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On July 27, Michael McHugh, staff writer at The Salem News, wrote an article covering the July 23 joint meeting with the Planning Board and the Design Review Board on the expansion of Lifebridge with Harborlight. A number of neighbors were quoted. Read the article.
Mark your calendar, according to the article, “the Planning Board voted unanimously to refer the project application to the Design Review Board, which will make a recommendation at its Aug. 26 meeting before returning the application to the Planning Board for approval.”
Watch the July 23 meeting on SATV
Watch the July 23 Salem Planning Board Meeting on SATV
Show ID: 46009, duration: 02:43:41.
Two dates available to watch: 7/30/2026 at 9 am and 8/1/2026 at 9 am.
http://ondemand.satvonline.org/Cablecast/Public/Show.aspx?ChannelID=1&ShowID=46009
Expansion of Lifebridge: Planning Board meeting on July 9
The next step regarding the expansion of Lifebridge is a Planning Board meeting on July 9 .
Harborlight and Lifebridge is proposing “the demolition of the buildings at 2 Endicott Street and 56 Margin Street, the adaptive reuse of 54 Margin, and the preservation of the facade of 20 Endicott to accommodate for a 22,806 square foot building comprised of 53 affordable homes, a shelter with 70 beds, and supportive programming space along with other improvements. Thirteen parking spaces are proposed on site.”
The Planning Board meeting was held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 6:30 pm via Zoom.
Watching the Public Meeting:
• Go to the website link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87460376527?pwd=R3ZHWW9wM3k3QXRtSTAzWWdP
WVF6dz09 or
• Go to the website link www.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID # 874 6037 6527,
followed by meeting password 999036.
Project materials available for download at this link
(https://cityofsalem1.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/PlanningBoard/Eiex2VK4lulDiqWrUC8UoC
YBv2pwr4dBfkRaaUILXEgnog?e=AKzvGG) or
• Watch the meeting live on Salem Access Television Channel 22
You can review the expansion materials online: the SUBMITTALS folder includes architectural renderings and floor plans; the CITY COMMENTS folder includes communications from the City of Salem.
FIND additional materials online related to the Lifebridge expansion in the GESNA neighborhood:
https://imaginesalem.org/40rsmart-growth-overlay-districts-marginhighendicott
To contact the City of Salem about the Lifebridge expansion, contact Robyn Lee, Senior Planner, at rlee@salem.com or telephone 978-619-5685.
June 16 Design Approval Meeting for High St Park
JUNE 16 DESIGN APPROVAL MEETING: The City will present concept design approval from the Park & Recreation Commission at the June 16, 2026, meeting at 6:45 p.m. at the Community Life Center on Bridge Street. The June 16 meeting is open to the public and people can make comments.
You can review the slide presentation from the April 29. 2026, public meeting here:
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Help shape the future design of the park!
High Street Park was identified in both the City’s Open Space and Recreation Plan and its ADA Transition Plan as a place that needs better accessibility, safety upgrades, and overall enhancements. We want to make sure these improvements reflect what the community cares about most.
COMPLETE THE SURVEYby June 16, 2026 on the City's Public Input webpage: https://publicinput.com/high-street-park-renovation
Current Status: You can stay up to date on the project status using the City's Public Input webpage: https://publicinput.com/high-street-park-renovation. If you have any questions about the project, please contact Brennan Postich, the initiative's project manager, at bpostich@salem.com, or call the Department of Planning and Community Development at 978-619-5685.
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Este parque fue identificado tanto en el Plan de Espacios Abiertos y Recreación de la ciudad como en su Plan de Transición de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA), como un lugar que necesita mayor accesibilidad, mejoras en seguridad y acondicionamiento general. Queremos asegurarnos de que estas mejoras reflejen las prioridades de la comunidad.Queremos que nos ayude a definir el diseño futuro del parque. Puede compartir su opinión de cualquiera de las siguientes maneras:
- Complete la encuesta en la página web de la ciudad en PublicInput: https://publicinput.com/high-street-park-renovation
- Puede mantenerse al tanto del estado del proyecto a través de la página web de la ciudad en PublicInput https://publicinput.com/high-street-park-renovation. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el proyecto, comuníquese con Brennan Postich, gerente de proyecto de la iniciativa, enviando un correo electrónico a bpostich@salem.com, o llame al Departamento de Planificación y Desarrollo Comunitario al 978-619-5685.
Is Pepper Spray Enough? Or Do I Need a Gun?
Notes on Options for Self-Protection
After her neighbor was assaulted by two homeless persons last year, our resident reporter started her journey to investigate ways to defend herself. Many thanks to Joanne Mattera for sharing her research with us. Notes on Options for Self-Protection is a 9-page essay outlining different types of protection you might want to consider. You can download the PDF or read it here:
Citizens for a Better Salem presents: The Lifebridge Expansion Proposal
Salem Access TV (SATV) posted a video to YouTube about the Lifebridge and Harborlight Homes expansion in our neighborhood. It is presented and produced by Citizens For A Better Salem. The 45 minute video is also running on their cable TV channel.
GESNA recommends that you take the time to watch it. Our neighborhood, obviously, figures prominently in it. The video thoroughly explains the project, its issues and implications for our neighborhood and the City, and so much more. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzuBJEx7Xe0
A Perfect Day for a Party
We greatly enjoyed visiting with our neighbors at the 3rd Annual GESNA Heritage Block Party on September 21 at the High Street Playground. Our Block Party was filled with fun stories, lots of laughter, and the musical stylings of Dan Kupka.
We were excited to learn that the Christmas in Salem Historic House Tour, presented by Historic Salem, Inc., December 6-7, 2025, will feature homes in the Summer Street area, including our neighborhood Gedney House. Tickets will go on sale starting October 1 at www.historicsalem.org.
GESNA Salem
The Greater Endicott Street Neighborhood Association (GESNA) of Salem, MA, is a community organization serving as a voice for its residents. The area it serves is roughly south of Norman Street, west of Margin Street, north of Jefferson Avenue, and east of Jackson Street. GESNA includes bits of Ward 2 and Ward 3.
Our Neighborhood, Our History
We have a GESNA committee focused on the expansion proposal by Lifebridge North Shore and Harborlight Homes. Lifebridge has a homeless shelter on Margin Street, an "emergency shelter" on Canal Street, and a large thrift shop on Canal Street — all in Salem. Lifebridge has teamed up with Harborlight Homes, a nonprofit housing developer, to propose a large new complex that will radically expand their presence in downtown Salem and change our city forever.
Their proposal would include demolishing the existing shelter on Margin Street and adjacent structures, and building a significantly larger Lifebridge shelter complex plus Harborlight studio apartments for unhoused individuals. Lifebridge’s offices and the thrift shop would also move here.
The project would expand Lifebridge’s footprint to include the entire Margin Street block — including the historic St Mary’s Italian Church — and would extend around the corner onto side streets. It would also expand upward to 4 stories, and possibly 5 stories in some sections.