* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, 
          [00:00:01]
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE. 
          INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK ARE POSTED THERE. 
          ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING. 
          YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV. 
          TO WATCH THE MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. 
          WITH THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES, IF ANY, WILL BE BY ROLL CALL. 
          UM, SO IN TERMS OF ORDER OF OPERATIONS FOR TODAY'S MEETING, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THE TOPIC OF TODAY'S MEETING, AND, UH, THEN WE'LL GO AROUND AND DO INTRODUCTIONS. 
          WE'LL THEN HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF, UH, AND THEN AFTER THE PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF, WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS SIGNED UP. 
          AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. 
          AND I WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UNLIKE SOME OF THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WE HAVE THAT ARE, UH, JUST TWO HOURS OF CITY COUNSELORS TALKING AND ASKING QUESTIONS OF CITY STAFF, WE'D REALLY LIKE A BIG FOCUS OF THIS MEETING TO BE, UH, GETTING FEEDBACK FROM CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND HAVING THEM ASK QUESTIONS OF CITY STAFF DIRECTLY. 
          UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE, UH, BIG PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL. 
          UH, SO THIS IS A MEETING I'VE BEEN PUSHING FORWARD TO MAKE HAPPEN FOR A BIT, AND AM GRATEFUL FOR CITY STAFF AND THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TAKING TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS EVEN BEFORE THE MEETING OF THE TODAY. 
          UH, THE FOCUS OF TODAY IS SORT OF BRINGING TWO ONGOING CONVERSATIONS THE CITY HAS BEEN HAVING TOGETHER. 
          ONE OF THOSE CON DISCUSSIONS HAS BEEN ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT AND PRESERVE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, ESPECIALLY AS CAMBRIDGE HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE. 
          YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE'S OF COURSE ALWAYS GONNA BE CHANGE IN TRANSITIONS IN A CITY'S CULTURAL SCENE, I THINK THERE'S BROAD AGREEMENT THAT THOSE CHANGES SHOULDN'T HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE THE LEASE OF A BELOVED COMMUNITY INSTITUTION RUNS OUT, OR BECAUSE OF BUILDING'S OWNERSHIP CHANGES HANDS. 
          THERE'S ALSO A RECOGNITION THAT PART OF THE REASON CAMBRIDGE HAS BECOME A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK IS BECAUSE OF OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, THE MIDDLE EAST AND PHOENIX LANDING AND THE DANCE COMPLEX. 
          AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE HELPED THE CITY TO THRIVE AND GROW, AND CAMBRIDGE NEEDS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND GROW AS WELL. 
          THE SECOND CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE BRINGING TOGETHER HAS BEEN ABOUT, UH, PLANNING ON THE CITY'S CORRIDORS. 
          IN EVERY COMMUNITY SURVEY THE CITY HAS DONE OVER AT LEAST THE LAST 15 YEARS, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY HAS BEEN FAR AND AWAY THE TOP ISSUE. 
          AND THERE'S BROAD SUPPORT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT OUR CITY'S CORRIDORS LIKE MASS AVE AND CAMBRIDGE STREET AS A PLACE FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING. 
          AS PART OF THAT WORK, CAMBRIDGE RECENTLY, UH, COMPLETED PRINTING PLANNING PROCESSES AND UPDATED ZONING FOR CAMBRIDGE STREET AND FOR THE PART OF NORTH MASS AVE, UH, NORTH OF HARVARD SQUARE UP TO THE BORDER WITH ARLINGTON. 
          THE CITY HAS HAD A FEW INITIAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PLANNING AROUND MASS AVE IN THE CENTRAL SQUARE CORRIDOR. 
          AND AS PART OF THAT, I'VE BEEN REALLY PUSHING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, BEFORE THOSE DISCUSSIONS GO FURTHER, FURTHER, THE CITY CONSIDERS HOW WE SUPPORT THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE CENTRAL SQUARE VIBRANT AND HAVE CALLED IT HOME FOR YEARS. 
          YOU KNOW, UNDER OUR CURRENT ZONING THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR, FOR YEARS AND YEARS NOW, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN CENTRAL SQUARE AND BEYOND CLOSE THEIR DOORS. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEM TODAY. 
          AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MENTIONED IN THE CITY STAFF'S PRESENTATION. 
          SOMETIMES THAT'S BECAUSE THE OWNERS HAVE DECIDED TO RETIRE OR MOVE ON. 
          BUT WHEN A VENUE CLOSES, UH, JUST BECAUSE THE BUILDING GETS SOLD OR THE RENT GETS JACKED UP, IT'S REALLY DEVASTATING FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THAT INSTITUTION. 
          FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED THERE, FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S, THAT'S MADE IT PART OF THEIR, THEIR HOME. 
          AND IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, FOR ME THAT WHEN WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PLANNING AND ZONING FOR THE FUTURE OF CAMBRIDGE, WE ARE FIGURING OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT MORE LIKELY AND NOT LESS LIKELY THAT OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS CAN STAY IN CAMBRIDGE FOR THE LONG HAUL. 
          THE CITY OBVIOUSLY CAN'T FORCE A BUILDING OWNER TO KEEP LEASING OUT THEIR SPACE TO A PARTICULAR BUSINESS OR A CULTURAL INSTITUTION TO KEEP GOING IF THEY DON'T WANT TO. 
          BUT WE HAVE CARROTS IN OUR STICKS, IN OUR POLICY TOOLBOX TO TRY TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE KEEP AND EXPAND THESE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN IN CENTRAL SQUARE AND HAVE MADE IT A GREAT PLACE TO BE. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PLANNING TOOLS TODAY. 
          PART OF THE CONVERSATION TODAY IS ALSO TO HEAR FROM LOCAL, LOCAL CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UH, IN CENTRAL SQUARE ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THEIR VENUE AND, AND THEIR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. 
          I THINK ABOUT SO OFTEN WHEN A CULTURAL INSTITUTION ANNOUNCES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CLOSE OR THEY'RE HAVING DI DIFFICULTIES, THERE'S AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT, UH, AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN PERSON, SO MANY FOLKS SAYING HOW MUCH THEY LOVE IT, AND THEY, THEY WANNA SEE IT KEEP GOING, BUT AT THAT TIME, WHEN AN ANNOUNCEMENT COMES, SOMETIMES IT'S TOO LATE FOR THE KEEP THE LOCAL BUSINESS OR THE VENUE GOING, AND WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT. 
          THE CITY HAS A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AROUND BUSINESS SUPPORT AND SUCCESSION PLANNING, BUT THEY ONLY WORK IF PEOPLE GET CONNECTED TO THEM AT THE RIGHT TIME. 
          AND THERE MAY ACTUALLY BE MORE SUPPORTS FROM THE CITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW, AND WE NEED MORE OF. 
          AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE TODAY AND LISTEN FROM FOLKS. 
          UM, SO I'M GONNA, UH, NOW ASK IF WE CAN JUST DO A ROUND OF INTRODUCTIONS OF EVERYBODY ON THE TABLE, UH, AND ON THE ZOOM, UH, I CAN START. 
          I'M JUVAN SABRINA WHEELER, CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNSELOR, UH, AND ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. 
          AND I'LL PASS IT TO, UH, TO MY LEFT. 
          UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. 
          UM, 
          [00:05:01]
AND JUST TO NOTE, AS I TOLD YOU, MR. CHAIR, I HAVE TO LEAVE A LITTLE EARLY. 
          UH, I'M CO-CHAIRING THE, UM, TASK FORCE ON, ON EXPANDING CHILDHOOD, UH, C CHILDCARE OPPORTUNITIES IN A DIFFERENT BUILDING. 
          SO SORRY TO LEAVE KATHY ZUI, CITY COUNSELOR AND CHAIR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LONG-TERM PLANNING MEETING COMMITTEE MEETING MICHAEL MONAS, TEAM PRESIDENT CENTRAL SQUARE BID. 
          KATHERINE CARR, KELLY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER. 
