[00:00:01]
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD.
I WANTED TO CALL THIS AFTERNOON'S APRIL 6TH, 2026, ROUND TABLE WORKING MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
THE ORDER CALL OF THE MEETING IS TO DISCUSS THE BEST FUTURE USES OF CITY OWNED PROPERTIES AND ASSOCIATED REDEVELOPMENT PROCESSES.
[ROLL CALL]
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.ABSENT, COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
PRESENT, YOU HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS, RECORDED, PRESENT, AND TWO RECORDED IS ABSENT PER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE MEETING VIA THE OPEN, THE CITY'S OPEN MEETING PORTAL OR ON THE CITY'S CABLE CHANNEL 22.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
IN ADDITION, THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING.
WE'LL BE HAVING A DISCUSSION IN THIS MEETING.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT BECAUSE IT IS A ROUND TABLE.
AND SO, UH, WE WILL START WITH, UH, OPENING AND INTRODUCTIONS.
WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY, AND THEN, UH, WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION FROM WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A, UH, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN IN OUR PACKET.
UH, TODAY IS A COMMUNICATION FROM DEPUTY CITY MANAGER KATHY WATKINS TRANSMITTING A PRESENTATION REGARDING CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
SO EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THAT.
SO WITH THAT FIRST, WE'LL, UH, GO TO CITY STAFF TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
AND WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER IN THIS ROOM, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
THIS WAS A POLICY ORDER THAT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED, A REQUEST THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN TO A ASK THE CITY TO, UM, REALLY LOOK AT ALL OUR CITY OWNED PROPERTIES.
UH, AND SO I'LL PASS IT TO THE CITY STAFF.
UM, I CAN START, I, IF YOU HAVE ANY OPENING OR I CAN, UM, DO WE WANNA DO INTRODUCTIONS OR, I THINK WE, YOU GUYS CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
UH, KATHY WATKINS, W CITY MANAGER.
MELISSA PETERS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
JOHN NADONE, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS, AND, UH, BRENDAN ROY, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL BUILDING PROJECTS.
AND, UH, I THINK JUST TO VERY BRIEFLY OPEN, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR, UM, FOR THE POLICY ORDER.
UH, I WOULD THINK, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF THE BREADTH OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES THAT WE OWN.
AND, UH, AS I THINK WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UM, WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, IN YEARS PAST, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THAT, UH, I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH.
AND, UH, WE WOULD SEE THIS AS MAYBE THE BEGINNING OF A LONGER CONVERSATION.
AND WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED OVER THE COURSE OF THIS TERM TO, UM, BOTH IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT, UH, HAVE MORE NEAR TERM DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS BEFORE THEM, UM, BUT ALSO TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH AND REALLY LOOK AT, UM, HOW WE'RE USING OUR MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES, THE LONG-TERM COSTS AND THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS THEY CAN HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO ALSO, UH, BE OPEN WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS.
UM, AND THEN TO TRY TO PUT A LOT OF OUR PROPERTY TO, TO GOOD USE.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FIRST DISCUSSION, UM, AND I KNOW THERE WILL BE MANY MORE TO COME, SO I'LL TURN IT
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS]
OVER TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WATKINS TO KICK US OFF.UM, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A TAG TEAM BETWEEN MELISSA AND I ON THE PRESENTATION.
NAOMI, YOU CAN GO AHEAD TO THE AGENDA.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST SORT OF OUTLINING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UM, LAID OUT IN TERMS OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MELISSA.
UM, SO AGAIN, EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND TALK ABOUT, UM, A SHORT LIST OF, UH, PROPERTIES FOR, UH, FUTURE USE.
UH, BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THAT, REALLY WANTED TO FRAME IT INTO HOW DO WE MEET CITY PRIORITIES USING OUR OWN ASSETS.
AND WE REALLY BUCKET IT INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
SO THE FIRST BEING CITY OPERATIONS.
UH, WHAT DO WE NEED TO, TO DO OUR SERVICES?
[00:05:01]
SO THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM EMPLOYEE OFFICE SPACE TO PUBLIC FACING, UM, LOCATIONS TO DELIVER OUR SERVICES.UH, DPW FACILITY NEEDS OFTEN COMES UP AND WE'LL TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
UM, LAND THAT'S NEEDED TO PROVIDE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN ON THE COMMUNITY GOAL SIDE, THINGS SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, USING LAND FOR NONPROFIT SPACE, UH, UH, PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC PARKING AND THINGS OF THOSE NATURE.
AND AS WE THINK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE, WE CERTAINLY WANNA INCORPORATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, UM, AND THE CITY OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
UH, BUT ALSO HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT, UH, WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS OF THE SITES? WHAT COULD BE BUILT ON THOSE SITES WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHERE THE NEED IS.
UH, SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT ACCURATELY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACCESS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN CERTAINLY ALL OF THIS IN CONTEXT OF, UM, OUR BOTTOM LINE AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON THE BUDGET AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO THINK ABOUT IS NOT ONLY, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT COSTS, BUT THE LONG TERM OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, AND HOW CAN WE MANAGE A MORE EFFICIENT, STREAMLINED PORTFOLIO, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT MEETING, UM, FUTURE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS BUTO.
AND SO FOR THE FOCUS ON TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS GONNA BE ON, UH, SIX SITES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BUCKET IT AGAIN, UH, THOSE THAT HAVE A SHORT TERM USE FOR, UM, UH, CITY OPERATIONS.
SO THINGS LIKE, UH, 1 35 SHERMAN STREET, A-L-Y-D-B-W, AND 3 33 WEBSTER.
UM, AND THEN THINGS, UH, SITES THAT HAVE A IDENTIFIED USE FOR COM, UH, ACHIEVING COMMUNITY GOALS.
SO 180 5 LARGE ROAD 25 LOWELL STREET, AND 1 39 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE, THE FORMER VAIL COURT.
AND AGAIN, REALLY THE FOCUS HERE IS TO, UH, GIVE AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL ON, UH, THE, ON SOME NEAR TERM PROJECTS, UM, AND ALSO TO, UH, TEE UP SOME KEY DECISIONS THAT WILL HELP US MOVE SITES FORWARD.
SO IN SOME CASES, IN, UM, ON 3 33 WEBSTER A, THE LONG TERM USE OF THAT SITE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE NEED IT FOR, UH, DPW OPERATIONS IN THE SHORT TERM BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT LONGER TERM VISION, UH, NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON 1 35 SHERMAN STREET, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT NEED.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT BACK TO KATHY, WHO KIND OF GO OVER THE LARGER CITY BUDGET CONTEXT.
SO, UM, YOU GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, NAOMI, UM, SO THE NEXT SERIES, THERE'S A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UM, THAT ARE REALLY TRYING TO SET UP THE BUDGET CONTEXT.
UM, SO NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS NEW.
THIS IS ALL FROM THE FEBRUARY 11TH, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION WE HAD AROUND CAPITAL PLANNING, UM, AND OUR OVERALL CAPITAL PROGRAM.
SO WE TALKED AT THAT, UM, AT THAT HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDING THAT WE'RE USING CAPITAL FUNDING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING STREETS, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, UM, OPEN SPACE AND BUILDINGS.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR OVERALL CAPITAL PROGRAM AND PARTICULARLY AN INCREASE IN THEIR BUILDING PORTFOLIO, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT OF THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS, UM, THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ONE IS SORT OF THE LEAST WELL DEVELOPED AND THE ONE THAT WHEN WE SORT OF LOOK OUT AND SAY WHAT ARE OUR OVERALL NEEDS AS QUITE, UM, SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AND IN THAT CONTEXT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS SORT OF ALMOST 16% ANNUAL GROWTH IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AND TRYING TO GET THAT DOWN TO BEING MUCH CLOSER TO OUR OPERATING BUDGET OF 5% INCREASE PER YEAR.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE THESE VARIOUS DIFFERENT, UM, SORT OF PRESSURE POINTS ON OUR OVERALL CAPITAL PROGRAM.
UM, SO IN THAT DISCUSSION WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE OVERALL PORTFOLIO, BUT JUST TO SORT OF SET THE CONTEXT OF, UM, THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING OUR FIREHOUSES, MAINTAINING OUR USE CENTERS, LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL BUILDING PORTFOLIO AND ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND THIS WAS SORT OF LAYING OUT, OKAY, AS WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, HOW ARE WE SORT OF SEEING SPENDING IN DIFFERENT BUCKETS? AND SO WE HAD SORT OF PUT IN THERE SORT OF A $30 MILLION A YEAR TO GO TOWARDS BUILDINGS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY START LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS AND LAYING THOSE OUT, UM, THAT STILL LEADS A LOT OF NEEDS THERE.
AND SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUILDINGS AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE USE OUR BUILDINGS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ON THE BOTTOM LINE, BOTH
[00:10:01]
IN TERMS OF OUR OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE BUDGETS AS WELL AS OUR OVERALL CAPITAL BUDGETS.SO WE JUST WANTED TO SORT OF SET THAT CONTEXT AS WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT THESE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
NEXT SLIDE, THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES REALLY LAY OUT.
SO SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IS, YOU KNOW, COULD WE USE SOME OF THE CITY PROJECTS TO SUPPORT OTHER USES SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR NONPROFIT SPACE? AND WHAT ARE THE SORT OF MECHANISMS BY WHICH WE DO THAT? AND SO WE WANTED TO GO THROUGH AND REALLY WALK THROUGH, UM, SOME SPECIFIC CITY AND STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT REALLY OVERSEE HOW WE DISPOSE OF PROPERTY OR HOW WE DECIDE TO USE PROPERTY.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE, UM, SPECIFIC ONES WE WANNA WALK THROUGH.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, THIS IS A CITY REQUIREMENT.
SO THIS WAS THE CITY DISPOSITION ORDINANCE THAT WAS PUT INTO PLACE IN 1990.
AND THIS REALLY OVERSEES IF WE DECIDE TO EITHER LEASE OR SELL CITY PROPERTY, HOW DO WE DO THAT? WHAT'S THE PROCESS? AND SO THE CITY DISPOSITION ORDINANCE REALLY LAYS THAT OUT.
AND AGAIN, THE FUNDAMENTAL, YOU KNOW, GUIDELINES ARE HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT, UM, IF WE ARE DISPOSING OF PROPERTY, AND AGAIN THAT'S LEASE OR SALE, UM, THAT IT'S REALLY MEETING A PUBLIC PURPOSE, UM, AND THAT THE CITY IS GETTING SORT OF FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR THE USE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THAT THE CITY PROPERTY DISPOSED OF WITHOUT FAVORITISM.
SO THOSE ARE ALL SORT OF FRAMINGS THAT COME FROM THAT ORDINANCE.
AND AGAIN, FROM 1990 AND IN THAT IT REALLY LAYS OUT THE PROCESS.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA DISPOSE OF PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IT REQUIRES A REPORT, REQUIRES A PLANNING BOARD HEARING, AND IT SORT OF TALKS ABOUT SORT OF THE ROLES OF EACH OF THOSE.
AND THEN A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF CITY COUNCIL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE JUST WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT THE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST, AND THERE'S A COUPLE EXAMPLES IN HERE THAT YOU'LL SEE OF THAT, UM, IS IT IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE ORDINANCE AS BEING EXEMPT FROM THE DISPOSAL, THE CITY DISPOSITION ORDINANCE, BUT STILL DOES REQUIRE A COUNCIL VOTE TO TRANSFER PROPERTY.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE CITY DISPOSITION ORDINANCE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATE REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF WE WERE TO DISPOSE OF A PROPERTY, WE GO THROUGH THE CITY PROCESS AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A STATE PROCESS WE SORT OF TALK ABOUT AS 30 B AND IT SORT OF OVERSEES HOW YOU BUY OR SELL GOODS.
AND SO AGAIN, THE STATE PROCESS ALSO SORT OF MAKES SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN OPEN AND FAIR PROCESS, UM, AND YOU HAVE TO SOLICIT BIDS, YOU CAN ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR THE TERMS OF THE SALE OR LEASE, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE BIDS.
SO YOU'RE JUST REALLY MAKING SURE THAT AS YOU'RE DISPOSING OF PUBLIC PROPERTY, YOU'RE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN, UM, THAT IS TRANSPARENT AND PEOPLE CAN REALLY NAVIGATE THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND AGAIN, I WOULD JUST BE POINT OUT THAT THE AFFORDABLE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST AS WELL AS CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS EXEMPT FROM THE 30 B PRO.
BUT AGAIN, PROCESS, BUT AGAIN WOULD STILL NEED A VOTE OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN, UM, THE FINAL ONE I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT, AND I THINK WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS AT CITY COUNCIL ABOUT ARTICLE 97.
UM, SO WE TALK ABOUT ARTICLE 97, THAT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN 1972.
AND THAT REALLY MAKES SURE THAT ANY CHANGES TO ANY OPEN SPACE OR DONE THROUGH A PRETTY, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE NET LOSS IN OPEN SPACE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A PARCEL THAT IS PROTECTED, ARTICLE 97 OPEN SPACE, UM, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS WHEREBY THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO DO A HOME RULE PETITION AND THEN IT GOES TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR A VOTE.
UM, AND YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT IF YOU'RE TAKING EXISTING OPEN SPACE AND DOING SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE REPLACEMENT OPEN SPACE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A NET LOSS OF OPEN SPACE.
UM, AND WE'VE BOTH RECENTLY DONE THAT, UM, WITH TWO PROJECTS.
ONE IS AT THE TOBIN SCHOOL AND ONE IS AN INMAN SQUARE.
SO FOR BOTH OF THOSE, WE WENT THROUGH THE ARTICLE 97 PROCESS.
UM, SO AT THE TOBIN SCHOOL WE HAD OPEN SPACE THAT WAS PROTECTED BECAUSE WE'D GOTTEN A GRANT AT SOME POINT FROM THE STATE.
AND WITH THAT CAME THE REQUIREMENT THAT THAT REMAIN OPEN SPACE IN PERPETUITY.
UM, AND SO GOING THROUGH THE ARTICLE 97 PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE BUILDING AND TO SOME OF THAT, BUT THEN REDEDICATE ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE SO THAT OVERALL YOU DON'T HAVE A NET LOSS OF OPEN SPACE, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SORT OF THE, THE SIX PARCELS THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON TONIGHT.
I KEEP SAYING TONIGHT 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO BE AT CITY COUNCIL AND NOT SAY TONIGHT.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE SIX PARCELS WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON.
AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE'RE SORT OF FOCUSING ON THESE TODAY.
UM, AND THEN AT THE END WE'LL TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL, UM, PROPERTIES THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION ON, UM, AND REALLY COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL A LITTLE LATER THIS
[00:15:01]
YEAR.SO AS MELISSA, UM, TEED UP, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THOSE FIRST COUPLE PARCELS, REALLY FOCUS ON THE CITY OPERATIONS CONVERSATION AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE OTHER PARCELS REALLY FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY GOALS.
SO CITY OPERATIONS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST BUCKET.
UM, AND THESE REALLY ALL COME BACK TO SORT OF DPW SPACE NEEDS.
I THINK, UM, MEETING CITY COUNSELORS, WE REALLY BEGAN THIS PROBABLY ONE OR TWO TERMS AGO AND HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF TOURS OF DPW.
SO WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO SOME OF THE NEW FOLKS AND, UM, BRING YOU OUT ON THE TOUR OF DPW.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY BEGAN, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO 2020, LOOKING AT SORT OF A 10 YEAR JOURNEY FOR DPW.
SO WE IDENTIFIED, HAD A PROGRAM STUDY TO REALLY LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF DPW SPACES AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE AND REALLY IDENTIFIED A SIGNIFICANT, UM, SHORTAGE OF OPERATING SPACE TO MEET DPW NEEDS.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SORT OF THE TOP RIGHT TABLE, WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR ACRES THAT WE SORT OF ACTUALLY USE CONTROL.
