PRESIDENT’S VIEW
BY DAVID G. CANNISTRARO
Recession Over? Just Look Around … Signs Abound!
T
he Construction Recession must be over. No, I don’t have reams of data from experts that tell us about employment levels, permit activity and the like. I can just look out the window on my way to work and can see that two major eyesores for well over a decade are finally being razed and new developments have started. The first is the old Grossman’s site in Wellesley on Rt. 16 where National Development is building a multi-building retail, residential and office project on the banks of the Charles River. Further down the river, in Watertown, across the street from my office, the walls are being knocked down right as I type this on the old Haartz-Mason factory, a symbol of our lost manufacturing base. In its place will be constructed 174 rental apartments David G. Cannistraro is executive vice president of J.C. Cannistraro LLC in Watertown, and president of ASM. He can be reached through ASM at (617) 742-3412 or by email at president@associatedsubs.com.
by Criterion Development Partners. Of course, we still don’t see the numerous tower cranes that not so long ago dotted the downtown landscape, although it seems Liberty Mutual, Vertex and now Biogen/IDEC will start to fill that void. But if cities and towns like Watertown and Wellesley can find the wherewithal to work with developers to clean up abandoned and decrepit sites like Haartz-Mason and Grossman’s, there might just be some hope that better things are to come. And, if you need more convincing, just read our cover story, page 16. The Boston Globe has also recently reported on many projects that seem to be up and coming sooner than later – Assembly Square (IKEA) in Somerville; Simon Property Group’s plans for a 47-story residential tower in Copley Square; HYM wanting to tear down the Government Center Garage; and the Fenway Center, Northwest Park, and Seaport Square, among others. Most likely, not all of them will be built, but I would settle for half. But, sooner than later, please! s
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Officers
President: President Elect: Vice President: Vice President: Vice President: Treasurer: Past President: Past President:
David G. Cannistraro J.C. Cannistraro, LLC Richard R. Fisher Red Wing Construction Joseph H. Bodio Lan-Tel Communications, Inc. Steven P. Kenney N.B. Kenney Co. Gregory A. Porfido Mark Richey Woodworking & Design, Inc. Russell J. Anderson Southeastern Metal Fabricators, Inc. Sara A. Stafford Stafford Construction Services, Inc. Scott H. Packard Chapman Waterproofing Co.
Directors
George A. Allen Sr. | Steven T. Amanti | Clement P. Clare | R. Lindsay Drisko | Roger A. Fuller William M. Gillespie | Wayne J. Griffin | Robert B. Hutchison | Dana E. Johnston Jr. Michael S. Kosiver | William J. (Mac) Lynch | Susan Mailman | Erik S. Maseng James B. Miller | Louis J. Sannella | Nancy H. Salter | Ann T. (Nancy) Shine | Frank J. Smith Lee C. Sullivan | Carolyn M. Francisco, Counsel | Monica Lawton, CEO
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Fall 2011
The Warren Group Chairman CEO & Publisher President Group Publisher & Editor in Chief
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