Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

178 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 LAWRENCE , MA home in the area over the years. Another important event that is remembered in the city is the 1912 Bread and Roses strike, where local, industrial workers rose up and demanded that working conditions be improved. This is an integral event that most residents of Massachusetts know about. In 2018 the city suffered several gas explosions in a pipeline. Now the mayor and council are focused on ensuring that utility companies upgrade and replace older infrastructure with new assets. Other infrastructure projects on the mayor’s agenda related to the gas pipeline have been renovating the roads and sidewalks and constructing two new schools. The Lawrence Police Station is also undergoing new renovations. All these projects are being undertaken as the city prepares itself for other new developments. Mayor DePena’s vision is focused on three guiding principles: make our people better, make our economy stronger and bring prosperity to all Lawrencians. He plans to achieve this dream by focusing on transformational development, pragmatism, innovation and most importantly honesty and integrity. Currently, there are 27 new infrastructure developments in the works, which involve mixed-use developments, including manufacturing and a combination of affordable housing, workforce housing, and market-rate residential development. “We have local investors assisting in funding these projects, who have confidence in the mayor’s platform and plans for the city’s future, Octavien Spanner, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on Policy and Investments, External Affairs, and Nestor Castillo, the Communication Director, says. Reading Cooperative Bank (RCB) excitedly awaits the completion of its newest office at 215 Canal Street in Lawrence later this year. It will serve as The Financial Center for Lawrence small business owners, investors, and families to learn about and gain access to banking services to help them achieve their American Dream. Services include check cashing, bill payment, bank accounts, loans, home mortgages, small business loans, as well as information about achieving financial independence. The expanded menu of services was a biproduct of multiple focus groups with small businesses, consumers and families that shared both their successes and frustrations obtaining banking services in this proud working city. It has been our great pleasure working with Mayor Brian De Pena, a strong supporter and advocate for small businesses in Lawrence, a city experiencing an economic resurgence beginning pre-pandemic with micro-businesses, entrepreneurs, and real estate investors. Reading Cooperative Bank was eager to assist small businesses with PPP loans during the pandemic by accepting applications from any business, not just existing customers. The bank funded more than 25% of its total PPP loans to Lawrence businesses owners with every single loan forgiven, creating a strong base of new customers for our Lawrence branch.