Mayor's Update Due Today

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs usually visits the Senior Center at 10:30 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. This month's visit should be especially interesting to seniors, because last month the mayor revealed that the developer of a new senior center was likely to miss a third stated deadline for completion of the project. The mayor said she had noticed few people working at the site and questioned the progress.

On Monday, East Front Street was closed to traffic in front of the building, which will have three floors of condos over the new center.

Windows are being installed on the upper floors. Each floor will have 21 units.

The condo price, stated earlier at about $300,000, is posted here as starting at $259,000. Information is available from HomesbyMaplewood.com

Heavy equipment is in use for a street opening. Maybe the mayor will say what is being installed.

Amidst the hubbub, a small patch of sunflowers is growing on the construction site. Plans call for a second-floor roof garden that both seniors and condo residents can enjoy. Even though the developer may miss a fall deadline, terms call for completion within two years of obtaining a building permit, which would place the contractual deadline in May 2009. The developer also has the right to submit a letter explaining any further delay in order to seek an extension.

--Bernice Paglia