Gateway North Breaks Ground on Washington Street In Lynn

LYNN—Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton joined officials from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Lynn, along with scores of others to officially break ground on the Gateway North residences on Washington Street in Lynn, a 71-unit new rental apartment complex for middle-income families, which are a project of Neighborhood Development Associates of Lynn and Hub Holdings LLC of Boston.

The start of construction marked the end of a nine-year planning, permitting, and financing effort and the realization of a long-awaited development link in a corridor along Washington Street that will help connect downtown Lynn to its waterfront.

Gateway North is the first development funded under the state’s $100 million Workforce Housing Initiative, designed to serve working families that do not qualify for established affordable-housing programs.

Joining many who had roles in the process on the acre-plus site at 700 Washington St. were Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development; Tim Sullivan, Executive Director of Mass Housing; State Sen. Thomas M. McGee, 3d Essex District; Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy; Dan Cahill, President of the Lynn City Council; Charles Gaeta, Executive Director of Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development; Peggy Phelps, Director of Planning and Development for Lynn Housing Authority; Thomas O’Malley, Director of AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, New England Region; Adriana Guzzo of Peabody Properties; State Rep. Brendan Crighton, 11th Essex County Legislative District; and Tom Bauer, Managing Principal of Hub Holdings LLC.

Bauer and others thanked the team of multiple partners and participants that helped make the long-awaited ground-breaking possible, including the AFL-CIO’s Housing Investment Trust, Lynn Housing Department and Neighborhood Development, Massachusetts Housing Trust, and Mass Housing Finance Agency.

“It takes a significant collaboration to address our current need for housing, and we have been gratified to be able to work with the AFL-CIO, the City of Lynn, Boston Capital, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to turn Gateway North into reality – into homes for families in Lynn,” said Bauer. “MassHousing recognized the potential and provided valuable assistance, and we salute the work of our team, including Bilt Rite Construction, The Architectural Team, and Pinck and Co.”

Charles Gaeta, Executive Director of Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development, who introduced several speakers after about 20 participants tossed ceremonial shovels of dirt at the active construction site, said, “Both the Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development and Neighborhood Development Associates staff have worked tirelessly over the last seven years making this vision into a reality.”

“We are pleased to see the hard work finally come to fruition, and we are excited for the positive transformation it will bring to this important gateway neighborhood,” he said. “Gateway North is a shining example of city, state, federal and private collaboration towards achieving much-needed development in the City, serving as a catalyst for more to come.”

“The Housing Investment Trust is pleased to help finance another MassHousing project that brings critically needed affordable and workforce housing to Massachusetts families, and we appreciate the involvement of the City of Lynn and the Commonwealth,” said O’Malley. “This project is especially important as the first multifamily project in Massachusetts receiving assistance under the new $100 million MassHousing workforce housing fund created by Governor Baker’s Administration.”