2020 Year in Review: Barry Crimmins, Esq., The Law Offices of Barry R. Crimmins, Esq.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment or most notable project,

deal, or transaction in 2020? We had a project that we helped permit in the town of Randolph where our client, Mazzeo Realty Trust, was proposing a mixed-use development of 109 residential apartments on the second and third floors with approximately 3,100 s/f of commercial space on the first floor located on Rte. 139 in the Crawford Sq. Business District. The 5.67 acre site and 31,645 s/f building will include 236 parking spaces and bring an exciting new development to this former industrial site. We worked closely with the Planning Board, the Town Planner and the other town staff and stakeholders through the COVID challenges to see this through the approval process and the project is now under construction with an anticipated occupancy date of next fall. 

What did you like most about working from home? N/A; we kept our office open throughout the pandemic.

What was the most difficult part of working during the pandemic of 2020? As an attorney dealing with municipal boards (planning, zoning and others), there was a delay with many of the boards holding meetings at all, and then when they started meeting remotely, there was no consistency regarding when boards were meeting and by which platform (Zoom, etc.). Some boards did not resume meeting until spring or summer. As a result we lost time with some projects simply because the boards were not meeting at all, or their meetings were delayed or postponed. 

Predictions for 2021:

If 2020 were any indication of how active the commercial real estate market will be, then we’re very bullish about the prospects for 2021. There is a lot of interest in seeing development projects move forward. Between pent-up economic demand and the hope for a COVID vaccine/treatment, we’re looking for another year of sustained growth and expansion in our region. Fingers crossed!

What is the best advice you have ever received, and who was it from? My father, Francis T. (Mike) Crimmins, was a real estate and insurance broker who always had a smile on his face and always saw the glass as half full. He always told: “You have to have the right attitude” and I have always tried to heed his advice!