LYNN — Construction on a 10-story apartment building in downtown Lynn has been shut down due to safety concerns from continued “violent” protests against the project, according to developer Michael Procopio.
The decision to halt all non-essential construction for the $90 million Munroe Street development comes after weeks of daily protests, which culminated with a large, organized effort from various labor unions last Friday.
Protest organizers had claimed that the site was not following the COVID-19 construction safety guidelines outlined by Mayor Thomas M. McGee, which included crews not properly practicing social distancing and proper equipment sanitation that allegedly led to workers being exposed to the virus.
However, Procopio, co-owner of the Procopio Companies, the Lynnfield-based development team, said proper safety procedures have been implemented at the site and it’s the protesters who are endangering the lives of the development’s construction and healthcare workers.
The protestors have been harassing workers and following them to their homes, Procopio said, which led him to notify the city last Friday that his team would be ceasing all non-essential construction on the site in order to protect their health and safety.
“We had hoped to avoid this unfortunate step, and we remain confident in the stringent safety protocols that are in place on-site, as they far exceed the procedures and protocols of other sites,” Procopio wrote in an email that was sent to city officials.
“However, in the interest of reducing tensions and ensuring the safety of our workers and medical professionals (specifically related to the off-hours stalking of workers, daily lawless protests at the site, aggressive behavior and social distancing violations of the protestors), we have had no choice, but to suspend all non-essential activities on-site.”
About 85 percent of work will be halted, with crews only remaining on site to protect the integrity of the building and ensure it remains safe, which includes keeping it water-tight, Procopio said.
Procopio said the majority of construction will be shut down for at least three weeks, which he hopes will allow the situation to de-escalate.
However, he said there’s the possibility construction will not resume, which he’s trying to avoid by taking steps to preserve the building. At the very least, the delay will impact the timeline of the project. The development’s projected completion date of mid-August will be pushed back, he said.
“There’s always a possibility when you significantly slow or stop a job of this size that it never restarts,” said Procopio. “That’s a real possibility here. Momentum is important but the reality is a job that stays shut down for a significant period of time ends up in default. That’s not what we want here. That’s what we were trying to avoid but unfortunately it’s the reality we’re working with.”
Although Procopio gave the same notice to city officials, the city’s head of economic development James Cowdell is confident the project will resume. In the meantime, he said halting work was the right call.
“I totally agree with it,” said Cowdell, EDIC/Lynn executive director. “I think that in this climate, we need to protect not only the workers but the residents in that area. It may be disappointing, but it’s the safety of the citizens first and foremost.”
As soon as it’s safe for the workers and residents again, Cowdell said he expects work on the site to resume.
Despite safety concerns raised by protesters, Procopio said there’s been a number of steps taken at the site to ensure the health and safety of workers. He said nurses have been on-site to conduct temperature checks for workers, and any crew member who exhibits illness has been sent home.
Procopio said the city’s building inspectors and Department of Public Health have been at the site nearly every day, and he’s seen evidence that the site’s safety protocols were working.
However, he said he can’t control what happens “outside the fence,” and noted the protests have ramped up and been particularly violent in the days leading up to his shutdown notice.
“It is disappointing,” said Procopio. “We had real safety measures in place. The issue really is, as we move forward, we have to take steps to secure the site and not allow these lawless protests to affect everybody out there. There’s way too many people outside the fence to be safe.”
Kathryn Cohen, executive director of North Shore Labor Council, one of the organizers of last Friday’s protest, refutes claims of “violent” actions from protesters and has not heard any reports of stalking incidents.
Cohen said last week’s protest was carried out following discussions with and the knowledge of McGee, and proper social distancing was practiced. Protesters without proper personal protective equipment remained in their cars during the demonstration, with about 85 cars consisting of members from various labor unions and community members taking part.
However, she said she was concerned to see construction workers and police officers on site without masks who were standing within six feet of the demonstrators.
“It seems outrageous that (Procopio is) concerned about the safety of the protesters when we know he’s been exposing 85-plus workers to COVID-19,” said Cohen, who claims at least five workers have been sent home with fevers. “There’s no doubt other workers on that site have been exposed and not allowed to quarantine.
“We’re happy to see the safety of our City in Lynn, our public health and the safety of the workers being taken seriously,” added Cohen regarding the shutdown.
Since the project, which consists of transforming a downtown community garden into 259 market-rate apartments and 20,000 square-feet of ground-floor commercial space, received city approval, it’s been met with continued protests.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent restrictions imposed on large gatherings, protests centered around the tax break the City Council approved for the project, and the development’s lack of affordable apartments, which activists say is furthering gentrification in the city.
