Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

For Immediate Release, September 5, 2006

City & MVRTA Appoint Project Manager For Downtown Parking Garage

Mayor James J. Fiorentini and the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority “MVRTA” today made a joint announcement that a project manager has been chosen for the proposed new downtown parking garage.

Last year the City and MVRTA obtained, with Congressman Martin Meehan’s assistance, two federal grants totaling $7.6 million to construct a new parking facility downtown.  Since that time, the City has narrowed the possible locations to three.  The MVRTA obtained $200,000 in preliminary design money to help choose the best location for the facility.  August 1, 2006 the MVRTA, upon the recommendation of the technical subcommittee of the Mayor’s Parking Garage Task Force, signed a contract with the engineering firm of STV, Inc, Boston, Mass. to do the preliminary engineering.

The City and MVRTA today announced that Peter P. Canny, Jr. of Real Estate Prospectives, LLC will be the project manager to move the project forward.  Mr. Canny will work as a contract employee for the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority.  His job will be to work with STV, Inc. and the City to oversee the project and to expedite the site selection and the building of the garage.

Mr. Canny is currently the project manager of the Lawrence Gateway Project for the MVRTA.  He is a licensed architect with many years of experience in the transportation and planning fields.

In making the announcement, Mayor Fiorentini said the City was committed to build a new parking facility downtown.  The appointment of a project manager would help to expedite the process:

“The appointment of a project manager who will work virtually full-time on this facility will help to expedite the process of choosing a location and building the parking facility.”

Fiorentini said that Mr. Canny’s first task will be to meet with the owners of private parcels whose land is being considered for the parking garage.