The new Maverick Gardens development is an example of a building project well done.
The development is esthetic, with a great design sense and as time passes, residents have come to appreciate how well built the units are and how well maintained the project remains since it was finished a relatively short time ago.
It is hard to imagine that the success at Maverick Gardens is connected with the ongoing success now taking place in Maverick Square but it is.
Maverick Square is the gateway. Maverick Gardens is part of the merging neighborhood that exists almost side by side with the condominiums and public housing rising up along the East Boston waterfront.
Now comes what some are considering perhaps the most important new building to go up in Maverick Square in over a century.
We refer to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s new facility which will shortly go up on land which once housed a huge hotel during the late 19th Century and into the 20th Century before it burned, was razed, and then carted away to a landfill as so much rubble.
The new building to rise on the site between the granite block and the Store 24 is going to cost approximately $25 million.
When it is finished late in 2011, it will represent the biggest single investment made in Maverick Square in a century.
So the structure must be designed with esthetics in mind, with a sense of the history of the square imparted in its shape and form.
Then a builder must be chosen to bring forth the structure with all its might, its heart and its soul and in such a way that the structure will stand the test of time and heavy usage, as it will be one of the most visited buildings in East Boston when it is up and running.
The selection process for a builder is all about the bid process but we remind officials connected with this choice to be made that the ultimate builder chosen must operate in such a way that the neighborhood benefits from the building of this structure.
During the construction of Maverick Gardens, the builder was careful to employ local tradesmen and companies and to use as well local suppliers as part of the general contract.
With the economic downturn causing high unemployment in the local building trades, such a builder considerate of that has never been more needed than for a project like this one.
Maverick Gardens is like a piece of gold for this neighborhood.
It shines. It will change the square by adding to its panache greatly.
This new building to be built in Maverick Square for the EBNHC is a precious gem.
The builder chosen must preferably have local roots or an understanding of the neighborhood or a track record here.
What was good for the construction of Maverick Gardens would likely be suitable for the new building to go up in Maverick Square.
We urge EBNHC to choose the best possible contractor at the best price but always keeping in mind the connection with the neighborhood and a proven track record.
This could make a big difference for the local economy.