Plymouth Harbor embarked on an ambitious expansion plan in the mid-1980s, prompted by the financial necessity of adding more apartments to ensure our financial viability. The North Garden complex, designed by architect Stuart Barger, was built to complement the Tower with its open-air atrium. When it opened in 1988, a big selling point was the long waiting list for Tower apartments—which the North Garden did not have.

“I didn’t have any sales tools! What I did have was a long waiting list for Tower units. I used that to talk to people about the North Garden,” says Margaret Wierts-Parrinello, a staff member at the time. The Board wanted the new apartments filled as soon as possible so that the future residents could pick their paint colors, carpeting, tiling, etc., and help the architect complete the building.