THE BULK OF THAT IS ONE 40 HAMPSHIRE STREET WHERE PEOPLE THINK OF DPW LAND.
UM, BUT AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF THAT STUDY AND COVID AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR PUBLIC WORKS, WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO LEASE FOUR ACRES OF SPACE AT MOONEY STREET.
AND SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OF THESE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS SORT OF A MAP THAT SHOWS OUR EXISTING SITES IN BLUE FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND THEN THE RED ONES THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON TONIGHT.
UM, SO STARTED TO GET DOWN THIS PATH ABOUT THE FOUR ACRES THAT WE'RE LEASING.
SO WE, UM, ARE LEASING FOUR ACRES AT MOONEY STREET.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PARALLEL TO CONCORD A BUT CLOSER TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES BOTH, UM, A PRETTY LARGE YARD SPACE THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, UM, AS WELL AS SOME OFFICE AND STORAGE SPACE.
AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY BIG BENEFIT IN TERMS OF STEEP PW HAVING A LITTLE MORE SPACE TO WORK WITH, BUT AGAIN IS A LEASE AND AT SOME POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, HEALTH PEOPLE WILL BE DEVELOPING THAT AREA AND WE WILL NOT CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO LEASE THAT SPACE.
UM, SO AS PART OF THE ZONING PROCESS FOR, UM, THE ALEWIFE AREA, UM, ABLE TO IDENTIFY, UM, BENEFITS IN THE ZONING, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL HEIGHT AND ADDITIONAL FAR IF, UM, THE DEVELOPER IS TO TRANSFER AN ACRE TO FOR MUNICIPAL USE AND PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO THROUGHOUT THAT DESIGN, THROUGHOUT THAT REZONING PROCESS, HAD A LOT OF REALLY GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING DEDICATED SPACE FOR DPW, SORT OF A WAY TO SORT OF BUFFER SOME OF THE HEIGHTS NEXT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
'CAUSE THIS WOULD NOT BE ONE OF THE TALLER BUILDINGS, BUT, UM, THIS WOULD BE A PERMANENT, ABOUT A LITTLE OVER AN ACRE THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED FOR PUBLIC WORKSPACE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE ALE WIFE.
SO WE HAVE THE FOUR ACRES THERE PERMANENTLY, YOU KNOW, RENTED NOW OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS ONE ACRE PERMANENTLY.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER SPACE TO BE MAKING UP FOR.
SO, UM, AT 3 33 WEBSTER AVENUE WHEN WE BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY, WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL, UM, ABOUT IT BEING A REALLY USEFUL SITE FOR SHORT TERM FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THEN LONGER TERM IT REALLY WANTS TO BE HOUSING AS YOU LOOK AT THE WEBSTER AVENUE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO, THERE WERE BUILDINGS ON IT THAT NEEDED TO BE DEMOLISHED.
THOSE HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED DOING SOME SITE WORK AND THEN FORESTRY DIVISION WILL REALLY BE MOVING INTO THAT SITE AND USING IT IN THE SHORT TERM BASIS.
SO AGAIN, THAT JUST SHOWS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY THREE DIFFERENT PARCELS, BUT UM, COMBINED TOGETHER IS JUST UNDER AN ACRE SPACE.
AND AGAIN, WE'D BE SUPPORTING THE FORESTRY DIVISION.
UM, DPW IS WORKING ON HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE WITH THE NEIGHBORS IN APRIL.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING, AND WE'VE HAD, AS WE'VE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS SPACE, IT'S REALLY CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WEBSTER AVENUE IS A VERY CHANGING TYPE OF STREET.
IT'S MUCH MORE, YOU KNOW, THE CONNECTION TO THE GREEN LINE NOW.
SO YOU'RE SEEING A LOT MORE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.
UM, SO THERE'S GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE IT A MORE ATTRACTIVE, UM, BUFFER AS YOU'RE WALKING ALONG THERE.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL TO IDENTIFY, UM, SOME MURALS THAT REALLY FEED OFF OF THE FORESTRY DIVISION BEING THE, THIS BEING THE HOME OF THE FORESTRY DIVISION IN THE NEAR TERM.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THAT EDGE AS WELL.
UM, SO AGAIN, JUST SORT OF FINAL, JUST BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, THIS HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN TALKED ABOUT AS A LONG-TERM LOCATION FOR DPW, UM, BUT IT IS NECESSARY IN THIS MOMENT TO HAVE SPACE AND THEN ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO OPEN UP SPACE AT SHERMAN STREET, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT, THIS LOCATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING.
[00:20:04]
SO THIS IS 1 35 CHARMAN STREET.UM, SO I THINK MANY OF US THINK OF IT AS THE OLD JOSE'S PARKING LOT OR THE, UM, MONTESSORI PARKING LOT, BUT RIGHT ON CHARMAN AND BELLA CIRCLE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, WE TALKED ABOUT IS CIRCLE.
WE'VE SINCE RE-ADDRESSED IT TO SHERMAN STREET.
UM, IT'S A VACANT SURFACE LOT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LITTLE DETOUR TO TALK ABOUT COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS 'CAUSE THIS IS A CRITICAL LOCATION IN TERMS OF OUR OVERALL WORK TO DECREASE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS GOING TO THE L WIFE BROOK.
UM, SO I THINK SOME OF THESE SLIDES ARE SOME THAT HOPEFULLY COUNCIL HAS SEEN, 'CAUSE WE'VE DONE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT SHOWS IF YOU HAVE A SEPARATED SYSTEM, UM, AND ALL YOUR SEWAGE IS IN ONE PIPE AND IT GOES TO DEER ISLAND, UM, VERSUS, AND ALL YOUR STORM WATERS AND ANOTHER PIPE THAT GOES OUT TO THE RIVER, UM, MUCH OF THE CITY, I THINK ABOUT STILL ABOUT 40% OF THE CITY IS COMBINED SEWER SYSTEMS. AND SO THAT MEANS THERE'S ONE LARGER PIPE AS SHOWN IN THE MIDDLE DRAWING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN SMALLER RAIN EVENTS AND EVEN UP TO SOME MIDDLE-SIZED RAIN EVENTS, THOSE WORK PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND YOUR SEWAGE AND YOUR WATER ALL GOES TO DEER ISLAND IF IT GETS TO BE TOO HEAVY A STORM.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A, UM, THIS OVERFLOW, THEN THOSE, OH, SORRY MELISSA, I'M GONNA KNOCK YOUR THING OVER AGAIN.
AND SO YOU HAVE THESE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS THAT THEN DURING THAT HIGH VOLUME ACTIVITY OVERFLOWS INTO THE AIRWA BROOK, UM, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON THROUGH THE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW PLAN TO REDUCE AND REDUCE THOSE CONTINUOUSLY.
UM, AND IN THIS KIND OF LOCATION WHERE YOU'RE RIGHT AT WHAT WE CALL THE REGULATOR STRUCTURE, WHICH I THINK OF AS THAT DECISION POINT OF IF THE FLOW IS STAYING IN THE PIPE OR IF THE FLOW IS GOING OUT TO THE RIVER, IF YOU ADD STORAGE THERE, INSTEAD OF THAT FLOW GOING TO THE RIVER, IT CAN GO INTO A HOLDING TANK AND THEN AFTER THE EVENT IT CAN PUMP OUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, AND IT HAS THE ABILITY TO REALLY ELIMINATE, COMBINE SEWER OVERFLOWS FROM A TYPICAL YEAR AT THIS LOCATION AS SOON AS THIS TANK IS CONSTRUCTED.
AND SO IT'S A VERY EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ADDRESS CSOS FROM WHAT IS THE MOST ACTIVE CSO IN THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO THIS SHOWS AN IMAGE OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
THE TOP, UM, DRAWING, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS SORT OF WHAT WOULD BE A PARKING LOT AND THEN THERE'S ABOUT 2 MILLION GALLONS OF STORAGE UNDERNEATH IT.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UP AGAINST SHERMAN STREET ON THE LEFT, THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, SHOWING A BIKE AND PED CONNECTION THAT WOULD CONNECT BETWEEN DHE PARK OUT TO SHERMAN STREET AND THEN IN THE REAR OF THE PARCEL, UM, WOULD BE A LOWER STORY BUILDING THAT COULD SUPPORT DPW.
AND SO WE SEE THIS AS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THIS IS RIGHT AT THAT REGULATOR STRUCTURE.
WE COULD DO A LARGE STORAGE TANK, REALLY ADDRESS THOSE CSOS FROM THE MOST ACTIVE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW.
UM, AND THIS WOULD SUPPORT BOTH PARKS AND FORESTRY DIVISION, WHICH WOULD THEN FREE UP THAT 3 33 WEBSTER AVENUE FOR HOUSING.
AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, TRYING TO DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS ON THIS SITE.
UM, AND GIVEN THE SIZE OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, CO-LOCATING IT WITH DPW MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS HERE, UH, D PWS HAD ONE COMMUNITY MEETING, THERE'D BE ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING IN JUNE.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO SHARE MORE DETAILS AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY EMPHASIZING THE OVERALL GOALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF THE CSO PROGRAM, THE BENEFITS OF LOCATING THE TANK AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, I KNOW ONE, YOU KNOW, QUESTION HAS COME UP ABOUT WHY DOES IT NEED TO BE AT THIS LOCATION AND WHY CAN'T YOU DO IT IN THE STREETS? SO WE HAVE OTHER STORAGE TANKS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE STREET.
I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST RECENT ONE IS HEAVY AVE.
UM, AND I DUNNO IF PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT'S SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION AND IF YOU'RE DOING IT IN THE STREET, YOU GOTTA WORK AROUND UTILITIES, YOU GOTTA CLOSE STREETS DOWN FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO TRY TO DO 2 MILLION GALLONS OF STORAGE IN THE STREETS, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 5,000 LINEAR FEET.
SO THAT'S ALMOST A MILE OF TANK IN THE STREET THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT IS FEASIBLE JUST IN TERMS OF OTHER UTILITY CONFLICTS.
SO JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE SORT OF THE CO-BENEFITS, UM, OF DOING THIS AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, SO JUST AGAIN, SORT OF SUMMARY CLOSURE ON THE DPW SPACE NEEDS.
AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN SORT OF ON THIS JOURNEY, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER ONES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SALT SHED AND SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REALLY, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF THE SPACE.
UM, AND THEN WE BELIEVE THAT WITH THE CURRENT FOUR ACRES AND THEN WITH ALEWIFE AND THEN THE SHERMAN STREET LOCATION, WE'D GET UP TO ABOUT SIX ACRES FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
AND AGAIN, STILL TIGHT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY A MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE PLACE TO BE, UM, FOR PUBLIC WORKS
[00:25:01]
AS WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE.SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MELISSA FOR THE NEXT SET OF PROJECTS.
UH, SO AGAIN, THE NEXT THREE WILL BE FOCUSED ON HOW TO ACHIEVE COMMUNITY GOALS.
WE'LL FIRST TALK ABOUT 1 39 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE.
UH, SO AS YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY WAS ACQUIRED BY THE CITY VIA EMINENT DOMAIN IN 2016 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE TRUST IN 2017 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THAT DEVELOPMENT WAS PAUSED.
WELL THERE, THERE WAS THE LAWSUIT UNDERWAY.
NOW THAT THERE'S A SETTLEMENT IN THAT LAWSUIT, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NEXT SLIDE, UH, HOUSING STAFF IS WORKING ON, UM, SCHEDULING A PUBLIC MEETING, UH, FOR NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS, UH, THE, UH, THE FUTURE OF THIS SITE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GIVE PEOPLE AN UPDATE SINCE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
THE PLAN WILL BE THEN FOR THE TRUST TO ISSUE AN RFQ TO SELECT A DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UM, THAT WILL THEN BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING THE COMMUNITY, UH, MEETING PROCESS TO FINALIZE THE DESIGN, SEEK FUNDING AND BUILD THE HOUSING.
UM, WE EXPECT THAT THAT, UH, THAT THEY'LL HAVE A SERIES OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS LATER THIS YEAR AND IN EARLY 2027.
UM, AND CONSTRUCTION WILL START AS SOON AS FUNDING HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
UH, OTHER SITE IS 180 5 LARGE ROAD IN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
UH, SO THIS PROPERTY, UH, WAS ACQUIRED IN 2020 BY THE CITY.
UM, IT IS PREVIOUSLY, UH, OPEN SPACE THAT USED BY BB AND N SCHOOL.
UM, AT THE TIME THAT, UH, THIS WAS ACQUIRED BY THE CITY, THERE WAS A LOT OF COUNCIL DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA AND THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING MORE EXPANSIVELY ABOUT NOT JUST USING THIS FOR OPEN SPACE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE IDEAS WE HAVE NEXT SLIDE, UH, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WEST CAMBRIDGE IS, UH, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, LEAST SERVED BY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT LOCATION, UH, FOR, FOR A COMBINATION OF HOUSING IN A SMALLER OPEN SPACE TO SERVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, A SOCIAL HOUSING CONCEPT AND, AND WHAT THAT WOULD BE AND THINK THAT AS PART OF THAT STUDY AND ONGOING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, WE COULD LOOK AT, UH, THIS SITE IN PARTICULAR AS A POTENTIAL MODEL, UH, TO CONSIDER FOR SOCIAL HOUSING.
UM, SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE HISTORY AND THINKING AROUND THE 25 LOWELL STREET PROPERTY.
SO I THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW IT'S A HISTORIC SCHOOLHOUSE.
UM, IT WAS USED BY CAMBRIDGE SCHOOLS UNTIL ABOUT 1979.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT IN 1980, THE CITY ENTERED INTO A LEASE WITH NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC.
UM, SO UNDER THAT TERMS OF LEASE, NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC, UM, DOES MAINTENANCE ON THE BUILDING.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO PAY US AND THE RENT IS ABOUT, UM, IT'S 8% OF THEIR TUITION.
UM, AND SO IT TENDS TO BE AROUND $20,000 AND THEN, YOU KNOW, 10 OR $15,000 ON BUILDING REPAIRS.
SO THAT'S THE SORT OF THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS THE LEASE FROM 1980 AND IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A FIVE YEAR TERM WITH A FIVE YEAR RENEWAL.
UM, BUT IT'S CONTINUED IN PLACE AND BOTH SIDES HAVE SORT OF CONTINUED TO MEET, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LEASE.
SO IT CONTINUES TO BE SORT OF A TENANT AT WILL SITUATION, UM, AND THEN THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC SUB LEASEES SOME OF THE SPACE TO THE CAMBRIDGE ARTS ASSOCIATION AND AGAIN, MAINTAIN THE BUILDING, UM, AND CONTINUED TO WORK ON THAT.
UM, THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY, 'CAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS SORT OF LIKE, WHY IS THIS COMING UP NOW? UM, AND SO, UM, BACK IN NOVEMBER, 2024, THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE ON THE PROPERTY AND AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SORT OF KNEW IT WAS A CITY BUILDING, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF IT AND IT JUST HAD SORT OF CONTINUED TO ROLL ON.
UM, AND AT THAT POINT IT SORT OF BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE OF WHAT ARE THE TERMS OF THE LEASE, UM, AND WHAT IS THIS, YOU KNOW, 40-YEAR-OLD LEASE AT THIS POINT AND WHAT ARE WE AND HOW IS THAT STILL IN PLACE? SO THAT REALLY IDENTIFIED SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND RAISED SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT IS THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO PARCELS HERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE ON THE TOP RIGHT, UM, THE, THE SORT OF RED DASH LINE IS THE PARCEL THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILDING.
