NEWBURYPORT — Old friends of the late real estate developer Roger Foster are doing their part to make sure his involvement with the city’s late 20th century revitalization is not forgotten.
“He presented a legacy in the development of Newburyport that deserves to be recognized and mentioned,” Edith Heyck said. “He was instrumental in purchasing the derelict buildings on lower State Street and refurbishing them, allowing for the revitalization of commerce.”
On Feb. 28, the 76-year-old passed away peacefully after a five-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Foster leaves behind two daughters and three grandchildren.
Heyck it is a former manager of Newburyport Waterfront Park. She was also Foster’s companion during the last 10 years of his life. Foster, she argued, deserves to be remembered for his contributions to the city during the 1960s and 1970s when urban renewal drastically changed the face of the downtown, along with the waterfront.
In 1975, Foster purchased and refurbished much of what is now Market Square. He then began turning the abandoned storefronts as well as derelict buildings there into what are now highly-sought-after retail and residential properties.
The Phoenix Room event venue on Inn Street, according to Heyck, was Foster’s crowning achievement.
“Initially, he allowed the tenants to move in at will, so they didn’t have leases and they could develop how they needed to,” she said. “He also made them stay open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., creating a professional downtown.”
Former local architect Stan Nielsen praised Foster’s vision.
“He was confident Newburyport was changing and knew the value was increasing,” he said. “So, when he made the businesses stay open during stable, regular and convenient hours, these were tried and true marketing principles. That’s when the economy of Newburyport became serious.”
In the late 1980s, Foster was also appointed by the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority to develop the city’s waterfront. But the NRA eventually rescinded the decision and the waterfront was kept clear of any buildings.
Nielsen worked on the scuttled plan with Foster. He said it included space for anchor shops, restaurants and even a hotel.
“We designed something that was done to counteract negative economic development in Newburyport which grew as a trading center (in the 18th and 19th centuries),” he said. “Market Square was where everything offloaded and the economic heart of the city. So, we wanted to bolster economic activity by providing a regional shopping area.”
Foster loved the waterfront so much that Heyck joked he had to date its former manager.
“We were together for 10 years and we used to laugh about that,” she said. “He didn’t get to have his commercial development plan built. But he did get to date the waterfront park manager and that was me.”
Nielsen said he will miss Foster greatly.
“It seems like whenever I called or talked to him, he had another idea for redevelopment,” he said. “He was a good conceptual thinker with a lot of energy. It was easy for me to hook up with him because he had vision and concept.”
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.