Jessica Valeriani, Eagle Tribune
Nearly 10 months after the Sept. 13, 2018, gas disaster ravaged three Merrimack Valley communities, officials will provide an update on business recovery efforts and lay out a regional marketing campaign at a press conference Tuesday.
Roughly 900 businesses were impacted when an overpressurized gas line in Lawrence resulted in explosions and fires across that city, as well as Andover and North Andover. Tuesday's press conference, which will be held at Rose and Dove Gift Shop at 579 Chickering Road, will address the current state of these businesses, as well as efforts to boost their well being moving forward.
At the 10 a.m. press conference, small business owners and state and federal officials will join Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera, Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan, and interim North Andover Town Manager Lyne Savage to unveil a new marketing campaign designed to grow the regional economy.
More than 70% of businesses impacted by the disaster have returned to the state they were in before the explosions, according to a statement announcing the press conference. However, they still are recovering from the event.
Rose and Dove Gift Shop, for instance, was closed for days following the explosions, operated without heat for months, and had its entrance blocked for weeks due to restoration work, according to the statement.
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