AND THEN THE OTHER AREA THAT'S LIKE A BIGGER L UM, IS ACTUALLY THE PARK PRO PARK PARCEL.
SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PARCELS, UM, AND THEN THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK, THERE'S NO ENTRANCE FROM MOUNT AUBURN STREET.
THE ONLY ENTRANCE IS ON LOWELL STREET THAT SORT OF COMES ALONG
[00:30:01]
THIS SORT OF BRICK WALKWAY ADJACENT TO THE PARK, BUT THE PARK ITSELF, THE ADJACENT TO THE PARKING LOT, BUT THE PARK ITSELF IS SORT OF TUCKED IN BEHIND, UM, THE BUILDING AND DOESN'T SORT OF HAVE A PUBLICLY FACING, UM, ENTRANCE TO IT.AND THEN, SO ONE OF THE THING, AND MAYBE I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THIS AND THEN FLIP TO MELISSA.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OPTIONS, LIKE OVER THE YEARS THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, OH, COULD WE DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PARKING LOT? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND SO WE'VE LOOKED AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF, UM, BUILDOUTS AND FEEL LIKE THAT ISN'T THE RIGHT LOCATION.
SO IF ONE WE'RE GONNA DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SORT OF TRYING TO SQUEEZE IT IN THERE.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST POINT OUT IS JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THE PROPERTY LINE SORT OF CUTS THROUGH THAT PARKING LOT, SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHERE ONE WOULD THINK IT WAS, BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MELISSA.
SO THESE ARE IN ORDER OF THE CITY'S, UH, PREFERENCE, BUT I'LL START WITH THE FIRST OPTION, WHICH IS TO DEVELOP AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UH, WEST CAMBRIDGE HAS THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE CITY.
UM, AS KATHY STATED, UM, IT'D BE A LITTLE TIGHT TO BUILD ADDITIONAL HOUSING ON THE PARKING LOT, BUT WHAT WE COULD DO, UH, AND COULD CREATE, UH, 20 OR MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS IS WE COULD CERTAINLY RENOVATE THE HISTORIC BUILDING AND THAT ADD INFILL HOUSING IN THE REAR.
UH, THIS WOULD MAINTAIN THE PROMINENCE OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
IT WOULD ALSO HAVE THE DUAL BENEFIT OF OPENING UP, UM, THE, UM, LOWELL STREET AS A, AS A PARK TO GET BETTER ENTRANCE TO THE CURRENT LOWELL STREET PARK.
UM, SO THAT WE SEE AS A, A BIG BENEFIT RIGHT NOW, AS KATHY DESCRIBED, UM, YOU HAVE TO ACCESS THE EXISTING PARKING LOT AND IT'S NOT A GREAT VISIBILITY.
THERE'S NO ACCESS ON MOUNT AUBURN.
IT'S ALSO A GREAT LOCATION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT CERTAINLY TRYING TO, UH, ACTIVELY DISTRIBUTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THIS IS NEAR TRANSIT BUS LINE, IT'S NEAR THE HOSPITAL, IT'S NEAR A PARK.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS.
UM, THIS WOULD REQUIRE, UH, ARTICLE 97.
SO AS KATHY DESCRIBED EARLIER, UH, WE'D HAVE TO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND ASK FOR A LAND SWAP.
SO AGAIN, WE'D BE EXCHANGING THE OPEN SPACE, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY, UH, UH, OPEN SPACE IN THE REAR, UH, TO THE LAND IN, UH, TO THAT IS NOW THE PARKING LOT.
SO AGAIN, IT WOULD BE AN EQUAL SWAP.
UM, AND THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR GET APPROVED ACTIVITY OR, UM, ACCESS TO THE PARK AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREATION.
THE SECOND OPTION WOULD, IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE IT FOR NON-PROFIT USE, UM, AND OUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE, UH, TO SELL THE PARCEL INSTEAD OF LEASING THE PARCEL.
UM, WE'D HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH STATE AND LOCAL ORDINANCE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE THROUGH AN OPEN PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO WE COULD CERTAINLY SET CRITERIA THAT THE FUTURE USE BE USED FOR A NONPROFIT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL WHERE WE COULDN'T LIMIT, UH, THE, THE ADVERTISEMENT.
SO IT'S, UH, FAVORING ONE ORGANIZATION OVER ANOTHER.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, BROAD ENOUGH THAT, UM, IT, IT MULTIPLE ENTITIES COULD BID ON IT.
UM, THIS WOULD MAINTAIN THE PARK IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE, THE BENEFIT OF SELLING IT IS THAT FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE IT WOULD BE, UH, NO MORE FINANCIAL LIABILITY IN TERMS OF OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS.
UM, AGAIN, EXCEPT THIS, WE WOULD MAINTAIN CITY OWNERSHIP AND LEASE IT, BUT WE'D STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UH, THE STATE AND LOCAL, UH, DISPOSITION ORDINANCE.
UM, SAME THING WE'D HA WE COULDN'T, UH, LIMIT WHO COULD BID ON THIS.
WE COULD JUST LIMIT THE USE TO A NONPROFIT.
UM, IT WOULD MAINTAIN THE PARK AND ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
UM, AND BECAUSE THE CITY WOULD STILL, UH, BE, UH, BE THE OWNER, UM, PRIOR TO PUTTING IT BACK, UH, ON THE MARKET FOR LEASE, THERE IS SOME SIGNIFICANT, UM, INVESTMENT WE WE NEED TO DO TO GET, UH, THE BUILDING UH, UP TO STANDARD BEFORE WE COULD RELEASE IT.
AND THEN THE ONGOING, UH, CAPITAL LIABILITY MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, AS YOU ASKED IN A DECEMBER, 2025 COUNCIL ORDER, UM, WE REALLY HAVE LOOKED AT THE VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES.
UM, WE, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE SPACE TO THE NEW SKILL MUSIC AND THE CAMBRIDGE ARTS ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND WE WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WORK, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD A TRANSITION PLAN, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT IN ALL
[00:35:01]
THREE SCENARIOS THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE PLACE.WE DO SEE THIS AS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR THAT USE.
NEXT SLIDE AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO KATHY AGAIN.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST TO TEE UP.
UM, I THINK WE MENTIONED THE LAST SLIDE SORT OF COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, PROBABLY IN THE FALL ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OVERALL CITY PORTFOLIO.
SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE PARCELS THAT I THINK PEOPLE ARE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THAT ARE, THAT HAVE BEEN EMPTY AND HAVE BEEN EMPTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL, UM, OFFICE PORTFOLIO.
UM, AND THIS REALLY GETS IMPORTANT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE UPGRADING FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, ARE WE TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE, COME, UM, SOME USES, UM, IF YOU SORT OF GO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT JUST SORT OF, AGAIN, THIS IS SORT OF JUST LAYING OUT, UM, THE, THE VARIOUS FACILITIES WE WANNA LOOK AT.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL SLIDE, NAOMI.
UM, WE WANNA REALLY TAKE A STEP BACK AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SORT OF PLANS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON OVER THE YEARS, BUT TO REALLY PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE RIGHT BUILDING PORTFOLIO? HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT UM, OUR CAPITAL BUDGET BUT ALSO OUR OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET AS WE'RE LOOKING AT VARIOUS PROJECTS.
UM, I THINK 51 INMAN IS A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE OF A SPACE THAT HAS WORKED REALLY WELL FOR MANY YEARS FOR HUMAN SERVICES BUT IS IN NEED OF SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
AND SO THERE'S REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO INVEST? ARE THERE OTHER WAYS OF INVESTING THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO FREE UP SOME ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES FOR COMMUNITY SPACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE OFF THE ISSUE OF OFFICE SPACE CAME UP WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOUSING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE CONSOLIDATING HOUSING UNDER ONE DEPART, YOU KNOW, THE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS UNDER ONE DEPARTMENT, BUT HOW, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY GONNA SEE THE BENEFIT OF IS IF WE CAN CO-LOCATE THOSE FOLKS.
AND SO BY HAVING LOTS OF SMALLER OFFICE BUILDINGS, THAT GETS MUCH HARDER TO DO.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS A CONVERSATION WE REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT.
THE OTHER ONE THAT'S COME UP A LOT IS SORT OF EXHIBITION SPACE, REALLY FOCUSING ON ARTS AND HISTORY AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ARTS COUNCIL GALLERY, UM, ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD LOCATE WITH THAT? LIKE WE THINK ABOUT SOME HISTORY EXHIBITS OR YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE WORK THAT UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY COUNCILORS SIMMONS HAS BEEN DOING AT CITY HALL TO BRING SOME MORE HISTORY INTO UM, OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
AND SO HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT COULD THIS LOOK LIKE? UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE CITY MANAGER SORT OF ALLUDED TO, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT SORT OF FUTURE ENERGY EFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, ONGOING ENERGY EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS, BETO REQUIREMENTS, HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUR OVERALL BUILDING PORTFOLIO? SO WE JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR, THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO DO ON THESE AND WE REALLY WANNA COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THOSE SORT OF FIRST SIXTH, UM, UM, PROPERTIES TODAY BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THOSE HAVE THE SORT OF THE MOST MOMENTUM AND MOVEMENT AT THIS MOMENT.
AND THEN AGAIN, COME BACK PRETTY SHORTLY WITH THE LARGER CONVERSATION.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS SORT OF A SUMMARY SLIDE OF THE SIX PARCELS THAT WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT AND AGAIN, THE SORT OF THE THREE THAT ARE FOCUSED MORE ON THE CITY OPERATIONS SIDE AND THEN THE THREE THAT MELISSA WENT THROUGH IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY GOALS, REALLY LOOKING AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, THAT IS THE UM, PRESENTATION AND WE WILL TURN IT BACK TO UM, SIDIKI, THANK YOU FOR THE OVERVIEW.
I KNOW THERE MUST BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO WE'LL START WITH TWO QUESTIONS FROM EACH COUNSELOR AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP FROM THERE.
IT'S ABOUT THREE, ALMOST THREE 40, SO WE HAVE A GOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUR AND 20 FOR DISCUSSION.
SO WE'LL START WITH VICE MAYOR AND JUST TWO QUESTIONS, JUST TWO QUESTIONS.
SO YOU DON'T WANT DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT? LIKE ANY COMMENTS WE HAVE? NO, THE, THIS INCLUDES BACK AND FORTH.
UM, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION TO START WITH ABOUT, UM, LEMME JUST BRING UP THE SLIDE, EXCUSE ME ONE MOMENT.
UM, FOR OPTION ONE WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WOULD THE GOAL BE TO STILL HAVE THE FRONT OPERATE AS A SCHOOL OR WOULD YOU WANT THAT TO ALSO BE HOUSING? THANK YOU THREE, YOU MAYOR? UM, BOTH BUILDINGS WOULD BE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THE FRONT BUILDING WOULD BE, UH, ADAPTED FOR, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS THE NEW REAR INFILL.
IS THERE AN OPTION OF DOING A HYBRID OR WOULD THAT BE DIFFICULT?
[00:40:02]
WE CERTAINLY CONSIDERED THAT.WE THINK JUST GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE, THE LOT, IT'S MAKE IT A LOT MORE CHALLENGING FINANCIALLY FOR A VIABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER TO REDEVELOP.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY IN GENERAL I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A LOT OF THE PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT 180 5 LARGE ROAD WOULD BE GREAT FOR SOCIAL HOUSING.
I THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF MOMENTUM TO DO STUFF THIS TERM ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS A SPOT WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAVING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OF ONE TYPE OVER ANOTHER.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S PARTICULARLY EXCITING.
UM, EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE DO WITH VAIL COURT.
OBVIOUSLY VERY CLOSE TO CENTRAL SQUARE, UM, AND THE T STOP.
SO VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR THAT.
I THINK FOR 25 LOWELL STREET, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE LOT HAS TO GO TO HOUSING.
UM, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED OPTION ONE IF THAT MIXED HYBRID WAS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT ALSO I DO THINK THAT THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I ALSO DON'T WANT US TO BE NECESSARILY SELLING PUBLIC LAND.
AND SO I KNOW THAT OPTION THREE IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE.
UM, AND SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT AT LEAST WANTED TO PUT THOSE FORWARD.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN OPTION THREE, IT'S NOT GUARANTEED THAT THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC COULD CONTINUE, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO FIND SOME WAY TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND I THINK AN IDEAL SCENARIO WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD BUILD HOUSING IN THE BACK AND ALLOW THEM TO KEEP, UH, THE LAND IN THE FRONT, UM, AS AND RUN AS A SCHOOL.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO JUST SEE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION.
UM, THEY SEEM LIKE A GREAT, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, BENEFIT.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.
SO THE SAME PROJECT AT 25 LOWELL.
DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT ON THAT SLIDE THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT WITH, I FORGET WHICH OPTION IT IS WITH THE CITY'S PROPOSAL OF HOUSING, BOTH IN THE FRONT AND THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND A NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THE BACK, THAT THAT WOULD REQUIRE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISPOSITION PROCESSES.
DO I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? BECAUSE THE FRONT, UM, IF THAT WERE A TRANSFER TO THE AFFORDABLE TRUST, THAT WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE 30 B PROCESS.
BUT IN THE BACK, IF WE WERE TO CONSTRUCT AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE, THAT WOULD BE AN ARTICLE 97 DISPOSITION THAT WOULD REQUIRE A, UM, A REPLACEMENT OF OPEN SPACE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY.
IS THAT RIGHT? UM, THROUGH MAYOR SIDIKI.
SO, UM, CLOSE, SO THE, THE NUANCE IS THAT THE ARTICLE 97 WOULD BASICALLY ALLOW YOU TO SWAP THE PARKING LOT SPACE FOR THE SPACE THAT'S IN THE BACK.
SO IT'S NOT COMING UP WITH OPEN SPACE IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE CITY, IT'S RECONFIGURING THE EXISTING PARK.
SO WHAT IS NOW THE PARKING LOT WOULD BECOME PART OF THE PARK AND THEN THE PARCEL AND THE BACK WOULD BE COMBINED WITH THE NEW SCHOOL, WITH THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND SO YOU WOULD HAVE A NEW PARCEL AND THEN YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE DISPOSITION PARCEL PROCESS WITH THAT NEW PARCEL.
BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT SWAP OF LAND, YOU WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH THE ARTICLE 97 PROCESS.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO DO BOTH ARTICLE 97 PLUS CHAPTER 30 B REQUIRING A HOME RULE PETITION TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO DO ALL OF IT, RIGHT? YES.
UNLESS IT GOES TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST, IN WHICH CASE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THOSE OTHERS PROCESSES, YOU JUST HAVE TO VOTE TO SEND IT TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE DISPOSITION PROCESS.
BUT DON'T I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO DO THE ARTICLE 97 BECAUSE YEP.
YOU'D HAVE TO DO THE ARTICLE 97 AND THEN YOU WOULD RECONFIGURE AND YOU WOULD HAVE A NEW PARK PARCEL AND A NEW DEVELOPMENT PARCEL BUILDING PARCEL, AND THEN YOU WOULD GO THROUGH WHATEVER DIS YOU WOULD GO THROUGH A VOTE TO THEN SEND IT TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST.
AND SO, UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T, THAT COMPLICATED PROCESS WOULD, UM, WELL I'LL STRIKE THAT FOR A SECOND.
LEMME JUST SAY YOU DO NOT, YOU WOULD NOT NEED TO GO THROUGH ARTICLE 97 PROCESS TO EITHER SELL OR LEASE THE PARCEL IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
SO TO BE THAT, THAT IS I THINK THE POINT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
AND AS FAR AS 180 5 LODGE, THE SAME RULES APPLY TO 180 5 LODGE IF THROUGH A DISPOSITION WITH A CONTEMPLATED, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT THERE, SINCE IT'S OPEN SPACE, IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE UM, 30 B TRANSFER.
IT'D HAVE TO BE ARTICLE 92ND NINE, SEVEN, UH, THREE.
AND I, MEGAN PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, THE, THE BB AND N LOCATION, THE LARGE ROAD IS NOT DEDICATED OPEN SPACE.
IT IS NOT IT, IT WAS NOT BOUGHT FOR OPEN SPACE USE.
SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PARK SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT SPECIFICALLY FOR OPEN SPACE USE.
BUT I CITY SOLICITOR MAY HAVE SOME CLARIFYING, UH, THREE YOU MADAM MAYOR, I JUST TO AGREE WITH, UH,
[00:45:01]
DEPUTY WATKINS, WHEN, WHEN THE CITY ACQUIRED 180 5 LARCH, THE CITY WAS CAREFUL TO ACQUIRE IT FOR GENERAL MUNICIPAL PURPOSES.UM, SO IT, THE CITY HAS NOT CONSTRAINED ITSELF TO ONLY USING IT FOR OPEN SPACE.
AND SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF IT FOR OTHER PURPOSES WITHOUT GETTING THE LEGISLATURE APPROVAL.
UNDER ARTICLE 97, COUNCILOR, COUNCILOR 30, DID I EXHAUST MY TWO QUESTIONS? YOU DID.
ONE WAS A VERY LONG QUESTION, BUT
UH, PLEASE, I ONLY HAD ONE QUESTION.
WELL, I'VE GOT MORE THAN TWO, BUT, UM, I LIKE THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC TOO AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT, UM, CONTINUE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.
I YIELD
WELL, I LIKE 25 LOWELL AS THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN THE CAMBRIDGE ART ASSOCIATION TOO.
AND I THINK IN THIS SLIDE WE LIST, UH, COMMUNITY GOALS, WHICH INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING THREE OF THESE SPACES AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VAIL COURT, WHERE I HOPE WE CAN GET A LITTLE SLICE FROM THE INTERCONTINENTAL UH, PARKING LOT TO MAKE IT LARGER SO WE COULD REALLY BUILD BIG THERE.
MEGAN, CAN YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN? AND THEN, UH, 33 WEBSTER, THAT'LL BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING 185 L STREET WILL BE OPEN SPACE AND HOPEFULLY, UM, UH, SOCIAL HOUSING.
AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL SEEN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REPORT, THE FIVE YEAR REPORT RELEASED RECENTLY.
YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST HAS CREATED OR HAS PRESERVED 900 UNITS AND THEY HAVE A THOUSAND UNITS IN THE HOPPER.
SO I, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE IT TO WEST CAMBRIDGE HERE AND TURN THEIR BEAUTIFUL CULTURAL SPACE INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I, I THINK WE CAN, CULTURAL SPACES SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY GOALS.
UM, NOT JUST AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT CURRENTLY ISN'T A VERY SUCCESSFUL NINE, UH, NONPROFIT SPACE WITH OVER 700 MUSIC STUDENTS, WITH SCHOLARSHIPS, WITH PROGRAMS FOR THE ELDERLY, WITH PROGRAMS FOR THE DISABLED.
UM, WE DO NEED PUBLIC PARKING AS A COMMUNITY BENEFITS SOMETIMES, AND WE NEED OPEN SPACE.
BUT CULTURAL SPACE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDED AS A COMMUNITY GOAL.
AND I THINK IN THE, IN THE CITY'S INVENTORY OF CULTURAL SPACES WE OWN, WELL ACTUALLY WE DON'T OWN THE MAUD MORGAN ART CENTER.
THE COMMUNITY ART CENTER ISN'T OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT RIGHT.
UM, THE FOUNDRY IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
THE MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THIS SPACE.
SO I IT'S NOT OWNED BY THE CITY.
WHAT THE MULTI THE SPACE THAT'S THE MULTI ARTS CULTURAL CENTER THAT IS NOT CITY OWNED.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD FOR ME TO KNOW.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM THE ARTS.
I FEEL PROFOUNDLY THAT THE ARTS ARE THE HIGHEST EXPRESSION OF CREATIVITY AND OUR HUMANITY.
AND I, I THINK ESPECIALLY IN THIS, UM, CRAZY, CRAZY WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, WE REALLY NEED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-EXPRESSION.
AND WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE THEM IN LIKE EVERY OTHER, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY SHOULD BE AROUND THE CITY.
WE NEED TO HAVE PLACES TO SLEEP, WE NEED FOOD TO EAT AND WE NEED NATURE AND THE ARTS TO FEED OUR SOULS.
SO I THINK CULTURAL SPACES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY GOAL.
UM, MY QUESTIONS, UM, UH, DEPUTY ASSISTANT MANAGER WATKINS.
SO NOW WE'LL HAVE, SO WE'RE LEASING FOUR ACRES AT, UM, IN THE L LIFE QUAD FOR DPW AND YOU'LL SOON HAVE 10 ACRES.
UM, I'M WONDERING, IS THAT ENOUGH? AND THEN I ALSO WONDER IN THE SAME WAY YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WITH CITY STAFF, HAVING THEM ALL OVER THE CITY ISN'T VERY EFFICIENT.
LIKE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT DPW BEING ALL OVER THE CITY AND THAT NOT BEING EFFICIENT IS, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN CONSOLIDATE DPW SPACE? I WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO DO LAND SWAPS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT.
[00:50:01]
THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR DPW WOULD END UP BEING A TOTAL OF SIX ACRES.SO IT'S THE FOUR ACRES WE CURRENTLY CONTROL AND THEN THE LEASE SPACE WOULD GO AWAY.
AND THEN, SO THAT IS NOT A PERMANENT LEASE SPACE, SO THAT IS VERY TEMPORARY.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD END UP WITH TWO ADDITIONAL ACRES FROM THE MOONEY STREET WITH HEALTH PEAKS AND THEN THE SHERMAN, ULTIMATELY THE SHERMAN STREET PARCEL.
SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF SIX ACRES.
AND I WOULD SAY IT'S FAIRLY TIGHT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GIVE, IF WE HAD MORE SPACE, WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK FOR MORE SPACE.
BUT, UM, AND I THINK THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CO-LOCATING IS REALLY CHALLENGING.
UM, THERE IS NOWHERE IN THE CITY THAT WE ARE GONNA GET EIGHT ACRES, SIX ACRES, OR YOU KNOW, MORE, UM, TO LOCATE A NEW DPW.
SO, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT PARCELS.
IT HAS BEEN HARD TO SORT OF KEEP UP WITH THE MARKET.
UM, AND SO WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GOOD PLAN IN TERMS OF REALLY HAVING SPACE WHERE TEAMS CAN BE TOGETHER LIKE PARKS AND FORESTRY TOGETHER MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THE MAIN SORT OF BUILDING OF DPW BEING IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY.
UM, AND SO I THINK THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TRADE OFFS THERE, BUT THERE IS NOT, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYWHERE IN THE CITY WHERE WE'RE GONNA FIND SIX ACRES TO LOCATE A DPW.
SO I THINK GIVEN THAT THIS IS A REALLY STRONG PLAN FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
WELL, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS GONNA GET MORE SPACE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT YOU HAVE IT.
UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF, HAS EVERYONE HERE BEEN IN 25 LOWELL STREET? RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THAT BUILDING.
'CAUSE IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THAT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THE CEILINGS ARE VERY HIGH.
SO I ALSO JUST DON'T THINK THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IS, IS AN EFFICIENT USE OF THAT SPACE.
I FEEL LIKE YOU WALK IN, IT'S, UM, IT REALLY IS A GREAT PUBLIC, IT, IT SHOULD BE A PUBLIC, I KNOW PUBLIC HOUSING IS PUBLIC, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SORT OF PUBLIC, IT'S PRIVATE IN A WAY.
I FEEL LIKE IT, UH, IT REALLY SERVES THE FUNCTION THAT IT CURRENTLY, UM, HOUSES.
AND I AM AWARE THAT THE NEW SCHOOL WOULDN'T AUTOMATICALLY GET TO STAY THERE, BUT I, I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT THEY WILL, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S AN INCREDIBLE USE FOR THAT SPECIFIC SPACE.
UM, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL YIELD.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, FIRST I JUST, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
UM, I, I, AS I WAS LISTENING TO ALL THIS, I WAS THINKING OF, UM, AND I SORT OF WANT TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ALSO, YOU KNOW, INTO THIS THAT, UM, THIS IS LIKE A REALLY CRAZY PUZZLE, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE THOSE, THOSE OLD PLASTIC GAMES WITH THE TILES INSIDE AND THE OPEN SPACE AND YOU'RE MOVING 'EM ALL AROUND AND WHEREVER YOU MOVE 'EM, THEY FALL SOMEWHERE ELSE, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THE NEEDS OF A MAJOR CITY TRYING TO DO IT WITHIN SIX SQUARE MILES.
SO WE NEED DPW SPACE, WE NEED HOUSING, WE NEED OPEN SPACE, WE NEED CULTURAL SPACE, WE NEED SCHOOLS, WE NEED CITY BUILDINGS, ALL OF THAT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT IN A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF SPACE IN A CITY THAT IS PRETTY BUILT OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE OUT WHAT HARVARD OWNS AND MIT OWNS AND FRESH POND AND DANEE PARK AND CAMBRIDGE COMMON AND ALL THE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS WE ALREADY HAVE.
YOU'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO PIECE ALL THIS TOGETHER.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I CAN DO THIS AND I THINK THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES AS PEOPLE GET THEIR TUNNEL VISION ON THEIR CAUSE, RIGHT? I'M THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GUY, I WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING EVERYWHERE.
OR, YOU KNOW, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, NEW SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR, FOR US.
I WANT THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN REALLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THINK OF HOW TO SOLVE ALL OF THOSE PROBLEMS. SO I HOPE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE CAN STAND IN THE SHOES OF, OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT ALSO INVITING THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STAND IN THE SHOES OF THE CITY AND REALIZING THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WE HAVE TO BALANCE AND THEY'RE ALL VALID AND THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT TO SOMEBODY.
UM, SO I I THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO PIECE ALL THAT TOGETHER.
UM, MY TWO QUESTIONS, I'M JUST GONNA ASK A QUICK QUESTION ON WEBSTER AVE.
THAT LITTLE, THAT LITTLE SECTION THAT'S TECHNICALLY IN SOMERVILLE, I'M SURE IF WE ASKED NICELY, THEY WOULD GIVE THAT TO US, RIGHT?
WE'RE JUST CLARIFYING THAT WE OWN A PIECE OF PARCEL THAT IS LOCATED IN SOMERVILLE.
THE GREEN LINE SHOWS WHAT WE OWN.
[00:55:01]
NOT MUCH USE FOR THEM.IT'S SO SMALL, BUT IT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE SCALE THINGS.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE, UH, WALL STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SORT OF WHERE, UM, THE VICE MAYOR IS IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'D BE TALKING 20 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH AGAIN, EVERY UNIT, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY IT A MILLION TIMES, 20 UNITS MAY NOT BE A HUGE NUMBER TO THE OVERALL NUMBER THAT WE NEED, BUT 20 UNITS TO THOSE 20 FAMILIES IS SIGNIFICANT.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK WE CAN SORT OF MAKE SOME OF THAT UP IN OTHER PLACES.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT A HUGE ENOUGH NUMBER THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY IF YOU WENT UP A STORY OR TWO ON LARGE ROAD WHEN WE GET THERE.
THAT YOU COULD MAKE UP THOSE 20 UNITS IN, IN, IN ANOTHER LOCATION.
UM, IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTO, INTO WEST CAMBRIDGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE BB AND N FIELD, RIGHT? WHICH WOULD, WOULD ADD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS INTO WEST CAMBRIDGE.
AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT, AND IT'S NOT GUARANTEED YET, BUT I ASSUME WHATEVER IS GONNA GO INTO, UM, I SHOULD KNOW THE ADDRESS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UM, TO MOUNT AUBURN STREET TO THE CONDOS 2 21, 2 21
UM, I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT WHATEVER'S GONNA GO IN THERE IS GONNA BE TALLER THAN SIX STORIES.
I MEAN, THE FINANCES WON'T WORK.
I OTHERWISE YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT A, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANNA THROW OUT A NUMBER AND GET PEOPLE ALL FREAKED OUT.
BUT YOU, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A TALL BUILDING, WHICH WOULD ALSO THEN INCLUDE AFFORD, UH, INCLUSIONARY UNITS AND SUBSIDIZED UNITS AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE ALL AFFORDABLE IF SOMEBODY FROM BOUGHT IT UNDER THE A HO.
SO WE'RE GONNA SEE INCREASES IN AFFORDABLE UNITS IN WEST CAMBRIDGE JUST ON THOSE TWO SITES IN AND OF THEMSELVES.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE 20 AT LOWELL STREET NECESSARILY IS WORTH THAT TRADE OFF.
UM, SORRY, HOLD ON DOWN A MINUTE.
UM, COULD WE, IN TERMS OF THE PARK SPACE AT, AT, AT, UM, AT 25, LOWELL, YOU, YOU, YOU SAID THAT THERE'S NOT A, UM, THERE'S NOT A WAY TO GET IN FROM, FROM MOUNT AUBURN.
AND I, I REMEMBER, 'CAUSE I USED TO PLAY AT THE BASKETBALL COURT RIGHT THERE, UM, OR HALF COURT.
UM, IS THAT, COULD WE CREATE ONE THERE? I MEAN, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'D HAVE TO, LIKE, THAT'S SEEMS TO BE AN EASY FIX, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE COMMUNITY DESIGN PROCESS WHEN THE, THOSE RENOVATIONS WERE DONE, I THINK IN 2010.
UM, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST SORT OF OPENING UP THE FENCE.
I'D SAY WHEN THERE ARE RENOVATIONS DONE, WE COULD DO IT.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PATH OF TRAVEL.
'CAUSE IT THEN OPENS UP RIGHT INTO THE BASKETBALL COURTS.
BUT CERTAINLY YOU COULD ADD, UM, A CONNECTION ON MOUNT AUBURN STREET.
SO, SO THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO KEEP THE, AND, AND AGAIN, IF WE, I'M HESITANT TO SELL CITY PROPERTY.
I MEAN, ONCE YOU SELL IT, YOU DON'T GET IT BACK.
AND 50 YEARS FROM NOW, MAYBE THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC ISN'T THERE AND THERE'S A NEED FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND ONCE IT'S GONE, WE DON'T OWN IT ANYMORE.
SO I AM A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT SELLING CITY ASSETS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE OPTION THREE WOULD COME IN, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT THE, THE CITY DOESN'T LOVE THAT OPTION.
UM, BUT EVEN IF WE DID, I MEAN, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THE NEW SCHOOL WOULD, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD GET THAT PROPERTY.
UM, BUT ASSUMING THEY DID, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A WAY TO KEEP THEM THERE, CREATE SOME MORE O PUBLIC OPEN SPACE ON THAT LOT, AND THEN MAKE THOSE 20 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE WOULD BE LOSING OR NOT GETTING, UM, ON NEW, ON LOWELL STREET SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, THE ONE CLARIFICATION IS, I I WOULD SAY WE WOULDN'T DO A PARK ON THAT LOT.
SO WE COULD KEEP THE PARK IN ITS CURRENT SHAPE, RIGHT? AND THEN ADD IN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHEN THERE'S RENOVATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE PARK, ADD IN A CONNECTION FROM MOUNT AUBURN STREET, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN, UM, THAT WAS DONE, 2010 PEOPLE DID NOT WANNA SEE THAT.
AND SO I THINK WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT MOMENT SUCH THAT WHEN WE DID RENOVATIONS TO THE PARK, WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK FOR AN ACCESS POINT.
AND A REALLY, A MUCH MORE CELEBRATED ACCESS POINT FROM MOUNT AUBURN STREET.
YEAH, I SHOULD'VE SAID ACCESS POINT.
I'LL YIELD FOR NOW, MADAM MAYOR.
SO I, UM, BEFORE WE GO TO YOU COUNSELOR, UM, NOLAN, I WANTED TO GO TO COUNSELOR ZUBI ON THE ZOOM THANK YOU.
UH, JUST WANNA ALSO REITERATE, UH, LOTS OF GRATITUDE FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
[01:00:01]
FIRST IS, UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT OUR CURRENTLY, OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN USE IS, HAS A PRETTY LARGE WAIT LIST.WE HAVE ABOUT 400 GARDENERS AND ABOUT FIVE 20 ON A WAIT LIST.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY FOR US TO EXPLORE COMMUNITY GARDEN USE, UM, ON ANY OF THESE SITES OR POTENTIALLY ON ONES THAT YOU'LL BE SHOWING US LATER? UH, JUST TO CONSIDER PIECES LIKE URBAN, A AGRICULTURE, OPEN ACCESS IN GREEN SPACE, BEING IN LINE WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND, UH, PUSHING TOWARDS BETTER FOOD ACCESS FOR OUR CITY.
AND MELISSA, IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS.
I MEAN, UM, I THINK CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE RENOVATING PARKS THAT IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IT'S LOOKED AT AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE USE DIFFERENT OPEN SPACES.
I THINK CERTAINLY, UM, THE 180 5 LARGE WHERE WE'RE SORT OF TALKING ABOUT IS THERE A MODEL THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HOUSING THAT ALSO HAS OPEN SPACE THAT REALLY SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT'D BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF OPEN SPACE THAN WHAT'S THERE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT PROCESS WENT, THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A LOCATION THAT COULD MAKE SENSE TO ADD IN AS PART OF AN OVERALL PARK DESIGN TO ADD IN COMMUNITY GARDEN SPACE.
YEAH, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY PROCESS AND WORK IN WAYS TO DO THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT SEEMS THAT THEY'RE FOCUSED TO THE CENTRAL SQUARE, UH, AND PORT AREA AS WELL AS LIKE THE NORTH CAMBRIDGE AREA.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR NOW IS RELATED TO 25 LOWELL.
IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO NAVIGATE TRADE-OFFS WITH OPEN SPACE? I KNOW IT MIGHT NOT BE FAVORABLE, UM, BUT COULD THERE BE A WAY TO TAKE MORE OF THE OPEN SPACE SO THAT WE CAN CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND KEEP THE LOW, THE SCHOOLHOUSE? UM, THREE MAYOR SADIKI, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, SO THE WAY THE OPEN SPACE WORKS, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS PROTECTED OPEN SPACE.
AND SO IF YOU ANY SORT OF CHANGE IN USE, YOU HAVE TO OFFSET THAT WITH ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS SORT OF SWAP WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THE PA YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARKING LOT BECOME OPEN SPACE IN THE AREA IN THE REAR FOR HOUSING.
UM, IF YOU MADE MORE OF THE SPACE FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE LAND SPACE AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO OFFSET THAT.
AND SO I WOULD NOT SEE THAT AS BEING WELL SUPPORTED BY THE STATE.
THEY REALLY WANT, YOU NEED TO SHOW SORT OF THAT MAKEUP SPACE.
UM, AND THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE ROUNDS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, AS CLOSE TO THE AREA THAT'S IMPACTED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, UH, AS I RECOGNIZE SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUES, I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF APPRECIATION CULTURALLY FOR WHAT THE WORK THAT THEY, THEY'RE DOING, UH, HAS AND RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS A GREAT SITE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THE HEALTHCARE ACCESS, UH, OPEN SPACE ACCESS, UH, TRANSIT.
I ALSO JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS A SITE PROPOSED FOR SOCIAL HOUSING AND ESPECIALLY SOMEONE WHO ADVOCATES TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THE DECOMMODIFICATION OF HOUSING AND TREATING IT AS A HUMAN RIGHT.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT, UH, 180 5 LARGE ROAD IS, IS ON THERE AS A POSSIBLE SITE AND WOULD LOVE, UH, TO CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THESE CONVERSATIONS RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY PROCESS AT EACH STATE STAGE IN WHAT, UM, BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, AS WELL AS, UH, ECHOING WHAT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID ON, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY MAINTAINING LONG-TERM OWNERSHIP OF ALL OUR LAND.
UH, THAT WAY IT CONTINUE, IT CAN CONTINUE TO BE USED TOWARDS PUBLIC GOOD.
I WILL, UM, LOTS OF KUDOS FOR ADDRESSING THIS AND NOT JUST THESE SIX SLOTS, BUT WE HAVE MORE LOTS COMING IN THE REST OF THE YEAR AND THERE'S STILL CENTRAL SQUARE PARKING LOTS THAT WE STARTED TO DISCUSS.
SO THE CITY ACTUALLY HAS A RANGE OF OF WORK TO DO.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T TAKE IT ON ALL AT ONCE, BUT WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS TO DO IT IN THE CONTEXT OF A PORTFOLIO AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ALL BEING DONE, UM, WITH IT, WITH THAT IN MIND, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
I WILL NOTE ON DPW SPACE NEEDS, WE, WE, WE COULD HAVE FOUR ACRES ALL IN ONE PLACE, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE HAVING 180 5 LARGE ROAD BE FOUR ACRES OF LAND FOR DPW, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED THAT'S NOT BEING CONSIDERED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE WHOLE CITY, WE REALLY DO OWE IT TO OURSELVES, AS COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID, TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, ON VAIL COURT AS, UH, OTHERS ARE TOTALLY THRILLED THAT THIS IS FINALLY MOVING FORWARD.
IT ALSO SHOWS FOR ALL OF US WHO SAY, JUST TAKE SOMETHING BY EMINENT DOMAIN IF IT'S NOT FRIENDLY TAKING, WHICH THE 180 5 LARCH ROAD WAS A FRIENDLY TAKING BY EMINENT DOMAIN.
[01:05:01]
QUICKLY.FAIL COURT WAS NOT A FRIENDLY TAKING.
AND I SHUDDER TO THINK HOW MANY HOURS OF OUR STAFF TIME ON LEGAL, NOT TO MENTION SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE DEPOSED FOR HOURS AND HOURS.
SO JUST TO REMIND ALL OF US, THAT IS A REALLY CHALLENGING THING.
BUT I WILL SAY ON VAIL COURT, MY RESPONSE WAS, LOOK AT THAT BIG EMPTY PARKING LOT RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
AND WHY CAN'T THE CITY SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT MAYBE THROUGH A FRIENDLY SOMETHING OR OTHER WITH THAT, UH, WHO OWNS THAT PROPERTY, WHICH IS EMPTY ALMOST ALL THE TIME.
SO I REALLY HOPE THAT WE THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL ON, UM, UH, THE ON 180 5 LARGE ROAD.
I HOPE AS WE CONSIDER THIS, THAT ONE OF THE USES, UH, I LIKE THE IDEA OF URBAN AR AGRICULTURE.
I ALSO, THIS CITY SO DESPERATELY NEEDS A SWAP SHOP.
SO DESPERATELY NEEDS A SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO IN AND DONATE HOUSEHOLD GOODS OR CLOTHES OR SOMETHING, WHICH SO MANY OTHER CITIES IN THE STATE NEED.
IS THAT, SO THROUGH YOU
IT'S PART OF THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN, UH, CONCEPT FOR THE FUTURE.
IS THAT THE KIND OF THING THAT, AND WHEN IN THE PROCESS WOULD THAT, SHOULD THAT BE PUT ON THE TABLE AS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UM, THROUGH MAYOR? I MEAN, I THINK NOW IS HELPFUL.
'CAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET GOOD INPUT FROM CITY COUNCIL AS WE START TO REALLY ROLL OUT AND THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK MELISSA COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS YOU WOULD HAVE AROUND THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A POTENTIAL, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE TRADING OFF OPEN SPACE AND HOUSING AND THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK IT WOULD NEED TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE KIND OF PROCESS YOU WOULD GO THROUGH ON LARGE ROAD.
WELL, CERTAINLY WE'D WANT TO DO A BROAD COMMUNITY PROCESS HERE FROM, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND ALSO CITYWIDE SINCE IT'S A CITYWIDE, UH, ISSUE AS WELL ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE USE IS.
UM, I, I THINK IN CONTEXT OF THIS NEXT STEP FOR EXPLORING IT FOR SOCIAL HOUSING IS REALLY AT A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL AND JUST HAVING A SITE TO LOOK AT SOME, UM, PROFORMAS TO SEE HOW, UH, THE MODEL COULD WORK.
AND THAT COULD HELP INFORM, UH, THE CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT, HOW WE DEFINE SOCIAL HOUSING AND WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS OF IT THAT, UH, WE VALUE AS A COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK THAT EXERCISE WILL BE IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK AS WE THINK ABOUT, UM, AN ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT WILL REQUIRE MUCH MORE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND DESIGN CONVERSATIONS.
THANK, AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS, IN ADDITION TO THIS TOTALLY ACCEPTS SOCIAL HOUSING, MIXED INCOME HOUSING IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WANTING AND PROMOTING FOR, AND ADVOCATING FOR, FOR SINCE I STARTED ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO THIS IS JUST A PART OF THAT SITE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE FOUR ACRE SITE IS NOT SCHEDULED TO BE USED FOR ALL OF SOCIAL HOUSING.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS ON, UM, 25 LOWELL STREET.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED COMMUNITY ARTS BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
MY KIDS WENT TO THIS NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC, MY HUSBAND'S ON THE BOARD OF THE CAMBRIDGE ART ASSOCIATION.
AND WE KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT SCENARIO HAPPENS, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE EITHER OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE IT.
IT HAS TO GO THROUGH AN OPEN, TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
SO MY QUESTION IS ON, AND, AND I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HOUSING ON THAT SITE, AND I ALSO LOVE THE IDEA OF, UH, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE QUESTION IS, NO MATTER WHAT, AS THESE UNFOLD, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS, HOW IS IT THAT'S MENTIONED IN HERE THAT THE CITY WOULD WORK TO ENSURE THAT THE EXISTING NONPROFITS WOULD GET THE SUPPORT TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE.
AND AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, I THINK FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS, IT WOULD BE TERRIFIC TO HAVE, UM, A PLACE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL SQUARE OR HARVARD SQUARE, THAT IT WOULD BROADEN IT OUT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE MORE IN THE CENTER OF THINGS.
WHILE I LOVE THE SPACE, I'VE BEEN THERE A LOT, UM, AND HAVE FRIENDS WHO PLAY MUSIC THERE.
IT'S ALSO SOMETHING OFF THE BEATEN TRACK AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AT A STOREFRONT ON MASS AV, FOR INSTANCE, WHICH WOULD GET WAY MORE ARTISTS IF IT WAS AN ART GALLERY, JUST LIKE WE'VE SEEN WITH 5 41 MASS AVE AND WAY MORE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY, UM, AND WITHIN THE CITY.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS OF WHAT THAT PROMISE WOULD MEAN AND, AND HOW THAT WOULD UNFOLD.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE, EVEN IF IT IS EITHER OF THOSE A SALE OR A LEASE.
UM, AND AS WE KNOW, THIS CURRENT LEASE CAN'T CONTINUE.
$20,000 FOR A 5,800 SQUARE FOOT, UM, BUILDING IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT EVEN FOR A, FOR A NONPROFIT THAT THIS CITY COULD REASONABLY SUSTAIN, UM, GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST STARTED HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS WE'VE BEEN REALLY, YOU KNOW, CLEAR AND CONSISTENTLY COMMUNICATING AND ENGAGING WITH THE NONPROFITS TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND, AND AGAIN, CAN ENGAGE AND ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, WE'VE STARTED SETTING UP SOME LO
[01:10:01]
UM, SOME SITE VISITS TO LOOK AT OTHER POTENTIAL LOCATIONS.UM, IT IS REALLY CHALLENGING WITH THE MUSIC SCHOOL, UM, PARTICULARLY ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS EVOLVED AND WORKS REALLY WELL IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE SET UP A VISIT TO GO LOOK AT THE FOUNDRY SPACE TO SORT OF SAY LIKE, OH, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD WORK? AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WITH THE NUMBER OF PIANOS, THE NUMBER OF TYPES OF CLASSES THEY HAVE GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME, UM, THAT KIND OF SHARED SPACE DIDN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE AN OPTION.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE REALLY STILL, I, I DON'T HAVE THE PERFECT ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT REALLY CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS A SALE OPTION, UM, YOU KNOW, OF IF IT WAS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTION, YOU KNOW, WE'D TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THREE TO FIVE YEARS BEFORE THEY'D ACTUALLY LIKE, HAVE TO FIND A NEW HOME.
UM, IF THE DIRECTION IS DIFFERENT, AND I'M GETTING A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THAT TIMELINE AND PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO CONTINUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE CRA TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY SUPPORTS THERE.
SO I THINK WE'RE STILL REALLY EXPLORING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, HAVE SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY MUSIC AND ART AND IT DOESN'T WEATHER, AND IF IT DOESN'T END UP BEING IN THAT SITE, IT HAS TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, IT COULD BE A ANOTHER NONPROFIT THERE.
I'M NOT SAYING IT WOULDN'T BE THERE, BUT WE, WE, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE IT.
IN FACT, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE LEGALLY CAN'T GUARANTEE.
SO I JUST WANNA WANT US TO ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A POSSIBILITY AND THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE PLANNING FOR HOW IT IS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND ENSURE THAT WE SUPPORT THE ARTS, THAT WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY MUSIC, THAT WE SUPPORT A BROAD BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT DOES THE GREAT WORK THAT THE NEW SCHOOL AND CAMBRIDGE ART ASSOCIATION DOES.
AND THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS PARTICULAR SITE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA BE BE DOING SOME COMMUNITY PROCESS AND FOLLOWING SOME KIND OF OUR OWN RULES.
SO THOSE WERE, SINCE I'LL STOP AT TOO.
COUNCILOR SIMMONS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH OUR VERY COMPETENT, ABLE UNDERWORKED OVER UNDERPAID STAFF.
UH, HOW MANY MEETINGS HAS THIS BEEN TODAY? 12.
UH, BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE AGAIN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE SLIDES.
REALLY PLEASED TO SEE VAIL COURT GOING FORWARD AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED THROUGH EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
UH, UH, AND THEN SOME THERE SHOULD BE AWARD FOR IT, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HARD WORK, LONG TIME COMING.
I'M SURE YOU DON'T READ TEA LEAVES, BUT IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD KIND OF GET THE FEELING THAT WE HAVE SOME FEELINGS AND ISSUES AROUND NEW SCHOOL AND AND HOUSING.
AND SO I DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY REPEAT WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, BUT IT IS A HARD, UM, CHOICE TO MAKE AS THIS, THIS CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT DOUBT IS A PRO HOUSING COUNCIL.
BUT TO BE, IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE WE ARE BEING PUT, BEING PUT IN A PLACE OF CHOOSING BETWEEN ONE SOMETHING, ONE THING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO US, WHICH IS ARTS AND CULTURE.
SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO FIND A WAY, YOU KNOW, GO HOME, FIGURE IT OUT, COME BACK TOMORROW, UH, WITH AN ANSWER OF HOW WE CAN, IS IS THERE A BOTH AND OR IS THERE A ANOTHER LOCATION? UH, I WOULD, HAVING TALKED TO A NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE, AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT CAME OUT FROM THE NEW SCHOOL AND SPENT TIME WITH CITY COUNCILS INDIVIDUALLY AND AS GROUPS TO SHARE WHAT ASSET WE HAVE IS HOW DO WE KEEP THAT ASSET WITHOUT FORFEITING SOMETHING THAT WE FIND VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
I AM VERY ANXIOUS TO SEE SOMETHING MOVE A LITTLE BIT WITH MORE SPEED ON THAT AND WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, IS WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR DPW NEEDS? OR IS THIS JUST A STOP GAP? AND WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAKE SOME ACCU ACQUISITIONS DOWN THE ROAD, UM, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR.
SO ONE THING I WOULD JUST SAY ABOUT THE, UM, YOUR FIRST POINT ABOUT SORT OF, UM, WHICH ONE? VAIL? UH, NO, ABOUT YOUR MIDDLE POINT.
SO, UM, THE, AT 25 LOWELL STREET, I MEAN, I THINK, AND I THINK A COUPLE OTHER COUNSELORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THE DESIRE IS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT NONPROFIT USE THERE MM-HMM
UM, THEN I THINK IT'S SORT OF LOOKING AT, OKAY, LARGE ROAD AND HOW DO WE DO HOUSING THERE? SO I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY A MORE REALISTIC OPTION THAN TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS ON WHAT IS A PRETTY SMALL SITE AT LOWELL STREET.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SORT OF THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL THAT REALLY WE WANNA LOOK AT 25 LAUREL STREET, CONTINUE TO BE FOR NONPROFIT SPACE.
THEN I WOULD SAY THAT THE SORT OF THE HOUSING AND SORT OF, WE KNOW IT'S IN PRIORITY AND IN PRIORITY IN WEST CAMBRIDGE, THEN IT'S REALLY SORT OF SHIFTING SOME OF THAT ONTO
[01:15:01]
THE LARGE ROAD CONVERSATION.SO I THINK THERE IS A PATH FORWARD THERE THAT BOTH REPRESENTS SORT OF NONPROFIT USE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT NOT TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH ON TOO SMALLEST SITE.
I THINK THAT MAKES VERY GOOD SENSE.
NOW LARGE ROAD IS VERY INTERESTING NOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WENT, WHEN WE PURCHASED LARGE ROAD, THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY THANK YOU ABOUT PUTTING HOUSING THERE.
I THINK WE CAN GET TO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE BY WORKING ON THE EDGES, YOU KNOW, BUILDING MORE TOWARD FRESH POND, SOFTENING THE EDGES THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, IF WE WORK HARD ENOUGH, AND NOT TO SAY THAT YOU DON'T WORK HARD, MAYBE WE, WE CAN FIND SOME I WOULD CALL HAPPY MEDIUM.
OH, AND JUST IN TERMS OF PUBLIC WORKS, I MEAN, I THINK WE ARE REALLY, I MEAN, I THINK WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE SORT OF CAPITAL AND A NUMBER OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD AT CITY COUNCIL, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INVESTING IN THE SALT SHED, WHICH IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF OPERATIONS FOR US, RIGHT? WE'VE DONE SOME OFFICE IMPROVEMENTS AT, YOU KNOW, 1 47.
I THINK THERE'S ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THERE AT 1 47
UM, SO WE'VE DONE SOME BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME GARAGE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WITHIN THAT SPACE, SO, UM, I DON'T SEE US COMING BACK AND SAYING, WE NEED MORE SPACE FOR DPW.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST SORT OF CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THOSE EXISTING FACILITIES.
SO LASTLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, AND I JUST WANNA BRING IT BACK TO THE TABLE AS WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING IN GENERAL, UM, AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ASSETS, PARTICULARLY WHERE WE'RE THINK CONSIDERING HOUSING, I WANNA BRING BACK TO THE TABLE THE LGBT FRIENDLY HOUSING.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR 25, 35, 45 CHERRY, I'LL KNOW WHAT THE ADDRESS IS, SO I GIVE YOU ALL THREE.
UH, AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND WE WORKED HARD ON IT FOR A WHILE, AND THEN ALL THE, ALL THE AIR GOT SUCKED OUT THE ROOM AROUND IT, WE STOPPED TALKING ABOUT IT.
IT'S BACK ON THE TABLE, IT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPED FOR HOUSING, COULDN'T BE MORE POLICE.
BUT I DON'T WANNA ABANDON THE CONVERSATION AROUND LGBT FRIENDLY HOUSING.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW BOSTON GOT AHEAD OF US.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THAT THOUGHT, BUT I WOULD LOVE US FOR US TO AT LEAST THINK ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING HOUSING AND, UM, AND WHERE A SHE GO AND WHAT ASSETS THAT WE HAD THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED INTO HOUSING, I WOULD LOVE LGBT FRIENDLY HOUSING TO BE ONE OF THOSE.
AND ALSO LOOKING AT OUR CITY NEEDS IN TERMS OF OFFICE SPACE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, A CONVERSATION WE HAVE ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW A NUMBER OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ARE TALKING AROUND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO STAR STORE THE HISTORICAL RECORDS BECAUSE WE RIGHT NOW PAY TO HAVE THEM OFF SITE, AND THAT'S A COST TO US.
SO I, I JUST WANNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE KIND OF PUT THAT ON YOUR, YOUR PLATE OF THINGS TO, TO CONSIDER.
MADAME CHAIR, I YIELD THE FLOOR.
WELCOME TO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
THANKS, MADAM HERE THROUGH YOU.
I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, ON THE PRESENTATION AND THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND, AND TAKING THE TIME TO WALK THROUGH THIS AND TALK ABOUT IT.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS ONE LOT AND, AND WHAT'S THE UPDATE HERE.
SORT OF THINK ABOUT IT HOLISTICALLY IS HELPFUL.
UM, THE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS I HAD WERE, UM, ON 1 39 BISHOP ALLEN, UH, THE VAIL COURT LOT.
IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON HOW PROCESS FOR HOW THAT MIGHT BECOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND I THINK YOU SAID THAT WOULD INCLUDE AN RFQ.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, WHAT THAT, THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
MY UNDERSTANDING RFQ, YOU, YOU SORT OF ASK, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS, WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH THIS SITE AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE COME BACK AND SAY AND SEE IF THEY SAY WE COULD DO 12 STORIES AND 10 STORIES AND, AND GET THAT INFORMATION.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT PROCESS RIGHT FOR WHAT, WHAT THAT'LL LOOK LIKE AND WHO THAT'LL GO OUT TO AND, AND WHAT WE EXPECT THOSE, THOSE RESPONSES TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, IS THAT THE SAME PROCESS WE'RE PROPOSING FOR 3 33 WEB WEBSTER AFTER IT'S DONE BEING DPW, UH, PROPERTY? OR WOULD THAT NOT BE AN RFQ PROCESS? WOULD THAT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT? UM, IF YOU COULD SPEAK ON THOSE TWO SURE.
UH, SO WE WOULD DRAFT AN RFQ REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS THAT WOULD, UH, SEEK FOR A DEVELOPER THAT WILL DO A HUNDRED PERCENT ALL AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT COULD BE ONE OF OUR, UH, NON-PROFIT DEVELOPERS OR FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPER, BUT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THEIR, UH, EXPERIENCE AND, AND BUILDING AT THAT SCALE AND, AND, AND OPERATING, UH, THAT HOUSING.
UM, IT'D BE LOOKING AT THEIR, THEIR TEAMING QUALIFICATIONS, THE DIVERSITY OF THEIR TEAM EXPERIENCE AND, AND SERVING THAT POPULATION.
UM, AND WE OFTENTIMES IT WILL INCLUDE A PROPOSAL OF, UH, WHAT THE PROJECT, UH, WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, UNDER, UM, THE CURRENT ZONING.
IN THIS CASE IT'D BE UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THEM TO BUILD TO.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS AROUND, UM, RETAINING CITY OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND AND JUST, UH, CONFIRMING FOR THESE SIX SITES, THAT WAS THE CASE.
I GUESS THERE WAS ONE OPTION FOR 25 LOWELL STREET THAT WAS SELLING
[01:20:01]
THE PARCEL, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE IS NOT THE CITY'S PREFERRED OPTION.AND THEN FOR THE OTHER FIVE IN ALL THESE SCENARIOS WHERE WE'D BE RETAINING CITY OWNERSHIP OR IS THERE SOME PROPOSAL TO, TO HAVE IT NOT BE CITY OWNED ANYMORE IN THE THE OTHER FIVE? SO TYPICALLY, UM, WHEN WE TRANSFER TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST AND, AND CONVEY TO THE, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IT IS, UM, UH, A TRANSFER TO THE, THE NEW OWNER, BUT THERE'S A DEED RESTRICTION THAT IT'D BE, UM, A HUNDRED, UH, AFFORDABLE IN PERPETUITY.
UM, SO IN THAT CASE, UH, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER, UH, UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY IF NEEDED, UM, WOULD BE ABLE, WOULD BE OPERATING, UH, THE BUILDING IN THE LONG TERM AND HAVE THAT LIABILITY.
AND YEAH, I THINK A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ORAL HOUSING IS A CASE.
I THINK RETAINING CITY OWNERSHIP VERY IMPORTANT AND AS MUCH AS WE, WE CAN, UM, FOR PIECES.
UM, SO HELPFUL TO THINK THROUGH THAT.
UM, THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
AND THEN, UM, JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, SORT OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT, THAT COUNSELORS HAVE TOUCHED ON, ON THE, YOU KNOW, POINT OF ON, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL AND, AND NONPROFIT SPACES THAT COUNCILOR ZUI, UH, RAISED.
I, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH AGREE WITH THAT POINT.
UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT ON IT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I USED TO TO WORK AT A NONPROFIT BEFORE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, UH, LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF LAND POLICY THAT WAS IN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT BENEFITS, UH, OF THOSE CULTURAL RESOURCES IN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
I THINK OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE I WAS AT, WE WERE TOTALLY SURROUNDED BY 'EM, YOU KNOW, LESLIE UNIVERSITY ON ONE SIDE, THE LONGFELLOW HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE LONG EAST SCHOOL ON ANOTHER, UH, MOUNT AUBURN, BB AND NA LOT OF GREAT, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL, UH, NONPROFIT SPACES AND, AND WEST CAMBRIDGE.
AND, UH, A NUMBER OF OTHER GREAT BENEFITS, I THINK IN WEST CAMBRIDGE AS WELL, INCLUDING MORE, MORE SO THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, TREE CANOPY, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENTLY SHOWS.
WEST CAMBRIDGE, I THINK HAS THE HIGHEST, UH, PIECE OF PARTS OF IT, HIGHEST OPEN SPACE, UH, OF ANY PART OF THE CITY.
UH, MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL, OBVIOUSLY SORT OF RURAL, WELL SERVED BY THESE, UH, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND NONPROFIT SPACES, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDER SO MUCH.
I THINK ONE OF THE, THE POINTS TO FRAME HERE, I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT IT, IT HAS LESS OF THAN OTHER, OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, UH, JUST THE NAME IT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, AND MY CONCEPTION, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS IS, IS NOT A BURDEN, IT'S A BENEFIT, IT'S A RESOURCE.
AND WE'VE BEEN SORT OF UNDERSERVING WEST CAMBRIDGE WITH THIS BENEFIT.
UM, AND DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN SO MANY RESOURCES WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO NORTH CAMBRIDGE, TO EAST CAMBRIDGE, TO CAMBRIDGEPORT WHERE I LIVE.
AND WE'VE BEEN SORT OF NEGLECTING WEST CAMBRIDGE AND NOT PROVIDING IT WITH THE SAME ATTENTION WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPORTANT BENEFIT AND JUST DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, FAIR TO SORT OF BE DOING DISSERVICE TO ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR AND WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR, FOR WEST CAMBRIDGE HERE.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS OTHER FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED, WANNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NEW SCHOOL, UH, OF MUSIC, THIS GREAT INSTITUTION.
UM, ALSO WANT TO BE SUPPORTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SORT OF REJECTING THE, THE BINARY THAT IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER, SUPPORTING AN INSTITUTION OR PUTTING A BURDEN OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THESE ARE BOTH RESOURCES WE WANT TO HAVE BOTH THERE.
AND IT'S, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A YES AND APPROACH.
WE CAN HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS INSTITUTION AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HERE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, NOTE, REALLY EXCITED TO SEE SOCIAL HOUSING SHOUTED OUT HERE FOR THE 180 5 LARGE SITE IN PARTICULAR.
UM, EXCITED FOR THE TASK FORCE THAT'S COMING.
GREAT TO SEE IT NAMED AND INCORPORATED.
LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO THE REPORT BACK, UH, COMING FROM CITY STAFF WAS JUST TALKING WITH, UH, CDD FOLKS ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING.
UM, AND GOOD TO SEE IT, IT NAMED IN THIS PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL.
SO, UH, I YIELD BACK
WHAT WAS THE, THE LAST THING YOU SAID, WHICH BUILDING? UH, 180 5 LARCH WAS SOCIAL HOUSING.
I'M GONNA BE REALLY BRIEF 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS.
UH, ON PAGE, UM, FIVE WHEN YOU LIST OUT, UM, NEAR TERM AND OTHER CITY OWNED PROPERTY, CAN WE ASK, UM, BRENDAN MONROE TO ALSO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH JUST, UM, THESE PROPERTIES LISTED OUT WITH THEIR, WHERE THEY ARE? UM, JUST BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I COULD COUNT THE DOTS, BUT I WOULD RATHER SEE A LIST.
UH, SO THAT WAS JUST A COMMENT.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK BASED ON KIND OF WHAT I'M HEARING, I THINK WHAT THE CITY'S LOOKING FOR IS SOME GUIDANCE ON 25 AROUND VARIOUS OPTIONS.
I DO THINK NUMBER THREE, CALLING OUT HOW MUCH CAPITAL WOULD BE INVOLVED, UH, 12 TO 15 MILLION.
UM, I IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT, INSIGNIFICANT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM MORE LIKELY TO THEN SAY, OKAY, TWO MAKES SENSE.
UM, IF THE WILL OF THE BODY IS THAT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M AT.
[01:25:01]
SABRINA WHEELER TOO IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF ADVOCACY AND I APPRECIATE IT AND I HEAR A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES AND YOU KNOW, AND AGREE.AND I THINK, UH, WITH, EVEN TOO, IF WE DO GO THAT ROUTE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS, UM, NET IT IS NOT GUARANTEED, RIGHT? AND SO, AND I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, BUT I JUST, UM, WE HAVE TO KIND OF JUST SAY THAT OVER AND OVER.
AND SO I DO THINK ON COUNCILLOR NOLAN'S POINT AND OTHERS' POINTS AROUND, UM, WHAT SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT, UM, WANTED TO GET THAT REALITY OUT THERE THAT THAT'S THERE.
UM, THE QUESTION AROUND THE CONTINUED EVALUATION FOR THE OTHER, UM, CITY PORTFOLIO, UM, LATE FALL 2026 IS THAT, UH, DEC LIKE NOVEMBER IS THAT IT WOULD, UH, THROUGH MAYOR, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY SORT SORT OF TOWARDS THE VERY END OF THE FALL.
I MEAN, JUST BE REALISTIC, LIKE, UM, AND I THINK THAT'S SORT OF GONNA COME BACK WITH LIKELY SORT OF A FRAMEWORK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S LIKE A SORT OF A FINAL, LIKE HERE'S OUR PLAN FOR MOVING 20 DIFFERENT CHESS PIECES, BUT TO REALLY LAY OUT THAT FRAMEWORK, LAY OUT THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPERATION MAINTENANCE COST, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AGAIN, TRYING TO REALLY TIE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS TO WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON THE BUDGET.
