Development director reports progress on rear-main project, Compass Lane subdivision and Greenwood Pool

Director Stevens, director of community development and planning, told the Economic and Community Development Committee on March 14 that several long-running projects are advancing and that the department has held weekly coordination meetings with contractors and abutters.

Stevens said the complaint filed with the DEP and the EOHLC about the Pond Brook element of the rear-main project has been addressed and that weekly coordination with UEL Contractors and Fuss & O’Neill continues. "Both of those complaints are satisfied, on their end," Stevens said. She said an electrical request-for-information (RFI) remains open and the department is "waiting on, I think, one last abutter to get the information" before that RFI can be completed and forwarded to electricians. Stevens added, "we should get a good design update by next Friday, so March 21."

The update covered multiple other projects. Stevens said the Compass Lane subdivision was approved by the Planning Board and filed; she described it as the first subdivision approved through the city planning board in roughly "20 to 40 years," based on differing recollections. The department also secured conservation commission approval for the Greenwood Pool project; Stevens said an order of conditions is "underway" and that the city’s conservation agent expects it to be completed "probably mid next week, Wednesday or Thursday." She said the department will proceed with demolition and eventual pavilion construction once required permits and conditions are satisfied.

On the Rome Building, Stevens said abatement is underway and that demolition "should be done by May," with work starting on the Willow Street-facing portion of the structure (address 60 Willow) before the Main Street side. Stevens and committee members discussed safety and traffic control during demolition; Stevens said the contractor is coordinating with Lieutenant Arsenal of the Gardner Police Department and that Willow Street may need to be closed for one or two days during certain demolition phases.

Regarding staffing and organizational changes, Stevens reported that the committee approved merging the economic development coordinator and the finance manager positions; that action will move to the full city council on Monday for final approval and the new combined position will be posted after that. She described the combined role as handling grants (including CDBG), downtown business outreach, facade/sign programs and financial systems such as Intelligrant and Munis.

Stevens also described governance changes in the city’s economic development entities: she said the GRA (Gardner Redevelopment Authority) and the IDFA (Industrial Development Financing Authority) held recent meetings and that she was elected executive director of both bodies pending formal approval of minutes.

On federal grant work, the assistant director (unnamed in the transcript) said the RAISE grant application remains under review by the Federal Highway Administration. Separately, the mayor (unnamed in the transcript) noted that Gardner had been awarded the RAISE grant last year and that the federal contract has been executed; the grant will fund downtown parking and mobility studies and a 75% design for a downtown parking garage, with next steps depending on federal guidance and reporting requirements.

Committee members praised the department’s outreach and cross-agency coordination; several members highlighted the Greenwood Pool and the renewed cadence of coordination meetings as examples of improved collaboration.

Stevens said she will continue weekly updates with contractors and will notify the committee of any material schedule changes for the projects discussed.