Plans to finish the Carrington Estates condo development in Bradford remain on hold, frustrating at least one resident of the project.
Ed Barrett lives steps away from unfinished infrastructure in the development and said it's time for the city to take action on the property.
"I'm absolutely fed up," Barrett said. "The mayor is pointing to a property on 5th Avenue (in the inner-city Acre neighborhood) and saying how that is a blight to the city. I think this property is a blight to the city too and he should look into a receivership program for this property."
Carrington Estates is behind Zion Bible College, the former Bradford College. The development is off Kingsbury Avenue.
The trouble started after developers Steve Doherty and Steve Goodwin abandoned the condo project in 2010. A foreclosure auction was held and the project was taken over by Brady Sullivan Properties of Manchester, N.H., in September of that year. Brady Sullivan completed five unfinished townhouses, but because of the poor real estate market, the company has not built any more units.
Barrett said there is other work to be done.
"There is still about $1.3 million dollars in unfinished infrastructure here on this property," Barrett said. "We want to get some results here and get some movement. Why can't the city take the infrastructure list and give us days and times of when everything will get done. Are we just supposed to sit here in limbo?"
William Pillsbury, the city's economic development and planning director, said Brady Sullivan is not required by the city to take the development any further.
"They've done everything we've asked of them," Pillsbury said. "They did all the work that we asked them to do, but it continues to be a difficult situation for the developer. We aren't seeing a lot of development throughout the city."
The project originally called or 172 units. The original developer and Brady Sullivan have completed 75 units.
In June of last year, Brady Sullivan wrote a letter to condo owners in Carrington Estates saying the company is committed to putting the project back on track and satisfy certain requirements related to roads and other infrastructure. Barrett said that infrastructure work has not yet been completed.
Brady Sullivan's attorney Michael Migliori of Haverhill said he expects the unfinished infrastructure such as road improvements to be done in the next 11 months, in line with a requirement set by the city.
Pillsbury has not handed out any additional building permits and said he does not plan to until he receives confirmation from Brady Sullivan that the project will be further built.
Beyond completing the five townhouses that were left unfinished by the original developer, Brady Sullivan also repaved roads in the complex this spring and did some minor site work required by the city.
Barrett said that road and site work was not enough to satisfy him.
"There are cracked sidewalks," he said. "There is an open water field that should be moved. A steel truck that should have been moved is a hazard. Our lawns have terrible drainage. ''
