Hotel Groundbreaking/Time Capsule Retrieval

Yesterday, I was excited to be joined by various community stakeholders and state officials in celebration of the groundbreaking of the planned Hampton Inn at 284 Elm Street in Amesbury. This is an example of the type of development that will, over the longer term, help to reduce the property tax burden that Amesbury's residents have felt for too long. While we still have a long way to go with respect to expanding Amesbury's commercial/industrial tax base, this $10.5 million private investment in our community is an important step in the right direction, and a breakthrough in the development of the Golden Triangle.

I want to thank everyone who made this project possible, and everybody who came out to yesterday's ceremony. I especially want to recognize our honored guests and speakers:

• City Council President Joe McMilleon
• State Representative Jim Kelcourse
• Deputy Secretary Carolyn Kirk, MA Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
• Uday Patel, Vice President of Operations, Archgrove Hospitality
• Melissa Cerasuolo, Executive Director, Amesbury Chamber of Commerce
• Bill Scott, Director of Amesbury's Office of Community and Economic Development
• Dennis Marcello, District Director, Office of Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives

Hampton Inn Groundbreaking Ceremony

 

 

 

Left to right: Ski Iworsky, Mayor Gray, PJ "Jancy" Jancewicz

This morning, I witnessed the retrieval of a 141-year-old time capsule from the Civil War Memorial in Union Cemetery that was originally dedicated in 1874. The time capsule will not be opened until a professional archivist can do so in a climate-controlled environment. I look forward to seeing what the capsule will reveal!

This effort was facilitated by Amesbury's Board of Trustees of War Memorials. The Board will be rededicating the same monument in late June. I want to thank them for their hard work as volunteers, and for their dedication to honoring Amesbury's veterans.

Ken