This Old House

Roxbury Project, Part 10 Of 10

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives in Roxbury to find the project nearing completion thanks to the dedication of general contractor David Lopes. Landscape contractor Roger Cook and the YouthBuild apprentices plant the final tree and spread mulch in the front yard, while out back, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin installs the entry gate on the perimeter fence. Inside, designer Tricia McDonagh is readying the house for the wrap party, as the final light fixtures and window treatments are installed. Down in the basement, local HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie gives homeowner Lanita Tolentino a crash course on what she needs to know about the mechanicals in her basement. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino stops by to see how the house has progressed, and while work continues on the second unit, Lanita's unit is ready for her to move in. Upstairs, she shows Kevin the tile and fixture choices in the bathroom, and also her spacious new bedroom and walk-in closet. Downstairs, as her family arrives for the party, her grandmother gets a batch of Cape Verdean cachupa going on the new stove, as Lanita shows master carpenter Norm around her new kitchen. Norm and David Lopes reflect on how far the house has come in eight months, and as the team gathers for the wrap party, all agree that it was a successful partnership. While foreclosures remain a problem nationally, there is one less foreclosure on this street in Boston.