State Rep. John Keenan said he was more than happy to accept the invitation to speak at last Thursday's groundbreaking for the renovation of the old Salem Jail.
It meant time away from Beacon Hill, and, the Salem lawmaker noted, "There's not a lot of great news coming out of there" these days.
Indeed, despite a struggling economy, stagnant housing market and budget woes that are hitting home at both the state and local level, there are plenty of good things happening in downtown Salem. And the willingness of developers David Goldman and Dennis Kanin to invest their money in a project — gutting the interior of a 196-year-old, granite-block prison to convert it into apartments and a restaurant — which many thought for a long time was simply not feasible, is proof positive of the faith people have in the city and its historic central business district.
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