Signs of Life

In 2004, suddenly there were signs of life.

A For Sale sign appeared on the firehouse door. The Department of Neighborhood Development had put the Engine 40 Firehouse building on the market.

I eagerly attended the City's information session at the Harborside Community Center. That night I had the pleasure of meeting Al Caldarelli from the East Boston Community Development Corporation. I had heard about Al for years, but had never met him.

When I introduced myself, he asked me why I was there. I told him about my dreams of converting the firehosue into a vibrant youth center. He handed me his card and said "let's talk about this." The next day we had an agreement. ZUMIX and the East Boston CDC were going to work together on this project.

Over the next month we developed a creative proposal. There were many applicants and this was a very competitive process. After submitting our plan we were invited to present it to the community. Our concept was well received - and we waited to hear the news.