Norwood Breaks Ground on $5.1 Million, 96-Unit Everett Street Housing Project-August 22, 1981

Eschewing traditional gold shovels for heavy machinery, local and state officials donned hardhats and mounted a bulldozer yesterday to officially launch construction on a major $5.1 million housing development for the elderly and handicapped off Everett Street, a short distance from Route 1 near the Westwood town line. Mounds of freshly cleared earth marked the 10-acre site where a concrete mixer truck stood ready to pour foundation footings for the first of six two-story, garden-style apartment buildings.

Designed by Boston architectural firm Chisholm-Washington Associates, the contemporary brick and wood complex will feature 96 one-bedroom apartments—including 10 units specially designated for handicapped accessibility—alongside a dedicated community building. Under the terms of a contract finalized earlier in the day at the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offices in Boston, developer Dimeo Construction Co. of Providence and Boston will turn over the completed keys to the Norwood Housing Authority (NHA) once construction wraps up, at which point the developer will receive $4.7 million. The broader $5.1 million federal grant also covers administrative and authority costs, including outfitting the apartments with appliances.

Among the 25 dignitaries gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking were Thomas P. Dimeo, president of Dimeo Construction; NHA board members Margaret Kennedy and John L. Griffin; NHA Executive Director Kevin F. Maguire; George Shackley, chairman of the Norwood Council on Aging; and Town Manager John J. Carroll, who pledged the Board of Selectmen’s continued cooperation to see the project through to final occupancy.

While the new development will elevate the total number of elderly and handicapped apartments managed by the NHA to over 400, housing officials noted that demand continues to outpace availability. NHA Chairman Edmund R. McGrath pointed out that more than 500 eligible applicants already clog the waiting list, a figure projected to swell past 600 by the time construction finishes.

Although the contract grants Dimeo Construction a 12-month window for completion, firm housing development manager Wesley J. Ewell expressed confidence in an expedited timeline, noting that the company’s previous three projects wrapped up in just nine months. “We’re moving very quickly on it,” Ewell said. “We certainly expect to finish in less than the 12 months.” Accelerating the schedule carries significant financial incentives, as mortgage financing and interest costs for the project total approximately $450,000, meaning every saved month directly translates to reduced overhead. If construction proceeds ahead of schedule, dedication day is anticipated by late spring.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger