Cannistraro celebrated the grand opening of The FID, a new two-story, 157,000-square-foot facility center to accommodate all of the mechanical contractor's fabrication operations for plumbing, HVAC, fire protection and multitrade construction assemblies.

Formerly, these operations were dispersed among various locations in three other company facilities.

The FID will enable Cannistraro to be more efficient, economical, and competitive. The facility’s location will aid in another critical goal of Cannistraro’s expansion: to provide local residents with training and job opportunities in the building trades.

Yesterday we opened the doors of The FID celebrating our team, family, & friends who made #Boston's construction industry home for the past 55 years. The FID houses all of our fabrication operations & it's grand opening was a momentous day for our team. Thank you to all involved. pic.twitter.com/dhK7NshQrI

— Cannistraro (@JCCannistraro) June 15, 2018

“We recognize the increasing demand for better and smarter construction in the city of Boston, and hope that this new facility will pave the way for more efficient ways to build,” said John Cannistraro, president of Cannistraro. “The FID is not just for us; it is a home for industrial excellence and innovation in the heart of our great city of Boston.”

In 1940, the Army Corp of Engineers built 25 Fid Kennedy Ave., historically known as “Building 16,” on a 3.5-acre lot for the U.S. Navy to serve as a multitrade heavy machine shop.

This building was one of many industrial facilities that made up Boston’s Marine Industrial Park, now known as The Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park in honor of the city’s 52nd mayor.

Cannistraro preserved and incorporated the industrial Art Deco architecture and history of both the building and the area, while restoring it to its modern glory.

The name “FID” refers to South Boston longshoreman, Thomas “Fid” Kennedy, who worked tirelessly for his local union to help raise the working and living standards of the city’s dockworkers.

Following the closure of the Boston Navel Annex in 1974, the building fell into a state of disrepair. In 2016, Cannistraro committed to rehabilitate Building 16 and re-establish it through a 50-year ground lease, as a center for manufacturing, industry, and innovation on the city’s working waterfront.

The FID currently employs 100 workers, but has the capacity to house many more. Cannistraro’s move to the Seaport will facilitate both collaboration and production management of modular solutions for affordable housing, as well as best-in-class manufacturing and fabricating solutions for their partners among institutional, life sciences, commercial and public-sector development.

Cannistraro also spearheads the Manoog Family Residency Program, providing resident artists resources and support services to pursue self-directed projects. All residents receive full access to Cannistraro’s Plumbing Museum’s collection and library archive, as well as guided site visits and access to The FID. The 2018 spring residents are Cambridge-based photographer and educator, Emily Blez Watertown-based painter and practicing landscape architect, Ponnapa Prakkamakul.