Minor tweaks signal progress on Y’s senior housing project – Gloucester Daily Times

Tweaks to the final plans of the YMCA of the North Shores approximately $22 million, 44-unit affordable senior housing development at the Cape Ann Ys former location at 71 Middle St. in Gloucester signals the project is steaming ahead.

However, no official start date has been announced as the project awaits word on a state funding source.

The senior housing project, named for former YMCA of the North Shore CEO John J. Jack Meany, who helped grow the organizations regional reach, was granted a comprehensive permit by the Gloucester Zoning Board of Appeals in December 2020.

On Thursday, the Zoning Board approved several minor modifications to the project as its designs were finalized.

Were here tonight for two reasons. One is the modification of the approved plans and decision, Gloucester attorney Deborah Eliason, representing the YMCA, said during the meeting on Zoom. We believe the changes are insubstantial, but a public hearing was noticed in the event you believe that they are substantial, and in that case a public hearing would be required.

Jennifer Hocherman of the architectural firm SV Design of Beverly explained the changes:

So the number of units remains the same, Eliason said. We just increased the number of very low affordable units.

The board voted unanimously to find the changes insignificant and approved the final signed and stamped plans.

As to when the project might move ahead, YMCA of the North Shore CEO Chris Lovasco said there has not been any formal announcement from the state, governors office or the state Department of Housing and Community Development on loans during the latest funding round.

Word could come anytime between now and early spring, he said. Once the Y hears from the state, the project is expected to take about 16 months.

Nothing will happen until the projects funding is approved, Lovasco said.

If approved, the projects funding would come through a combination of state and federal sources, including Department of Housing and Community Development-funded loans and $12 million of state and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Lovasco said.

The Y was awarded $535,000 in local support through a combination of Community Preservation Committee, Gloucester Affordable Housing Trust Fund and local HOME funding, Lovasco said.

Lovasco said the project honors Jack Meany, the Cape Ann YMCA executive director from 1984 to 1993. Meany later became executive director of the Beverly Regional YMCA and, within a year, was one of the individuals who worked to merge the Cape Ann and Beverly Ys in 1995.

That eventually led to the formation of the YMCA of the North Shore with a merger with the Salem and Marblehead YMCAs in 1999.

Meany remained in the roll of CEO until 2015. He stayed involved with the steering committee for the capital campaign to help raise money for the new Glen T. MacLeod YMCA on Gloucester Crossing Road.

Hes a big part of the growth and the vision that has allowed our Y to continue to grow, Lovasco said. Meany also helped spearhead the Ys first affordable housing project next door to 71 Middle St., a 23-unit, single-room-occupancy affordable housing building at 67 Middle St.

It all started with Jack coming to the Cape Ann Y, Lovasco said. The design of the new building will include a community center where people can come together, in the location where Meanys office was located for eight years, Lovasco said. Its going to be called Jacks Place.

Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-675-2714, or by email at eforman@northofboston.com.

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Minor tweaks signal progress on Y's senior housing project - Gloucester Daily Times