 55 and over unit, and had a design that harmonized with the rest of the downtown, that might work…Where are the government officials who should be stopping something like this monstrosity?

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  9. Thanks Glen for letting everyone know about the next meeting. I think we only need to repost these hideous plans to get a better turnout. It’s on my calendar. The uglification of Main Street–between chopping down trees and this, it appears as though our city government is trying to kill Main Street, not help.

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  10. It was explained quite clearly at the meeting last night that the illustration pictured above DOES NOT represent the actual design of the building, only the potential mass. More importantly, that was the initial basic illustration of what is possible and DOES NOT represent their subsequent illustration that showed a “pull back” of the upper floors and a lessening of the overall mass.

    The current numbers being discussed are 30 units above ground floor retail and parking, with 30 parking spaces for residents.

    The illustrations the architect showed that represented the potential appearance of the building matched very closely the facade of the neighboring Browns Mall building: bricks, granite, etc., very much in keeping with central Main Street.

    It’s unfortunate that this post doesn’t present the full picture of what was presented at the meeting. There’s already too much misunderstanding and misinformation about this project floating around.

    One last note regarding taxes: they estimate this project will provide almost three times the taxes paid to the city by the current building.

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    1. This is the first go around of the drawings, there was another one that had the frontage two stories with a set back to 4 stories. They have not committed to having a brick building. Although the architect’s are going back to the drawing board, It’s still shoehorning a large project into a small area. Elm Street will be a tunnel. Overflow parking up and down Main Street and Elm Street. As one resident of Elm Street said “I won’t be able to park in front of my own house anymore”. Someone else suggested that the people living there buy $50/month parking stickers. What part of affordable housing don’t some people get? While there will one parking spot for each unit what about the spots for 2nd vehicles, visitors, etc. Most of the units will be 2 units, then 3, then 1. Lots of children with no play area.

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    2. I attended the meeting. The illustration, (the orange and green) DOES represent the potential mass – VERY CONCERNING!
      There was no commitment to a “pullback” of the upper floors and the “lessening of the overall mass”.
      There were illustrations presented by the architect that showed existing buildings on Main St., but there was no real commitment that the proposed building would match those facades.
      Re. Tax money – this project with 30+ units will generate $20-23,000. The adjacent building with 11 units presently generates $50,000 in tax revenue to the city.

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  13. Are you kiddin’ me! This is just a bad idea on top of an ugly design. I can only imagine what the people who own condos at Brown’s Mall think. I do not like this idea. Find another location please!!!!

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  15. Great idea, but not in downtown. Kids need green space and elderly do not need to inhale toxic fumes. I would much rather see much needed parking.

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  18. Posting images like this certainly will cause much negative controversy but hopefully not the intent. It may get people’s attention to take more time to attend the next meeting on August 27th, then a good intent. Might it be helpful to gather and listen to all considerations, then have an informed opinion? I don’t have the perspective we have it as a railroading done deal or I’m not given opportunity to participate in the discussions. Summer is busy and I do catch up on many things if recorded and replayed on cable tv. There is still another meeting and each meeting will bring in more people hopefully. Not sure if these meeting are covered by cable, are they? A Design Review Board has always been a discussion many people have proposed in Gloucester. Whether or not that would delay process or more streamline it for future projects, I don’t know but helps in keeping the spirit and authenticity with a critical and informed eye on esthetics of a community. It would be nice to take the summer off from governing City and State development projects to help sustain livability in communities on all levels but if they don’t get a break, the people can’t take a break from participation if we want to help attract the funds and support needed for projects like this. Hot topic similar to the hotel issues of development in the downtown area. It’s also election season so future depends on who we vote for. Talk to your candidates about it. It there federal and state funds, is this within the cultural district? Can there be live/work space incorporated for low income artists? Can we adopt our own 1% for the arts here that would further benefit the community at large? What are all and potential benefits of this project that has community wide impact? ACTION INC. has always had a history of social activism with proven history of innovation to help the most needy in Gloucester. If it’s an Action Inc. project, I listen to see what they are saying, doing and why and for who.

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    1. There commercial units will not be for small artists – they have to put something that makes money for the private investors. At this time, the mass of this structure is depicted correctly. Cramped parking and no safe play space for children. The negative parking impact on Elm/Main Street. ATTEND THE LAST MEETING 8/27/15.

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  19. Clearly the building will not be designed windowless and of plastic as shown here. This is as Shawn Henry pointed out a study of the mass and general arrangement.
    That said, whoever the architect or sponsor is who showed it to the public made a big and perhaps lethal error. It just cries out for misinterpretation, inadvertent or intentional. This is a public relations disaster and is not at all clever. As a result, although I understand full well that the ugly drawing does not represent either the appearance or the materials or even the final shape of the structure, my confidence in the sponsors and designers fell right through the floor when I saw it.

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    1. Unfortunately, Manuel posted photographs of the drawings to this blog with zero context, generating much confusion about what they represent. Too bad, but it got people interested in the project, which is a silver lining.

      The developers were probably required to generate these graphics as part of the early public review process. I bet it’s an easier (and cheaper) way to show the scope of the project, before designing a fully-detailed building early on. It sounds like their presentation gave full context to what the pictures represent.