AND THEN I DID GET A QUESTION AROUND 1 0 5 WINDSOR STREET PAST COUNCILS HAVE TALKED ABOUT 1 0 5, YOU KNOW, A GOOD AMOUNT.
AND SO COULD YOU JUST SAY, UH, THE COUNCIL IN THE PAST DID, UH, APPROPRIATE, UM, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, BUT IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE, BUT, UM, COUNCIL APPROPRIATED FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AT 1 0 5 WINDSOR.
UM, THAT MONEY WAS APPROPRIATING FOR, TO SELL A BOND.
AND SO IT WAS NOT LIKE A FREE CASH APPROPRIATION WHERE THERE'S MONEY SORT OF SITTING THERE.
SO, UM, COUNCIL TOOK AN ACTION THAT, YOU KNOW, AUTHORIZED THE CITY TO SELL UP TO FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, BECAUSE THAT PROJECT HASN'T MOVED FORWARD.
THAT MONEY IS STILL, YOU KNOW, THAT APPROPRIATION IS STILL THERE.
WE HAVEN'T SOLD THE BONDS, NONE OF THAT MONEY'S BEEN SPENT ON ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, I DO THINK THAT SORT OF PICKING IT UP AGAIN, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER MOVING PIECES, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY HAVE SOME PRODUCT REALLY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS AND SORT OF, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE SORT OF ANXIOUS FOR THAT BUILDING AND IT'S ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS VACANT, IT MAKES SENSE TO MOVE, IT'S AT A KEY LOCATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT I DO THINK SORT OF HAVING THE CONVERSATION AS PART OF SOME OF THESE OTHER MOVES, I THINK WE CAN HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
I, I THINK I AGREE AND I THINK WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THIS RESPONSE, KIND OF ALSO REMINDING THE HISTORY, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR THAT IS IMPORTANT.
SO I SAW VICE MAYOR'S HAND UP, SO WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T, I THINK, UH, I'LL BE NICE AND DO ONE QUESTION, UM, BUT NOT TWO QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE A HALF AN HOUR LEFT.
WOULD THE VICE MAYOR YIELD TO COUNCILOR SIMMONS? UH, THANK YOU VERY QUICKLY.
UH, VEAL COURT INTERCONTINENTAL STILL OWES THE PARKING LOT.
THAT'S, HAVE WE HAD ANY CONVERSATION ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EMPTY PARKING LOT.
IT'S BEEN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT FOREVER.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, HAS, HAVE WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LETTING IT GO OR GIVING US A LITTLE BIT OF IT? JUST CURIOUS.
'CAUSE AND ACTUALLY THEY HAVE TWO PARKING LOTS, UM, EITHER SIDE OF WHATEVER THAT STREET IS PROSPECT.
I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING TO KNOW IF THERE'S SOME THERE, THERE.
UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY AS PART OF THE ONGOING ZONING DISCUSSION, UH, TALKING TO, UH, THE OWNERS WILL BE A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP IN UNDERSTANDING THE INTEREST.
UM, PART OF THE CHALLENGE WITH THOSE LOTS AND MOVING FORWARD WAS THEY WERE USING THAT PARKING AS A REQUIREMENT FOR PTDM ON OTHER SITES.
SO NOW THAT THAT NO LONGER EXISTS, THERE'S COULD BE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK THAT IN COMBINATION WITH, UM, UM, INCREASING, UH, DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY, UH, REALLY LENDS ITSELF TO HAVING, UH, MORE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OWNERS VICE.
UH, I JUST HAD ONE VERY QUICK QUESTION ABOUT ARTICLE 97 PROCESS.
UM, SO WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PRESERVE THE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME WE MENTIONED THAT THE BBNN FIELD WAS NOT DESIGNATED AS OPEN SPACE.
COULD WE DESIGNATE PART OF THAT AS OPEN SPACE AND USE THAT AS THE ADJUSTMENT FOR, UH, THE OTHER SITE? UM, SO WE'D HAVE TO WORK
[01:30:01]
THROUGH THE STATE WITH THAT.SO THE PREFERENCE HAS BEEN CLOSE.
AND SO, I MEAN, I CAN'T GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, BUT I MEAN GIVING THE SENSE, I'M HEARING FROM THE COUNCIL ABOUT WANTING TO PRESERVE THE USE OF THE MAIN BUILDING.
I THINK THOUGH IT'S SORT OF, AND I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS A DESIRE TO LIKE, OH, LET'S DO A LITTLE THIS AND A LITTLE OF THAT, BUT IT'S A PRETTY SMALL SITE.
EVEN IF YOU TOOK OVER MORE OF THE PARK, UM, I THINK THE, THE PREFERRED OPTION WOULD REALLY BE TO SAY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT, UM, FOR NONPROFIT SPACE AND THEN DO MORE HOUSING ON THE LARGE ROAD.
SO, AND BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY COMPLICATED PROCESS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UH, I WAS JUST GOING TO END OFF WITH SAYING THAT FOR THAT PROCESS, LIKE PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED.
LIKE OBVIOUSLY THE BIG QUESTION IS FOR OPTIONS TWO AND THREE IS C IS, YOU KNOW, THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC A LIKELY BID AND THAT DETERMINES ON WHETHER THEY CAN PAY LIKE FAIR, UH, PRICE FOR IT.
AND SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU GUYS CAN HAVE AT LEAST AT SOME EXTENT OR NOT.
AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY FAIR PRICE, I THINK THAT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE CONVERSATION.
AND SO WOULD LOVE AN UPDATE, UH, IF THAT'S THE CASE SO WE CAN GO OVER ALL THE OPTIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE WITH FOLKS AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE OPTION OF BUYING THE PROPERTY, UM, AND FEEL LIKE THEY CAN RUN A SUCCESSFUL, UM, CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO HAVE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, THIS GOES A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT COUNCILOR SIMMONS WAS SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT SCENARIO WHERE THEY'RE ON SORT OF A TENDENCY AT WILL MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO REALLY DO LONG-TERM PLANNING AS WELL AS GO AFTER GRANTS AND OTHER THINGS.
AND SO THE SORT OF VERY SHORT-TERM LEASE IS NOT REALLY IN THEIR BEST LONG-TERM INTEREST EITHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WANTING TO DO, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S POTENTIAL TO DO A STATE GRANT, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TO SHOW YOU HAVE FIVE YEAR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEAR CONTROL OF THE BUILDING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY TO BE ABLE TO BUY THE BUILDING, YOU OPEN UP A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF GRANT FUNDRAISING.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN, WE HAVE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND THE INITIAL FEEDBACK WAS THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A MORE PERMANENT CONTROL OVER THEIR DESTINY.
MOVING ON TO OTHERS WHO HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.
YES, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY SO QUICKLY, OBVIOUSLY I, I FAVOR THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND, UH, THE ODDS PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
AND, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE DO A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF 20 POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING USE UNITS VERSUS SEVERAL HUNDRED FAMILIES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP AND, AND UH, SUSTAIN TALENT, I THINK IT'S AN EASY ANALYSIS.
THERE'S A GREATER BENEFIT, COMMUNITY BENEFIT FROM THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC THAN A SMALL NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THAT PARTICULAR TIGHT LOCATION.
AND IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY TO EITHER BUY A LONG-TERM LEASE IT, AND THE CITY IS THE, IS THE ENTITY THAT SETS UP THE CRITERIA FOR THAT, EVEN THOUGH THE CRITERIA HAS TO BE A, UH, AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, UH, PROCESS ACCORDING TO THE STATE STATUTE AND, AND AS IT SHOULD BE.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT IN COMBINATION TO USE, UH, COUNCIL MCGOVERN'S, UH, METAPHOR ABOUT PLASTIC PUZZLE PIECES, AND WE'RE MOVING EVERYTHING AROUND, UH, THE CITY LOOKING AT ON DEEDS, IS THERE SOME THOUGHT TO QUANTIFYING EXACTLY WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE FOR HOUSING? WHAT ARE OUR NEEDS IN WEST CAMBRIDGE AND FOR WHOM ARE THOSE NEEDS? BECAUSE IT OCCURS TO ME THAT IF THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC WILL REMAIN A NONPROFIT, HOPEFULLY AS A SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND AN ARTS, UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY, UH, WITH A TRANSFER OF NATURALLY UH, OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN EXCHANGE MAYBE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL HOUSING, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO USE SOME PORTION OF 180 5 LARGE FOR SOME SORT OF SOCIAL HOUSING PROGRAM, UH, DESIGNED FOR SENIORS WHO MAY BE, UM, HOUSE RICH AND INCOME POOR, UH, MAYBE SOME INDIVIDUAL WHO'S LIVING IN A LARGE TWO OR THREE FAMILY HOUSE OR A SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT HAS, UH, UPKEEP AND REPAIRS THAT ARE NECESSARY AND MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE, UH, THE FINANCES OR THE CAPITAL ABILITY TO DO ALL OF THAT, THAT IF THERE WAS A, UH, A LOCATION IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO TRANSITION TO, UH, WOULD THAT BOTH SERVE THAT NEED FOR SENIOR HOUSING AND ALSO OPEN UP SOME OF THE HOUSING STOCK IN AND AROUND WEST CAMBRIDGE FOR FAMILIES, UH, TO POPULATE OUR CITIES, UH, FOR AND, AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR, AND OUR YOUTH
[01:35:01]
PROGRAMS. AND, AND IF WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE LOOK AT SORT OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PIPELINE FOR, FOR OUR CITY PORTFOLIO, AND WE CONSIDER WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WITH PINNACLE DEVELOPERS BY USING SOME CITY GRANTS TAX CREDITS, HISTORICAL TAX CREDITS AND OTHER MECHANISMS, REPURPOSING OFFICE BUILDINGS LIKE WE'VE GOT HERE, YOU KNOW, IN IMAN STREET, WESTERN AVE, THE LOMBARDI BUILDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THOSE LOCATIONS, MAYBE IT'S BOTH COST-EFFECTIVE AND TIME EFFICIENT TO DESIGNATE THOSE PLASTIC PUZZLE PIECES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 180 5 LARGE FOR SENIOR HOUSING OPENING UP POTENTIALLY, UM, LONG-TERM OWNERSHIP AND HOMES FOR FAMILIES IN AND AROUND WEST CAMBRIDGE.AND WE CAN, UH, CREATE SORT OF AN ECOSYSTEM WHERE WE ARE MOVING OUR PLASTIC PUZZLE PIECES AND OUR HUMAN BEINGS AROUND THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO BE A, A THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE, UH, CITY.
I MEAN, IS IS THAT SOMETHING WORTH TALKING ABOUT AND THINKING CCDD? YEAH.
I THINK CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND FOR HOUSING AT ALL LEVELS AND AGES AND INCOMES THAT CERTAINLY THERE'S A SOLUTION THERE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE MADE IT A POINT TO BUILD AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING AND THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT THAT DOES OPEN UP, AS YOU SAID, UM, EXISTING, UM, MARKET HOMES FOR OTHER FAMILIES TO COME IN.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS ALWAYS THAT IN MIGRATION VERSUS THE, UM, PEOPLE MOVE AROUND IN, IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S ALL PART OF THE PUZZLE AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF HAVING A MULTI-PRONG, UH, HOUSING STRATEGY, THE BOTH AFFORDABLE MARKET AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, UH, SIZES OF UNITS, UH, TO REALLY ACCOMMODATE THE WIDE DIVERSITY OF, OF NEEDS IN CAMBRIDGE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT.
ALRIGHT, NOW YIELD WITH LAST QUESTION, FINAL QUESTION, QUESTION YIELD.
AND THE FINAL QUESTION IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 180 5 LOTS ROAD, UH, WILL, UH, CITY STAFF STAND AT THE LIGHTS OF FRESH POINT PARKWAY AND HURON AAV WITH ME WHERE I LIVE TO SEE THE TRAFFIC BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT TO DO AT 180 5 LODGE CONVERTING THAT OPEN SPACE? THEY'RE NODDING.
SO MANY GREAT IDEAS, UH, THROUGH YOU, UH, MAYOR SIDIKI.
UM, YEAH, WE WANNA HAVE OPEN SPACE AT 180 5 TOO FOR THOSE COMMUNITY GARDENS.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PLACE FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FOR HOUSING TOO.
I WANTED TO ASK, UM, WHETHER THIS IS FOR DIRECTOR ROY CAPITAL BUILDING PROJECTS, WE, WE SHOULD BE HEARING FROM YOU, THIS IS REALLY YOUR MEETING, RIGHT? YEAH, BUT UH, THAT WASN'T MY QUESTION.
MY QUESTION WAS DO WE HAVE A VALUE? DO WE HAVE A FOUR, UH, 25 LOWELL ROAD AND, UM, IF WE WERE TO SELL IT TO THE NEW SCHOOL AND UH, UM, AND THE COST OF REPAIRS, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEW SCHOOL HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SPENDING MORE LIKE $20,000 A YEAR ON REPAIRS.
UM, BUT I KNOW EARLIER THEY'D COME UP WITH ESTIMATES AND THEY'D THOUGHT THEY COULD COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO DO OTHER FIXES TO THE BUILDING, BUT THEY WEREN'T IN THE 12 TO $15 MILLION RANGE.
WHAT DOES THAT INCLUDE? SO THROUGH YOU, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF JUST ASSESSING THE BUILDING.
SO WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY, OR WE HAVEN'T ENGAGED ANY DESIGN TEAMS YET TO GO THROUGH IT.
WE'VE JUST DONE OUR OWN SELF ASSESSMENTS WITH MY TEAM WALKING THROUGH THE BUILDING, TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT ISSUES COULD COME UP.
SO WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL YET, BUT FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE REST OF OUR PORTFOLIO, THAT'S THE ROUGH NUMBER THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY COME OUT TO BE.
AND THE ONE THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SORT OF SAYING THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, SO I JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE EXISTING BATHROOMS IN THE BASEMENT THAT DON'T WORK.
SO IF WE WERE TO RE, IF WE WERE TO GO OUT AND LEASE THE BUILDING, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE WE COULD LEASE THE BUILDING.
UM, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PORTFOLIO, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY, AND BRENDAN'S TEAM IS REALLY LEADING ON THIS IS AGAIN, QUIT SORT OF THINKING ABOUT LIKE, OKAY, WHAT IS THIS PROJECT, BUT WHAT IS THE OVERALL PORTFOLIO? WHAT IS THE 30 YEAR COST OF THIS BUILDING? SO WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT, OKAY, HERE'S THE CAPITAL COST AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SORT OF COMPARING AGAINST, BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF OVERALL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM INVESTMENT? SO NO ONE'S SORT OF SAYING THAT LIKE, OKAY, TOMORROW WE NEED TO GO DO THIS, BUT THERE IS, IF WE WERE TO LEASE, PARTICULARLY IF WE WERE TO LEASE THE PROPERTY, WE CAN'T LEASE IT WITH FOUR OF THE BATHROOMS CLOSED BECAUSE THE PLUMBING DOESN'T WORK.
UM, AND SO THERE'S THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WOULD REQUIRE MORE IMMEDIATE
[01:40:01]
ATTENTION AND THEN THE SORT OF LONGER TERM, UM, UM, POTENTIAL EXPENSES.AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE NOT DONE AN APPRAISAL AS PART OF A DISPOSITION PROCESS.
WE WOULD GO THROUGH A FORMAL APPRAISAL THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROCESS IN TERMS OF, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK ON THE ASSESSING DATABASE AND SEE THE ASSESS VALUE, BUT BEFORE WE WENT THROUGH A DISPOSITION PROCESS, WE WOULD HAVE THE, WE WOULD HAVE THE PARCEL FORMALLY APPRAISED CONGRESS, SUZIE.
SO, SO DOES THE BUILDING NEED, DOES IT, SO IT SOUNDS IT NEED AS THOUGH IT NEEDS SOME NEW PLUMBING.
