By Meghan Foley
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Tuesday, November 25th, Supreme Companies, Inc. held a ceremony to officially open their new mixed-use multi-family community building, “The Block,” at 22 Everett Street. This project came after the passage of the MBTA Communities Act in early 2021, which Mass.gov explains requires all MBTA Communities, such as Westwood, to have “at least 1 district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right.” The act adds that “such multi-family housing shall be without age restrictions and shall be suitable for families with children,” and should be within a half mile of public transportation if possible. Local officials and Supreme Companies, headed by president and CEO Giorgio Petruzziello, worked together to create The Block, a building in compliance with the new act that contains both residences and businesses.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was one of the speakers at the grand opening, and spoke about how “[Massachusetts’ accolades do] not matter if we don’t have housing for people to live in in communities across the Commonwealth.” She continued, “There’s not a place that Secretary Augustus or I are in where people aren’t talking about housing, not enough of it, and what is available being just too expensive for the people that we rely on every single day.”
In his speech, State Representative Paul McMurtry acknowledged: “Today’s ceremony represents far more than the completion of a construction project. It marks the beginning of a commitment to growth, opportunity, and the belief that our neighborhoods thrive when everyone has a place they can call home. The Block represents what can be accomplished when government, community leaders, and private partners come together with a shared vision. Safe, high-quality accessible housing is a foundation of strong communities.”
After the ceremony, I spoke about the project with Giorgio Petruzziello’s son, Tony—who also works for Supreme Companies and MCed the event—and he reflected: “This used to be an abandoned site for so long, all of my childhood, it was the old Tumble Bus site, and I remember driving past those, and now, it’s this, and this is incredible. … This whole part of town has just completely transformed since I was a child, and to be a part of that has been great.”
After the speeches and ribbon-cutting, anyone who wished to stay was offered a tour of the building. Interior designer Kym Kerstein said how she opted for a style called “Japandi,” explaining: “That really laid back, kind of earthy, bring-the-outside-in type feel. If you notice, throughout the building, there’s very neutral colors, there’s blacks, whites, greens, all inspired from the exterior, and wanting to bring that inside.”
Supreme Companies, Inc. is a Dedham-based company founded by Giorgio Petruzziello and his father Tony in 2004, coming out of Supreme Cabinets, which Tony Petruzziello opened in 1979. He told me how he came from Italy with his family when he was 15 and immediately started working making kitchen cabinets before eventually opening his own company. “It was very tough for us, when we came in, we didn’t know the language, so it was a big change. But we managed, we did it. … It fills myself to be proud with what’s going on now. I did it with my son, now I’m doing it with the grandson … just very, very proud of them, they doing a very good job. … I’m very proud of it. We work very hard for this, but it pays off.”
In an official statement, Giorgio Petruzziello said, “The Block at 22 Everett Street stands as an example of what can be achieved when a developer works collaboratively with town officials. While I take pride in all my developments, The Block at 22 Everett Street is truly exceptional. In addition to offering much needed housing, including affordable housing in beautiful buildings, the project provided the opportunity to restore and clean-up a long blighted industrial site.”
