HAVERHILL — City officials have hoped big housing developments in the downtown would trigger additional housing starts in surrounding neighborhoods.
That is just about to happen in a neighborhood just north of downtown. There, a developer is proposing four, four-unit condominium buildings just around the corner from the large Forest City and Haverhill Lofts developments. Those projects have brought hundreds of new condos and apartments to the downtown.
Local lawyer William Early has applied for a special permit for the an empty lot on Orchard Street. He represents D & D Realty Trust and Carl and Aida Khalil who want to put the four condo buildings on the property.
The City Council was to hold a hearing regarding Early's application for a special permit when it meets on Tuesday, but the hearing has been postponed to Oct. 5.
William Pillsbury, director of economic development and planning for the city, said the developer has asked for an additional variance related to the distance between the proposed buildings and must go before the Board of Appeals before the council considers the project.
"We had hoped that projects such as Forest City would serve as a catalyst for additional development in the area," Pillsbury said. "It is a good project in terms of what we refer to as 'in-fill housing,' which is a development in a previously developed area where there either has been demolition or other removal of property."
The Forest City Enterprises firm of Cleveland is building 305 apartments called the Hamel Mill Lofts in old downtown factories. Some of the apartments are rented and others are being built. The $75 million project is the largest housing development in Haverhill's history.
The $39 million, 146-unit Cordovan complex two blocks away from the Forest City project was the first of Haverhill's large factory-to-housing conversions.
In all, more than 500 housing units have been built or are planned for old downtown buildings.
Pillsbury said smaller projects like the one being proposed for Orchard Street are good for neighborhoods.
"When you can increase owner occupancy in a neighborhood it is a good stabilizing factor," he said of condo developments.
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