The buildings that occupied 23 acres along the Merrimack River for decades are nearly demolished, but city leaders are still waiting to see what will replace them.
The future of the property which once held the Haverhill Paperboard Company is in limbo, according to Mayor James Fiorentini's chief of staff.
David Van Dam said that the city is still waiting to hear what the new owner's plans are for the property on South Kimball Street in Bradford.
"The city is in a holding pattern right now," Van Dam said.
The property known as Pentucket Park was purchased by the Barrow Development Group in December. Brian Wilson, a real estate developer with Barrow, said at the time that he expected a project to be in place there by June 2013.
A call to the phone number on Barrow's website was not answered for this story.
William Pillsbury, the director of economic development and planning for the city, said that the company has been demolishing buildings on the 23 acres which the Paperboard company stood on. He said the demolition is nearly complete.
One building that wasn't demolished was a brick structure known as the annex. It was originally a brewery.
The next step is for the development company to inform the city of the company's plans for the land. Pillsbury said that there is no time line for the completion of that process.
Wilson has said the property will likely house a "mixed-use" project with homes and businesses. The company decided on the name Pentucket Park to honor the Native Americans who once called the area "Pentucket."
Besides the 23 acres that formerly home to the Paperboard company owns another 36 acres nearby.
"It's a complex property," Pillsbury said. "But they have been forthright in working with the city and seeing what the options are."
Pillsbury said he last spoke to the owners three weeks ago. The company must receive approval from the Planning Board and City Council for any new project.
The property was previously home to the Haverhill Paperboard company which produced cardboard out of recycled paper. The plant closed its doors in 2008, costing 174 workers their jobs.
Pillsbury said development of the property is important to the city's economy.
"It's a very important property to the city because of its location," he said. "It's located right on the river.
• • •
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to hgazette.com.