          PETER DEMURO, EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT THE DANCE COMPLEX. 
          UH, BRIAN GREGORY, SENIOR URBAN DESIGNER WITH CDD. 
          MELISSA PETERS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND I KNOW I HAVE OTHER STAFF AT THE TABLE THAT WILL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, BUT, UH, WANNA JUST ACKNOWLEDGE TWO STAFF THAT IF THERE'S STILL ROOM AT THE TABLE, CAN JOIN, UH, DREW KANE, UH, SENIOR, UM, PLANNER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PLANNING DESIGN. 
          AND JASON WEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAMBRIDGE ARTS DEPARTMENT, TOM EVANS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR OF THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. 
          JEN KYRA W, CHIEF OF PLANNING FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DANIEL, MASS PLAY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DESIGN, AND CDD, CLAUDIA SARA, ARTS AND CULTURAL PLANNING DIRECTOR AT CDD, JAREDS DALEY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST WITH CDD COUNSELOR. 
          ZUBIE JOINING AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU, UH, COUNSELOR. 
          AND CAN WE GO TO THE FOLKS ON ZOOM WHO ARE PANELISTS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES? IS THAT ANYONE BESIDES COUNCILLOR ZIM? YOU HAVE VICE MAYOR AND JEFF ROBERTS ON ZOOM. 
          UH, JEFF, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF BRIEFLY? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. 
          IS THERE, CAN TRY SPEAKING AGAIN, JEFF. 
          WE ARE STILL HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HERE. 
          APOLOGIES ABOUT THAT, JEFF. 
          UM, MAYBE WE'LL GO TO THE PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT FIXED. 
          IN THE MEANTIME, I ALSO, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I DO JUST WANNA, UH, ONE OF THE FOLKS WE'RE RECOGNIZING IS GONNA BE TRANSITIONING BEFORE TOO LONG AND HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN CAMBRIDGE FOR A LONG TIME. 
          UH, I'M GONNA ASK IF WE CAN GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR JASON WEEKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO NOW I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CITY STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU, CHAIR, SABRINA WHEELER. 
          UM, REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY, TALK ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. 
          UM, APPRECIATE THE SHOUT OUT FOR JASON AND JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN CENTRAL SQUARE, BUT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THE STAFF HERE KIND OF SPANS THE RANGE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND, UM, ARTS AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION. 
          AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT AS WE, UH, PLAN FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT WE CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT MAKES CENTRAL SQUARE THE HEART OF THE CITY. 
          AND SO, UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO BRIAN GREGORY, OUR PROJECT MANAGER ON THE CENTRAL SQUARE REZONING, TO TALK ABOUT HOW ZONING CAN BE USED AS A TOOL TO HELP GET THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS WE WANT. 
          THANK YOU, MELISSA. 
          AND, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIRS, UH, WELCOME TO EVERYONE. 
          I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AND LENDING YOUR VOICE TO THIS CONVERSATION. 
          UH, IT'S CRITICAL TO US THAT WE ENSURE THE REZONING OF CENTRAL SQUARE IS INFORMED BY THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE LIVED REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES OF THE KEY INSTITUTIONS IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          UH, SO WE REALLY WELCOME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, FIRST, MELISSA DID THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY HANDS HAVE HAVE TOUCHED THIS AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROJECT TO DATE. 
          UH, INTERNALLY, IT'S BEEN A COLLABORATION ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO FOR TODAY, WE'LL START OFF BY ORIENTING EVERYONE WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT. 
          UH, WE'LL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I'M REALLY HOPING TO SPEND THE MA VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME ON, UH, ACTIVE DISCUSSION TO HEAR AND LEARN FROM YOU ALL. 
          UH, AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP WITH NEXT STEPS, AND I'LL MENTION SOME ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, I'LL START OFF WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND HOW IT PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ARTS, CULTURE AND NIGHTLIFE IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, CENTRAL SQUARE IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING, DIVERSE AND TRANSIT RISK AREAS OF CAMBRIDGE. 
