Patrick helps launch Lowell mill-district renewal with $13M check

Gov. Deval Patrick, fifth from left, helps mark the start of the $800 million Hamilton Canal District redevelopment yesterday with, from left, MassHousing Executive Director Thomas Gleason, state Reps.

[Brian]

Deval Patrick does not know how to spend federal money wisely. ... Let's invest in the poor and lay off thousands of state workers. Can we please get this guy out of office. He is ruining this state. What a complete waste of money.

[Libertarian]

I Love seeing pictures of Rich men and Women looking as if they actually have done any manual labor in the last 20+ years. Betcha at least one of them said, how do you use this thing?

[Dracut citizen]

What a waste of taxpayer's money. I wonder which politicians are getting rich off this one? There going to use this money to 'help the artists'??? Give me a break. How about using taxpayer's money to rebuild schools or give TAXPAYERS a tax break?

[Transparency]

Whole Jam Plan project is ridiculous, lets spend millions of dollars reforming some part of the City know one cares about. Because of Zoning, Jackson, Appleton, and Middlesex Street will always be trash. City and Politicians are so out of touch with wants and needs of city/state. Lets put in more strip malls and parking garages in a place where know one wants to setup shop because of homeless shelter. Lets build more housing because our schools are so good we can handle more students. You want to help the city, knock everything down in this area and plant some grass, put in a few benches, and some tress, done.

[newwave]

Transparency wrote:

Whole Jam Plan project is ridiculous, lets spend millions of dollars reforming some part of the City know one cares about. Because of Zoning, Jackson, Appleton, and Middlesex Street will always be trash. City and Politicians are so out of touch with wants and needs of city/state. Lets put in more strip malls and parking garages in a place where know one wants to setup shop because of homeless shelter. Lets build more housing because our schools are so good we can handle more students. You want to help the city, knock everything down in this area and plant some grass, put in a few benches, and some tress, done.

You really don't go downtown much do you. It's not high on crack street anymore. You're living in the 80's man, snap out of it!

[umassole]

"ARTISTS"? only if their good at grafitti and spray painting gang symbols on everything.

what a waste of money and the last thing lowell needs another neighborhood turned into a ghetto.

[umm ya]

Biggest waste of funds I have ever seen.......Lefty do Good'er Patrick with check in hand, and the sheep in tow.

[umm ya]

You really don't go downtown much do you. It's not high on crack street anymore. You're living in the 80's man, snap out of it!

---------

Ya I drive through Downtown every day...maybe that is why my car needs a new suspension.

[duh]

Can any of you read? It's not just artists lofts. It's also a brand new courthouse, 700 units of downtown living space, 450,000 square feet of commerical and office space, retail etc. No to mention about 400 jobs. Some of that money was earmarked by legislation for "Growth districts" and Lowell was chosen. Almost a billion dollars is being invested in the city and you guys are complaining.

[my friend Bob Sacameno]

"700 units of affordable market-rate housing"

In other words the welfare recipients living in these will only have to walk half a block to the shelter to buy their dope and crack.

[my friend Bob Sacameno]

Oh I forgot.With the new couthouses there the same welfare recipients only have a short walk for all their future arraigments on restraining order violations,drug arrests,domestic assaults.etc.etc.

[whatever]

The shelter is moving and the courthouse is going to be a landmark in Lowell. I am happy to see some money coming into the city I live in and I plan on opening a sandwich place as close to the courthouse as I can get. I'm super excited and you a holes who rag on the city can kiss my arse!

[latinlady]

what a waste hey patrick spend the money making jobs for the people who are layed off but don't send it to china again

[duh]

my friend Bob Sacameno wrote:

"700 units of affordable market-rate housing"
In other words the welfare recipients living in these will only have to walk half a block to the shelter to buy their dope and crack.

700 units of affordable AND market rate.

[my friend Bob Sacameno]

whatever wrote:

The shelter is moving and the courthouse is going to be a landmark in Lowell. I am happy to see some money coming into the city I live in and I plan on opening a sandwich place as close to the courthouse as I can get. I'm super excited and you a holes who rag on the city can kiss my arse!

Are you going to give free sandwiches and soup to all the junkies and panhandlers who loiter in front of your store?

I have news for you...unless you are close to one the local pols you will not be opening a sandwich shop ear the courthouse.

[Dennis]

umm ya- you are an idiot. The streets in downtown are cobblestone you jackass. As for the folks that have negative things to say about this project shut up. Why don't you come downtown and see what it has to offer. This is federal money slated for this project, it has nothing to do with Deval Patrick. Lowell has been reinventing itself for a couple years now and this project will take the city to the next level. So if you are negative about Lowell, shut it. I am sure your town has some negatives as well.

[newwave]

umassole wrote:

"ARTISTS"? only if their good at grafitti and spray painting gang symbols on everything.
what a waste of money and the last thing lowell needs another neighborhood turned into a ghetto.

Artst lofts are a kind of living space, you don't actually have to be an artist to live there. Just like you don't have to be a cowboy to live in a ranch style house. This is great for the city, creates jobs and will attract more professionals to live downtown instead of Boston.

[maybe]

Brian wrote:

Deval Patrick does not know how to spend federal money wisely.... Let's invest in the poor and lay off thousands of state workers. Can we please get this guy out of office. He is ruining this state. What a complete waste of money.

"invest in the poor"....??

How do you figure that this is helping poor people? Of course he needs to lay off workers, the state budget is in shambles. Stimulus money can only be used for shovel-ready construction projects, not to pay state workers. Get your facts straight before you keep crying.

This is a great thing for Lowell and the entire Merrimack Valley. It will produce tax revenue and jobs when it is completed.

[Local resident]

Dennis wrote:

umm ya- you are an idiot. The streets in downtown are cobblestone you jackass. As for the folks that have negative things to say about this project shut up. Why don't you come downtown and see what it has to offer. This is federal money slated for this project, it has nothing to do with Deval Patrick. Lowell has been reinventing itself for a couple years now and this project will take the city to the next level. So if you are negative about Lowell, shut it. I am sure your town has some negatives as well.

They're all just negative people and they're crying because it's not their town getting the money. Lowell is the one area community that is consistently moving forward and progress is seen every year. But some people are just babies and the fact that they don't live there means they're automatically against any money being spent there.

When all this money is spent and the place looks beautiful, they'll still be crying about it and calling it "ghetto" even though they haven't stepped foot in the city since the 90's. Some people are just miserable human beings.

[joe]

700 room cathouse?