Newburyport, Massachusetts

Two years later, the development officially broke ground. Now, the first residents are inking lease agreements for their new apartments, as Newburyport Crossing finishes its first of three apartment buildings at Rail’s End. In the meantime, MINCO is evaluating the remaining pieces of Newburyport Crossing. The reimagination of this neighborhood is off to a strong start. Not only was the downtown saved after the economic downturn in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but the city diversified its economic base, so residents wouldn’t be reliant on one industry only to end up in the same dire situation. Because the factories had been set in residential areas, a business park was created, and Holaday just spearheaded a major overhaul of its roads and infrastructure. A long-time resident of that business park, Strem Chemicals, manufactures and markets specialty chemicals for academic, pharmaceutical and government research. Holaday notes, “The company founder, Mike Strem, has given so much back to the community… internships, he donated money for a STEM lab at the elementary level, a robotics lab, and he gave 3D printers. It’s wonderful to have business leaders like this who not only are stable in terms of our economic base and continue to grow, but they also really give back to our community.” Cousins adds, “The business park is vibrant right now. People feel great about the water and sewer infrastructure. It’s a very strong area and it’s at the entrance of the city off of I-95, so it’s got good access. The city is very diverse from that standpoint – you have the tourism piece where you can rely on restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and the downtown business district, and we really created a new area out at the rails and right at the corridor.” The Route One District is another business center. It’s home to Newburyport Brewery, which puts on concerts, has access to the bike NEWBURYPORT , MASSACHUSETTS Mayor Donna D. Holaday Photo Courtesy of John William Brown