          I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THERE FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, BEFORE I EVEN JOINED THE CITY. 
          I MET MY WIFE THERE, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AND BRICK AND MORTAR, IT'S A PLACE NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. 
          UM, IT PRESENTS A REALLY FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR RESPONSIBLE INCLUSIVE GROWTH. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL HAS BEEN REINFORCED BY MANY PRIOR STUDIES FROM ENVISIONED THROUGH PAST STUDIES LIKE CENTRAL 
          [00:10:01]
SQUARE, DOING K TWO C TWO. 
          WHAT WE REALLY WANNA DO IS LEVERAGE THAT OPPORTUNITY WHILE PRESERVING WHAT MAKES CENTRAL SQUARE UNIQUE AND A PLACE THAT WE ALL LOVE. 
          THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DO THAT BY, UH, THE THREE GOALS THAT WE HAVE UP ON THE SCREEN TODAY. 
          UM, THESE ARE SORT OF OUR GUIDING LIGHTS, CREATING MORE HOUSING, BOTH TO ADDRESS THE, UH, HOUSING CRISIS, BUT ALSO TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE SQUARE TO SUPPORT ITS AMAZING BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UH, OUR THE SECOND GOAL, OUR FOCUS REALLY TODAY, UH, PRESERVING, SUPPORTING AND GROWING IT AS CAMBRIDGE'S HUB OF ARTS CULTURE AND NIGHTLIFE. 
          AND LASTLY, REINFORCING ITS IDENTITY AS THE CITY'S HISTORIC DOWNTOWN. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THIS PROJECT HAS A LONG LINEAGE. 
          I THINK WHEN WE SORT OF KICKED OFF BACK IN 2024, THAT WAS, THAT WAS MADE EVIDENT. 
          UH, IT LEVERAGES MANY PRIOR PLANNING EFFORTS. 
          UM, AND I MENTIONED SOME A LITTLE PREVIOUSLY, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME ON, ON THE SLIDE HERE AS WELL. 
          UM, GOING BACK 15 PLUS YEARS, WE REALLY SEE THIS AS A CULMINATION OF THIS WORK. 
          AND THE PROJECT REALLY BENEFITS FROM THE STRONG FOUNDATION THAT ALL THESE, THESE EFFORTS CREATED. 
          UM, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT FOR ALL OF THESE, A THROUGH LINE LINKING EVERY STUDY IS THE CRITICAL ROLE OF ARTS CULTURE AND NIGHTLIFE AND WHAT THEY PLAY IN CENTRAL SQUARES IDENTITY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO I'M SURE I DON'T HAVE TO TELL ANY OF YOU HERE, THIS, THAT, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE ARE CENTRAL TO THE SQUARES IDENTITY, PARDON THE PUN. 
          UH, THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE HISTORICALLY, UH, THROUGH TODAY, AND YOU ALL ARE A TESTAMENT TO AND STEWARDS OF THIS AMAZING PLACE AND LEGACY. 
          UH, FOR ANY WHO DON'T KNOW, THIS IS CAMBRIDGE'S ONLY CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          UH, THAT'S A STATE DESIGNATION. 
          UH, IT'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE RICH DIVERSITY AND CONCENTRATION OF ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT ARE IN THE SQUARE. 
          SUCCINCTLY FOR ME, AND FOR MANY, I THINK, UH, CENTRAL IS CAMBRIDGE'S HEART OF THE ARTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, PLACES, PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING CENTRAL SQUARE OUR CULTURAL HUB, UH, THE CITY, THE BID, THE CRA, MOST IMPORTANTLY, INSTITUTIONS LIKE YOURSELVES CONTINUE TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL POSITIVE IMPACTS. 
          WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM SORT DISPLAYED HERE. 
          UM, IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, WE HAVE THE ARTWORK FOR CARL BARRON, WHICH IS HAVING, ITS OPENING TOMORROW. 
          WE'LL BE THERE, AND WE HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU THERE TOO. 
