Maverick model

On Tuesday, the Nashua Telegraph reports, local leaders from New Hampshire's second-largest city toured Maverick Landing, East Boston's recently refurbished public housing development. (See photo.) Nashua's sprawl and lack of affordable housing are two issues that the southern NH city is battling with.

Alan Manoian led the tour, which also included Station Landing, an upscale, mixed-use development in Medford. Manoian, the story says, "is leading the push to bring this 'New Urbanist' type of development to Nashua in his new role as the economic development officer for Hampshire First Bank, a relatively new local bank."

What the story fails to mention is that 40% of Hampshire First Bank is owned by Meridian Interstate Bancorp., the parent company of East Boston Savings Bank. I'm not implying anything improper about this, but only that it is an interesting connection.

Maybe EBSB officials told their friends in southern New Hampshire that the revitalized Maverick looks like a big success and could be an example for officials in Nashua to follow. The follow-up is that Hampshire First stands to benefit financially if Nashua undertakes a huge development project of this sort, and so does EBSB.