IT MIGHT NEED, DOES IT NEED NEW ELECTRICAL? DOES IT NEED A NEW ROOF? THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
AND AGAIN, LIKE KATHY MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT OVER A LONGER TERM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT 10, 20, 35 YEARS, WHAT IT WOULD NEED.
SO IT MIGHT NOT NEED THAT FULL 13 MILLION TOMORROW, BUT THESE ARE THE EXPENSES THAT WOULD'VE TO COME UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
AND THEN TO ANSWER YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, I THINK IN THE FALL YOU'LL BE HEARING A LOT FROM ME IN TERMS OF THE REST OF OUR PORTFOLIO.
I LOOK, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE, UH, FIXING ANY LEAKY LEAKY ROOFS.
OH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU FIRST.
UM, ON LARGE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO, I DO THINK IT'S OBVIOUSLY A BIG LOT AND I I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO BUILD OUT RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY LINE ON, ON THE WHOLE LOT WITH HOUSING, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO, AND MY FATHER LIVES TWO DOORS DOWN FROM, FROM THIS GUY FLAHERTY OVER HERE.
UM, SO HE MIGHT BE ON THE CORNER WITH YOU LOOKING AT TRAFFIC, BUT HE SUPPORTS HOUSING AT THAT SITE.
SO, UM, NOT TO SPEAK FOR HIM, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT.
I MEAN, IT IS A LOT THAT IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM FRESH POND, RIGHT DOWN FROM DANEE PARK, TOBIN SCHOOL, GLOCK AND FIELD.
I MEAN, IT IS NOT THAT PARTICULAR SUBSECTION OF WEST CAMBRIDGE IS NOT A SECTION THAT NEEDS A LOT OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE.
THERE IS A TON OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE THERE.
SO IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE CAN BE SOME SORT OF BALANCE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE WHOLE LOT HAS TO BE FILLED WITH HOUSING AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE SOME OPEN SPACE JUST TO MAKE THE HOUSING THERE NICER, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO TAKE HALF THE LOT TO DO COMMUNITY GARDENS WHEN YOU'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM FRESH POND.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OTHER PLACES VERY CLOSE TO THAT LOT THAT COULD HANDLE THAT.
UM, AND THEN ON THE FUTURE SITES, UM, AND AGAIN, NOT KNOWING SORT OF WHAT EACH OF THESE BUILDINGS NEED AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE LIST FOR VERY LONG BUT ARE LIKE REALLY DESPERATE.
BUT I MEAN, I GOTTA MAKE THE PLUG FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR WINDSOR AND, AND WESTERN AVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN EMPTY FOR OVER A DECADE.
UM, YOU CAN'T EVEN GO INTO THAT BUILDING WITHOUT A HAZMAT SUIT.
I MEAN, IT'S THAT BAD, THE MOLD AND, AND, AND HOW AWFUL THAT SITE IS AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE PRIORITIZED GIVEN THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN EMPTY, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY'RE IN, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS DESERVE BETTER.
UM, AND UH, AND JUST THE CONDITIONS OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
THANK YOU MANMAR SENIOR MANAGER.
YEAH, AND I THINK I WOULD PROBABLY ADD, YOU KNOW, IT'S 2 0 5 WESTERN 1 0 5 WINDSOR AND THREE BIGELOW THAT ARE THE TRULY VACANT BUILDINGS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE GOT LINING UP A FALL CONVERSATION, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE THINKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE MIGHT NEED TO COME BACK A LITTLE EARLIER AND, AND WE CAN, WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHETHER SOME OF THESE, UM, THESE PROPERTIES, WE WANNA, WE WANT TO TEE UP A CONVERSATION ABOUT COUNCILOR NOLAN.
UM, GLAD THAT WE'RE STEPPING BACK AND THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE PORTFOLIO TO A QUESTION IS AROUND, AS WE THINK OF THAT PORTFOLIO, DO WE SOMETIMES THINK OF MIXED USE? SO FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, VICE MAYOR REGIME SAID, WELL, WE COULD KEEP THE NEW SCHOOL AND THEN DO HOUSING BEHIND.
THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE JUST BECAUSE OF THE SCALE, BUT THE SOCIAL HOUSING ON LARGE ROAD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER OR A LIBRARY OR WE JUST DID IT WITH, UH, JUST A START.
WE HAVE A CHILDCARE CENTER IN THE SAME SPACE AS A JOB CONNECTOR.
SO AS WE THINK PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE LARGER PROJECTS, I HOPE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN COMBINE COMMUNITY USE.
JUST LIKE WE'RE JUST EARLIER TODAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, HEY, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE RETAIL USE ON THE BOTTOM AND THEN HOUSING UP ABOVE.
SIMILARLY, IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA TO HAVE COMMUNITY USE ON SOME KIND OF GROUND FLOOR AND THEN HOUSING AS PART OF IT.
SO I REALLY HOPE WE'RE CREATIVE AND THINKING ABOUT THE WAYS THAT WE'RE BLENDING THESE, UM, USES TOGETHER.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION, WHICH IS, AS WE TAKE THIS PORTFOLIO APPROACH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CITY OWNED PROPERTIES THAT WE LEASE, INCLUDING SEVERAL TO THE CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR, FOR NO MONEY AT ALL.
[01:45:01]
UM, WE'VE ONLY TALKED ABOUT LOWELL STREET ON THIS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE FIRST STREET GARAGE AND FIVE WESTERN AVE.AND THE, MY QUESTION IS WE ALSO HAVE A SLEW OF LEASES THAT THE CITY ITSELF PAYS FOR THAT LOT ON, SORRY, MY GLASSES SHOULD BE, I THINK IT'S ONE POINT I MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LAND AND BUILDINGS AT MOONEY STREET FOR THE DPW.
SO IT ENDS UP BEING A PRETTY EXPENSIVE LEASE, BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE LEASING THAT AS WE DEVELOP OUR PORTFOLIO, ARE WE CONSIDERING THOSE IN OUR PORTFOLIO SO THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE LEASES AND WE CAN USE THE EXISTING CITY OWNED BUILDINGS, BUILD THEM UP, BUILD THEM OUT.
I AGREE BIGELOW STREET MAYBE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MUCH BIGGER BUILDING IF WE COULD USE IT, OR LOMBARDI SHOULD BE SIX STORIES OR NINE STORIES TO ENABLE THE CITY STAFF NOT TO BE TOTALLY CRUNCHED IN.
SO MY QUESTION ON THAT IS, ARE WE THINKING OF THAT TOO? I DON'T KNOW IF THE WHOLE COUNCIL HAS SEEN THE LIST, BUT, BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF SPACES THAT WE IN THE CITY HAVE TO PAY TO LEASE WHEN WE'RE OWNING ALL THESE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT AREN'T, AREN'T BEING AS USED.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A COMPLICATED, UM, QUESTION ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE FRANKLY, FINANCIALLY TO OVERHAUL AS OPPOSED TO TEAR DOWN AND REBUILD.
YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE ENDED UP TEARING THEM DOWN EXISTING BUILDINGS AND REBUILDING A NEW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS WANNA SEE, BUT IT WAS JUDGED THE FINANCIALLY AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
SO HOW ARE WE BLENDING THESE INTO THIS DISCUSSION? SO, UM, THREE MAYORS CITY KEY, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY LOOKING AT THAT IN TERMS OF, PARTICULARLY AS WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SPACES THAT WE'RE LEASING FOR OFFICE SPACES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE ONE OF THE GOALS IS CAN WE BETTER CO-LOCATE PEOPLE? SO PART OF THAT WOULD BE PULLING BACK ON THOSE LEASES.
AND SO THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THIS BROADER PORTFOLIO IS LIKE, WHAT ARE THE TOTAL COST OF OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE SORT OF, UM, EXISTING CONDITIONS VERSUS OTHER ALTERNATIVES AND HOW DO THOSE STACK UP? SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF WHAT WE'D BE TEEING UP FOR THE FALL CONVERSATION.
COUNCIL NOLAN, JUST A QUICK, AND I'M GLAD THAT THE FACT IS THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, WHICH WERE QUITE GRANDIOSE AND HUGE AND WE DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THIS.
AND SO WE'RE CONSOLIDATING OURSELVES.
I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEN FREED UP SOME SPACE AND SOME DESPERATELY NEEDED SPACE FOR SOME CITY STAFF.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BODY? I THINK COUNCILOR ZUBIE IS SET AS WELL.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOR DIRECTOR ROY.
ANY CHANCE OF PUTTING A PARKING LOT ON TOP OF, UH, D C'S GARAGE? UH, AT 1 47 HAMPSHIRE, THIS HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED TO ME BY A BUSINESS OWNER ON CAMBRIDGE STREET, DDPW, I'M, I'M SORRY, ON THE DPW LOT.
IT'S NOT FAR FROM CAMBRIDGE STREET WHERE THERE'S A REAL LACK OF PARKING WITH IS THAT EVER BEING, UM, CONSIDERED? I WILL CUT IN FOR A SECOND.
UM,
UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT IS A FULL RECONSTRUCTION.
THAT IS NOT A, UM, A MODIFY THAT EXISTING STRUCTURE.
LIKE THAT STRUCTURE IS DEFINITELY NOT DESIGNED OR CONSTRUCTED TO THEN ADD PARKING ON IT.
SO AGAIN, ONE COULD TAKE A SITE AND DO ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
I WOULD SAY IT'D BE A PRETTY EXPENSIVE SITE TO DO THAT ON.
UM, THAT IS OUR GARAGE SPACE AND IS PRETTY KEY OPERATING SPACE THERE.
AND SO USING UP SOME OF THAT SPACE FOR RAMPS AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD REALLY EAT INTO THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR DPW OPERATIONS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT A GARAGE YOU PULL IN AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF RAMPS AND SORT OF THAT GARAGE SPACE IS NOT VERY BIG.
AND SO THINKING ABOUT ADDING PUBLIC ACCESS AND THE FOOTPRINT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACCESS THAT WOULD EXTREMELY LIMIT, UM, THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE GARAGE AND DPW OPERATIONS COUNCIL, DARN, I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A GREAT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR.
ROY, THE ONLY THING THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, IS UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE'RE ANALYZING A LOT OF DATA FOR ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES.
SO MUCH LIKE COUNCILMAN NOLAN JUST MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT MIXED USE OPPORTUNITIES AND MIXES FOR HOW TO MAXIMIZE OUR PORTFOLIO.
SO, UM, WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE GARAGE UPGRADE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FUN THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT TOO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, UH, SO WHAT I'VE, THE, THE LAST PAGE ON THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, THERE'S SOME NETS, TEXT NES NEXT STEPS ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, SOME OF THE PROPERTIES ON 25 LOWELL.
THE, WHAT IT SAYS HERE, CITY COUNCIL PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON FUTURE USE.
THIS IS SPRING 2026, FOLLOWED BY CITY DISPOSITION PROCESS.
UM, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FROM THE COUNCIL? DO YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE
[01:50:01]
DIRECTION? DO YOU NEED CLARIFICATION? NO, I THINK THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL AND YOU KNOW, LOOK, I MEAN, I'LL JUST BE HONEST.LIKE WHEN WE WERE COMING UP WITH THE OPTIONS, WE SORT OF, UM, SORT OF KNEW THERE'D BE SOME, YOU KNOW, A REAL CONVERSATION AND WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT AND WE WANTED TO SORT OF COME FORWARD WITH A PROPOSAL SO PEOPLE COULD REALLY REACT TO IT AND GIVE US FEEDBACK.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
UM, THE CLEAR SENSE I'M GETTING IS THAT WE DO NOT THINK THAT'S THE BEST LOCATION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE WANNA CONTINUE TO USE IT FOR, UM, TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS.
SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
WE DON'T NEED A FORMAL VOTE TO DO THAT.
WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL WITH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A PACKAGE AND HAVE YOU APPROVE IT AND THINK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT INTERNALLY.
UM, AND WE CAN INVESTIGATE A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN THE LEASE AND THE SALE.
I WOULD SAY THE CITY'S STRONG PERSPECTIVE IS THAT THE SALE GIVES FOLKS MUCH LONGER TERM PREDICTABILITY AS OPPOSED TO DOING A FIVE YEAR LEASE AND THEN A FIVE YEAR LEASE AND A FIVE YEAR LEASE.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, ALSO TAKES IT OFF THE CITY ROLL.
SO WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL ON THE NEWS, THE 25 LAUREL STREET, UM, WITH A MORE FORMAL PACKAGE FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER AND APPROVE AND THEN START THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN I THINK THE 180 5 LARGE ROAD AGAIN, MELISSA AND CDD WILL BEGIN THE SORT OF THE SOCIAL HOUSING STUDY AND REALLY HAVE A MUCH MORE THOROUGH CONVERSATION ON THAT.
AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SITES ARE SORT OF MOVING ALONG AND SO I THINK THOSE WERE THE TWO WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GETTING GOOD COUNCIL FEEDBACK IN, UM, BEFORE SORT OF PROCEEDING ON THOSE.
SO IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
DOES THE BODY HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD ON THIS? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE THERE'S A MAJORITY AT LEAST THAT'S GIVING YOU THAT DIRECTION.
WE HAVEN'T FORMALLY VOTED, HOWEVER.
YEAH, NO, THAT IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THE EXISTING ENTITIES DO NOT END UP IN IT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A CITY MAKE A COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THERE'S A FUTURE IN, IN PLACE.
AND MAYBE JUST TO ADD THANK YOU THROUGH YOU MAYOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WOULD BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, AND SO THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND VOTE BEFORE ANY DISPOSITION PROCESS HAPPENS ANYWAY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MEETING HELPS US, I THINK SET PRETTY CLEAR DIRECTION.
UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL, WE'LL GO BACK, PROCESS THIS, COME UP WITH SOME NEXT STEPS, UH, AND THEN BRING THAT BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR, FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, JUST TO CALL OUT.
UM, I THINK THIS, THE OTHER THING THAT WE DEFINITELY HEARD IS A PREFERENCE, CERTAINLY FROM A NUMBER OF COUNSELORS FOR THE CITY TO RETAIN LONG-TERM OWNERSHIP.
UM, AND I THINK WE'LL JUST HAVE TO THINK THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, I, I SORT OF CALL OUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH MANY OF OUR BUILDINGS, 25 LOWELL INCLUDED, UM, IS THERE HASN'T BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF, UH, THE REGULAR REINVESTMENT IN THAT FACILITY.
THAT'S WHERE THE SORT OF PRETTY BIG NUMBER COMES FROM IN TERMS OF RECAPITALIZATION.
UH, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH IN A LONGER TERM LEASE.
UM, AND I WOULD RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS IS, IF YOU'RE ON A FIVE YEAR LEASE OR IF YOU'RE ON A ONE YEAR ANNUAL RENEWAL, THERE'S NOT REALLY A LOT OF INCENTIVE FOR A TENANT TO PUT IN LONGER TERM REPAIRS.
UM, AND SO WE CAN THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE TRADE OFFS ARE BETWEEN EITHER A DISPOSITION PROCESS THAT SELLS THE PROPERTY, UM, WHICH WOULD MAKE CLEAR WHAT THE OWNERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR THAT LONG-TERM CAPITAL.
UM, THERE ARE PROBABLY FORMS OF DISPOSITION PROCESS AND LEASE, LONG-TERM LEASE ARRANGEMENTS, UM, THAT STIPULATE SOME OF THE LARGER TICKET ITEMS THAT NEED TO GET REPLACED AT SOME POINT.
UM, SO WE'LL THINK THROUGH THAT AND, AND CAN COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS TO, TO BRING BACK.
UH, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR NOLAN TO ADJOURN.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND WE ADJOURN.