          I'M SURE IT'LL BE A FANTASTIC TIME. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          HOWEVER, UH, THESE EFFORTS ALONE HAVEN'T PREVENTED THE LOSS OF SOME CHERISHED SPACES. 
          UH, BY OUR ESTIMATE, ROUGHLY 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF CULTURAL SPACE HAS BEEN LOST IN CENTRAL SQUARE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. 
          MANY OF THESE CLOSURES ARE ARTIST WORKSPACES, ESPECIALLY REHEARSAL AND PRODUCTION SPACES. 
          SO WHAT SORT OF BECOMES APPARENT IS THAT THE STATUS QUO ISN'T NECESSARILY PRESENTING THESE, THESE OUTCOMES THAT WE DON'T WANT. 
          UH, THIS ISN'T UNIQUE TO CAMBRIDGE, HOWEVER, IT'S REALLY PART OF A REGIONAL PATTERN, THOUGH. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          BECAUSE OF THIS, CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN PROACTIVELY COLLABORATING WITH BOSTON SOMERVILLE AND THE METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL, MAPC, UH, IN A REGIONAL EFFORT FOCUSED ON SECURING CULTURAL SPACE. 
          UH, IT COMPREHENSIVELY STUDIED THE ARTS AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE. 
          UH, COLLECTED AND SHARED INFORMATION AND STRATEGIES, HELPED UNDERSTAND OPPORTUNITIES AND CA CHALLENGES THAT CULTURAL SPACES FACE. 
          AND MANY OF THESE FINDINGS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE SUMMARIZED UP HERE, AND TAKEAWAYS, UH, HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO ZONING. 
          SO THEY'RE IMMEDIATELY PERTINENT TO THE PROJECT AND THE EFFORT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          BUT FIRST, I DON'T WANNA ASSUME EVERYBODY JOINING US OR TUNING IN ONLINE IS NECESSARILY A ZONING EXPERT. 
          SO I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY CLARIFY WHAT ZONING IS, IF THIS IS INDEED THE MECHANISM WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. 
          UH, ZONING IS FUNDAMENTALLY A REGULATORY LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT TOOL. 
          IT SIMPLY TELLS YOU WHAT YOU CAN AND POTENTIALLY CANNOT, UH, DO WITH YOUR PROPERTY. 
          IT'S USUALLY COMPOSED OF SORT OF A WRITTEN ORDINANCE, UH, PAIRED WITH ZONING MAPS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          WHAT IT DOES IS IT REGULATES THINGS LIKE USE RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, UH, MIXED USE, UH, BUILDING SIZE AND SHAPE, HEIGHT AND SETBACKS, REQUIREMENTS, THINGS LIKE SUSTAINABILITY OR PARKING, FOR INSTANCE, OR BICYCLE PARKING. 
          UM, AND INCENTIVES, WHICH I WANNA DWELL ON IN, UH, A LITTLE FURTHER IN JUST A MOMENT. 
          AND WHEN USED THOUGHTFULLY AND CREATIVELY, ZONING CAN PROMOTE AND GUIDE INCLUSIVE FUTURE GROWTH. 
          HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME THINGS I'D LIKE TO ALSO CLARIFY ABOUT ZONING. 
          IT CANNOT PRESERVE SPECIFIC BUSINESSES OR SPACES DESPITE HOW MUCH WE MIGHT REALLY WANT IT TO. 
          BUT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP ENSURE THAT THROUGH GROWTH, WE PRESERVE AND EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CULTURAL SPACES TO THAT POINT, BASED ON HOW ZONING WORKS AS A MECHANISM, WE ONLY GET COMMUNITY BE BENEFITS THROUGH ZONING FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE SORT OF, UH, RELATED IN THAT WAY FUNDAMENTALLY. 
          AND ALSO, I JUST REALLY WANNA STRESS, I KNOW WE'VE HAD A, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE TALKS ARE ABOUT ZONING IN CAMBRIDGE IN GENERAL, BUT, AND IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL TOOL, BUT IT'S NOT THE PANACEA AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY TOOL IN OUR TOOL BELT. 
