Gardner's downtown renaissance continues with a new apartment complex officially open.
City and state officials were on hand for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Ryan Block apartment building at 52 Parker St. on Friday, Feb. 9. The $3.8 million project transformed two formerly blighted and rundown buildings into 29 new market rate housing units in the heart of the downtown area.
Mayor Michael Nicholson said providing housing units in the area would increase foot traffic downtown, which can help support local businesses and generate interest from other merchants looking to locate in the city.
“We’ve already had four or five businesses reach out to us about getting spots downtown once this (apartment project) went live,” Nicholson said. “That process has continued, and we’ll see what happens in the next year or two as a result of that. But to have this spur that much development and interest in the city, filling a need that was there in a very unique way, is great.”
The project was funded through a $900,000 Underutilized Property Grant from MassDevelopment and a $2.9 million loan by Fidelity Bank taken out by the property owner, Mass Ave Rentals.
Ali Dougan, vice president of Mass Ave Rentals, said all but eight of the complex’s housing units have already been rented.
“The demand was pretty crazy for (the apartments),” she said, adding that the complex’s location in the city would be a boon for the local economy. “It’s great because there’s so many local businesses, including a lot of restaurants, that will now have over 29 new families looking to flood the downtown with their business.”
Project offers first market rate housing units downtown in decades
The project marks the first time in over two decades that market rate housing units have been constructed in the city’s downtown region, according to officials.
Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, D-Gardner, said the fact that nearly all of the complex’s units had already been rented was a good sign for the local economy.
“I would certainly be smiling today if I owned a restaurant or a shop downtown because now there’s going to be a couple hundred people living here that are within walking distance of your place of business every day,” Zlotnik said.
Ryan Block building is home to original Velvet Goose location
For Patti Bergstrom, owner of The Velvet Goose and president of Gardner Square Two, seeing the buildings transformed into apartments was, while an exciting day for the city, an emotional moment for her because the model apartment used for the grand opening reception was the same spot where she opened the original location of her store in 1987.
“This was the old Velvet Goose, this is where I started 37 years ago,” she said. “I have a lump in my throat.”
Mitch Lorden, vice president of Mass Ave Rentals, said that in addition to each unit’s state-of-the-art features, including brand new appliances and washer-and-dryer setup, the building’s location makes it an attractive place to live.
“You have the Gardner Ale House right next door, which is one of the best restaurants in town, and there’s plenty of stores and scenery right here in the downtown,” Lorden said. “And the nicer things get downtown, the more people will move in – Gardner is definitely on its way up.”
The former commercial and retail buildings had fallen into disrepair after prolonged periods of vacancy and deferred maintenance. In 2017, the Gardner Redevelopment Authority acquired the buildings using a $400,000 grant from the state’s Site Readiness Program to purchase the building from its landlord as part of the city’s Main Street Redevelopment Plan.
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