LOWELL A downtown advocacy group recognized several local real estate developers yesterday, saying their contributions helped "change the face of downtown Lowell."
The Center City Committee, a nonprofit that develops and recommends goals, plans and programs to benefit the downtown economy, held its annual meeting yesterday at the Middlesex Community College Federal Building.
The committee touted real estate developers, particularly those who have added high-end housing to previously unoccupied downtown buildings.
"They're changing the face of downtown Lowell," said committee member and City Councilor James Milinazzo, who spoke on behalf of Mayor Armand Mercier, who could not attend.
City Manager John Cox presented the awards.
"These buildings had no life in them not that long ago," said Cox of the more than 396 units of housing which have sprung up in Lowell's redeveloped mill buildings since 2000. According to city records, another 358 units are under construction and another 299 are planned and permitted.
Among those awarded yesterday include Christopher Starr, whose Boston-based company, Winn Development, built the Boott Mills apartments; developers Jeffrey Brooks and Matthew Abrams of the Abrams Group LLC in Boston, which developed apartments at 305 Dutton St.; Tyler Langlois of the Mullins Group in Braintree, which is developing the Massachusetts Mills apartments; Brian Bush of Heritage Properties, which refurbished the Moller's Building; Chris Natale of Mill City Properties, which has redeveloped the Harmon's Paint buildings on Market Street and D.L. Page Building (formerly Burger King) on Merrimack Street; and Dan Hart of E. A. Fish Associates, who is developing apartments at the Lawrence Mills.
Developer John DeAngelis of Earth Realty, which developed the McCartin and Lull & Hartford buildings (Claflin Block), was also cited but did not attend the meeting yesterday.
The city's downtown coordinator, Susan DeMari, announced that she is planning a joint meeting of all downtown "stake holders," including merchants, residents, business and community group leaders and employees, students and elected officials. The meeting will be scheduled for early spring.
The Center City Committee also elected its Board of Directors and officers, including President William Lipchitz, Vice President Molly Sheehy, Clerk George Duncan, Treasurer Dale Marcy and Secretary Joseph W. Lipchitz.
The Center City Committee began in 1972 as a city-sponsored entity. It incorporated into a nonprofit a few years later.