      These drawings are great because they help people understand the scope of the project. If you’re not used to thinking about space, they help people conceptualize what a “4-story, 30-unit, mixed-use building with upper level setbacks” would mean in a location that currently hosts an empty 1-floor restaurant … especially if you’re not currently standing at the project site.

      I’m excited to follow this project. I hope future posts on the topic will be more informative.

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      1. The photographs do show context – they show the BULK of the building. You shouldn’t be depending on ‘future posts’ – attend the meeting August 27th at 6:00pm at the Library.

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  20. The proposed 4-story building is not suited to the site.

    The architect indicated, at last Thursday’s meeting, that she had to struggle to squeeze in 30 parking spaces (one space required per apartment). Yet the promoter explained that 30 units is the minimum size required for economic viability of the project. Clearly, this is not the right site for such a building.

    The building will face Elm Street as well as Main Street. Elm is a very narrow street. On one side stands the 100+ year-old Brown’s building, repurposed nine years ago to house eleven condo units plus retail space. Erecting a new 4-story building across Elm Street will create an unappealing urban canyon out of scale with the rest of the street, which is characterized by 1- and 2-story structures. This will cause safety and parking problems for both existing Elm Street residents and those in the new building.

    At this site, privately-owned condos could generate double the property taxes for the City and more local spending in a smaller format than affordable housing in the proposed building. And other sites in the City could be better suited to an affordable housing development, with adequate room for parking and green space.

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  21. Of course the ‘promoter’ will want to fast track this project–once built it will be impossible to remove! This is not a new phenomenon. Countless historically precious and even unique architectural gems have been lost to the rush to renovate and ‘renew’ urban centers of America’s oldest towns, including Gloucester! The time to eliminate an ill-conceived and inappropriate project is BEFORE it is built—not after. I hope the people of Gloucester, who are so incredibly fortunate to still live in such an extraordinarily historical and beautiful place, are able to put an end to THIS ill-conceived project before it is built. The intention to build affordable housing is laudable and welcome, I am sure most people would agree, but it needs to be done on an appropriate site with adequate space and designed to enhance the historical character of the town, rather than diminish or clash with it.

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    1. What fast-tracking? They’re drawing an empty box in the location where a TO-BE-DESIGNED building would go. And that drawing was made public to illicit comment, which is clearly happening.

      Are you really arguing that the Cameron’s building is a “historically precious and even unique architectural gem?” Are we talking about the same building? It is a dilapidated brick and bathroom-tile wall of an eyesore. Refurbish and reuse the Cameron’s sign, maybe, or put it in a museum. But otherwise tear it down. We need to attract more people downtown, and building housing is a good way to do it.

      Gloucester’s diversity is an asset, and one that separates it positively from the rest of the towns in the region. Economic diversity is part of that. We can’t turn every building into luxury condos, and if we did, we wouldn’t have a Gloucester worth living in. That would destroy its future faster than an apartment complex downtown.

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      1. Frankly I have always thought Gloucester should have a maritime studies program as part of the public secondary education offered through the state university or technical college system. And it would be in keeping with the history and character of the city of Gloucester. The Cameron’s sign would fit nicely on such a building. 😉

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  22. Pingback: It does not surprise me one bit that “SOME” people thought that the green and orange placeholder in The Action Cameron’s Plan Was The finished architectural renderings. | GoodMorningGloucester

  25. This project continues to be fast tracted while the citizens of Gloucester are on summer vacations. Today’s Gloucester Times indicated the closing sale would be in September but after checking with the registry of deeds in Salem – a sale took place yesterday!!

    Northcutt states he is looking for feedback but have told a group of abutters who are concerned about the density and traffic that the project is going ahead with 30+ units and first floor retail space.

    The ward 2 council person, and head of the economic development in Gloucester continue to give lip service regarding the benefits of this project with no regard to the cons – the interim mayor says “he work’s for me”. Mayor, the fact is, you are all supose to be working for the citizens of Gloucester!!

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  26. Well, there you have it. On the fast track. As I said in my earlier posts, the time to stop an ill-conceived and ill-advised project is BEFORE it is built, not AFTER, when there is no recourse. The developers know that. I am almost glad I am not living there right now. I have seen many other changes to my beloved and uniquely beautiful Gloucester, hometown to me and the previous 12 generations of my family over the last 400 years. Some have been good. Many have not. There have been many irreplaceable important and historic buildings lost to so-called “urban renewal”. Once gone, original history can never be replaced. I taught my children that making mistakes is human and it is a good thing. It means you are trying. That is how we learn. But I also taught them that, in life, there are some mistakes that we cannot afford to make. I am not saying that the Cameron’s building is a uniquely beautiful and historic building whose unique character should be preserved. I don’t know the history of the building. What I AM saying, is that Gloucester and its Main Street ARE uniquely beautiful and historic whose character most definitely should be protected and preserved. I am a seamstress. Our first rule is ‘measure twice, cut once’. Think hard before you cut into a valuable and irreplaceable tapestry.

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  28. Pingback: Massive Building Project on Main Street–Public Meeting August 27th 6:00PM at the Sawyer Library | GoodMorningGloucester

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