Health Center Construction to Start in June

The long awaited Winthrop Community Health Center, which was first proposed by East Boston neighborhood Health Center for the Center area business district, is finally poised to begin construction in June, according to an EBNHC source this week.

Manny Lopes, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of EBNHC said this week that a series of permitting delays, “had put the project into the middle of winter, and then we wanted to make sure the funding was completed before we began.”

The building will have 10,400 square feet, including 7,400 square feet for the health center and renovated space for three tenants. The project will also include eight off-street parking spaces and is expected to provide a major boost to the town’s center area business district, as has been the case with many health care center projects across Massachusetts.

“We are excited to be getting going on this important project that will dramatically improve primary care for this community,” said Jack Cradock, President and CEO of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. ‘This provides Winthrop residents with care that is right in their community, but also fully integrated with the comprehensive services that our available at our flagship East Boston location.”

The Winthrop Community Health Center project, which will be constructed within a former retail space at 12 Somerset Avenue, represents a $3.5 million investment by EBNHC in providing Winthrop with primary care services for residents. The project initially broke ground with a major announcement last September, but was stalled primarily by building permit delays.

Officials did not announce a new project timetable, but did say they hope to have the center completed by the end of the year.