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Newburyport city notebook: Work begins on medical center
April 28, 2008 | The Daily News
The developers of the Newburyport Medical Center have shovels in the ground with the heart of the construction season underway.
"We're definitely moving dirt," said Tom Jones, who is part of the management team of the development working with construction.
Jones, a city councilor whose family owned the land that the center is getting built on, sold his interest in the trust — which the land was under — to Needham-based McManus and Murphy for $1.4 million, according to the Registry of Deeds.
Jones said, "They are the principal owner now," but he will remain part of the management team.
Murphy and McManus has developed institutions such as Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical centers in Chelsea and Brockton.
One of the company's first moves was to modify the plans for the medical center, decreasing the total building size from 50,000 to about 43,000 square feet and also increasing the number of parking spots at the site, near Anna Jaques Hospital off Low Street.
"In my opinion, they are the premier medical developer in the state," Jones said in a previous story. "On their client list are the top medical providers in the commonwealth."
Newburyport's center will provide cancer patients the convenience of a one-stop facility for cancer treatment, which will be the first of its kind in the North of Boston region, officials say. It also means 30 to 40 more jobs coming to Newburyport.
A 22,000-square-foot cancer-treatment facility is to be the first piece of the medical center.
Dr. Walt Kagan, the president of Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology, the largest private practice cancer treatment program in New England, is the anchor tenant of the new building, taking up 13,000 of the 22,000-square-foot space.
The building will connect to Low Street by an access road and also connect to Anna Jaques Hospital.
The Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced four categories for a new award program that it will launch at its annual meeting this year.
Ann Ormond, president of the chamber, said in an e-mail that the categories include: Innovation Award of the Year, Chamber Ambassador of the Year, Retailer of the Year and Business of the Year.
Any chamber member can nominate any other business for the award. Only chamber members are eligible.
"In general, nominees should be those whose business practices and professional conduct contribute to a sense of fellowship among local businesses, and which helps to promote the Greater Newburyport area as a good place in which to do business," Ormond said in the e-mail.
Each of the categories comes with criteria. For instance, Chamber Ambassador criteria are: shows commitment and volunteerism in chamber events and programs; acts as an advocate of the chamber; is a role model and mentor to others; and goes above and beyond the call of duty when asked.
The annual meeting is May 28 at the Georgetown Club.
Stephen Karp, CEO and chairman of New England Development, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the event.
Ormond said Karp's speech will center around the business community, unlike his first public appearance in the city earlier this month in which he addressed his development plans for Waterfront West, the 8-acre plot downtown along the Merrimack River he is eyeing for development.
The following meetings are schedule for this week:
Today:
- Finance Subcommittee, superintendent's conference room, noon
- School Committee regarding school budget, high school, Room 118, 7 p.m.
- School Committe regular business, high school, Room 118, immediately following
- Standing Committee/Committee of the Whole, council chambers, 6:30 p.m.
- City Council, council chambers, 7:30 p.m.
Tomorrow:
- Plum Island Work Group, council chambers, 3 p.m.
- Redevelopment Authority, council chambers, 7 p.m.
Thursday:
- Library Board of Directors, library director's room, 5:15 p.m.
- Open Space Committee, police station conference room, 7 p.m.
- Historical Commission, council chambers, 7:30 p.m.
Stephen Tait covers Newburyport City Hall for The Daily News. He can be reached at 978- 462-6666, ext. 3234, or by e-mail at stait@newburyportnews.com.