          AND SO, AS WE 
          [00:15:01]
THINK ABOUT THIS, I BEHOOVES US TO THINK ABOUT THIS HOLISTICALLY, AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE, MANY OF WHOM MANAGE COMPLIMENTARY PROGRAMS IN CITY INITIATIVES THAT ARE MEANT TO GO HAND IN GLOVE WITH, UM, WHAT WE'RE HOPING THE ZONING WILL ACHIEVE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, AS I MENTIONED, INCENTIVES IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ZONING CAN DO, AND I WANNA JUST DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO WHAT THAT MEANS. 
          UM, THESE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY A MECHANISM FOR ENCOURAGING NEW DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING THINGS DEVELOPERS WANT MORE OF. 
          THERE WERE A TRADE OFF THAT OFTEN ACKNOWLEDGES THE INCREASED COST OF PROVIDING THESE COMMUNITY BENEFITS SO THAT DEVELOPERS ACTUALLY WANT TO PRODUCE THEM. 
          UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL TYPES, UM, AND THESE RANGE FROM THINGS LIKE ALLOWING FOR GREATER HEIGHT TO EXCLUDING SOME OF THE USES YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE FROM DENSITY LIMITS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UM, BUT BEFORE I JUMP INTO OUR SPECIFIC THINKING ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURAL INCENTIVES, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW, UM, THE ZONING GOALS OUR, OUR MORE HOLISTIC AND INTERLINK TO SUPPORT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT AS WELL. 
          SO, GOALS AROUND INCREASED HOUSING WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE SQUARE. 
          UH, MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SQUARE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PLACES, HOPEFULLY FOR ARTISTS TO LIVE, BUT ALSO PEOPLE TO SUPPORT, LIKE I MENTIONED, THOSE BUSINESSES. 
          UH, ONE OF THE ASPECTS WE'RE EXPLORING WITH THAT ALSO IS THINGS AROUND EVEN JUST, UH, INCENTIVIZING ARTISTS, HOUSING AND OTHERS. 
          SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER EXPLORATION. 
          AS PART OF THAT, THE HOUSING UMBRELLA, ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR USES, UH, EN LIVE IN THE PUBLIC REALM, DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC TO THE DISTANCE. 
          A A HEALTHY RETAIL DESTINATION IS ALSO A HEALTHY DESTINATION FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          AND INCENTIVIZING AND ENCOURAGING NEW OPEN SPACES PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SPACES TO GATHER, RELAX, AND CELEBRATE. 
          CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY FOR THE ARTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE NOTION THAT THIS IS OUR CIVIC HEART AND CENTER, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND CONGREGATE AND HAVE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THAT'S A LITTLE OF HOW IT DOES IN THE CONSTELLATION, BUT WE, WE WANNA SORT OF DRILL DOWN INTO THIS. 
          SO WE SEE THIS PROJECT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROACTIVELY CRAFT ZONING THAT PRESERVES SUPPORTS AND GROWS ARTS AND CULTURAL USES. 
          SO CURRENTLY IF YOU READ THE CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING ORDINANCE, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THIS IS CAMBRIDGE'S CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          UM, WE INTEND FOR THAT NOT TO BE THE CASE GOING FORWARD. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THIS IS FOR ME, ACTUALLY A GUIDING STAR. 
          THIS COMMENT WAS FROM OUR, OUR ENGAGEMENT BACK IN 2024. 
          SOMEONE CHALLENGED US. 
          IF YOU LOOKED AT THE ZONING ONLY, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? IT'S THE CULTURAL DISTRICT? AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THE LITMUS TEST, AT LEAST FOR MYSELF, IS WHEN AND IF THIS MOVES FORWARD, IT WILL BE IMMEDIATELY APPARENT TO PEOPLE WHEN YOU OPEN THE, UH, THE CENTRAL SQUARE SECTION, THAT THIS IS WHERE ARTS LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, AND WHERE WE REALLY WANNA REINFORCE THAT IDENTITY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO THE STRATEGIES WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING TO PRODUCE CULTURAL BENEFITS REALLY FALL INTO TWO MAIN BUCKETS. 
          ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE ONES THAT CREATE NEW SPACES, AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, ONES THAT PRESERVE AND SUPPORT EXISTING SPACES, THESE ARE THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS WE'RE PURSUING. 
          THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING TO GET, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THEM IN MORE DETAIL IN JUST A MOMENT. 
          UH, THE INCENTIVES, THE SORT OF TWO AT THE BOTTOM THERE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE ALLOWING TO EXCHANGE. 
          AND THEY'RE DESIGNED, HOWEVER, TO ALIGN WITH THE OTHER GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT. 
          SO IT'S HOPEFULLY ALL PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND NOT SORT OF, UH, IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER. 
          SO ALLOWING FOR INCREASED HOUSING IN, UM, IN RETURN FOR ARTS AND CULTURE USES FUNDAMENTALLY UNDERPINS THE WANT FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND ADDRESSING THE HOUSING CRISIS IN THE CITY. 
          AND EXEMPTING CULTURAL SPACES FROM FAR SORT OF A JARGONY TERM, BUT IT'S IT'S DENSITY USES, ALLOWS US TO CREATE CULTURAL SPACES THAT AREN'T ALSO COMPETING WITH PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO CREATE THOSE SPACES AS WELL. 
          WE WANT BOTH, AND WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE THINKING WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AN EITHER OR, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO EACH OF THESE, JUST TO BOIL IT DOWN TO ITS SIMPLEST TERMS, IS THAT IF THIS, THEN THAT IF YOU CREATE NEW OR PRESERVE EXISTING CULTURAL SPACE, YOU GET ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL. 
          AND THESE ARE JUST A DIFFERENT SET OF OPTIONS TO EACH ACHIEVE THAT. 
          THE RANGE OF STRATEGIES, AND WE HAVE FOUR THAT I'LL WALK THROUGH, IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT A DIVERSITY OF OUTCOMES, PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY, AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EACH DEVELOPMENT IN EACH SITE IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. 
          SO, UH, I'LL START WITH THESE, WHICH ARE THE SORT OF EXPAND AND GROW. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD IN MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HOSTED BOTH IN 2024 RECENTLY, UM, AND THROUGH THE ONLINE SURVEY THAT IS CURRENTLY OPEN AND ONGOING, THAT THERE WAS A STRONG DESIRE FOR NEW CULTURAL SPACE IN CENTRAL SQUARE, BOTH TO REPLACE, UH, SPACES THAT WE'VE LOST AND TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES. 
          SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST INTUITIVE. 
          IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW DEVELOPMENT, CREATE A CULTURAL SPACE INSIDE OF IT, AND YOU UNLOCK, UH, A DENSITY BONUS IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, UH, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS VERY SIMILAR, BUT IS, UM, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH POTENTIALLY MORE THAN ONE SITE WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO 
          [00:20:01]
SORT OF, UM, DISTRIBUTE THOSE PROGRAMS. AND ONE COULD IMAGINE MAYBE THERE'S A MORE IMPACTFUL USE OR SOMETHING WHERE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CULTURAL TO BE A LITTLE MORE FREESTANDING, OR IT'S GOING IN AN HISTORIC BUILDING THAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESERVE OR ANYTHING TO THAT IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO DO THAT, BUT STILL RECOUP THE COST OF THAT INVESTMENT IN CREATING THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT ON A DIFFERENT SITE WITHIN THE DISTRICT EXPLICITLY. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THESE ARE THE SORT OF PRESERVE AND SUPPORT, UM, WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE NEW SPACES ARE ALWAYS EXCITING, UH, WE CAN'T LOSE FOCUS ON ALL THE AMAZING INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE AND CONTINUE TO MAKE CENTRAL SQUARE A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          UH, THESE INCENTIVES ARE TO ENSURE THAT A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS, THAT LONGSTANDING INSTITUTIONS ALSO BENEFIT FROM NEW GROWTH. 
          UM, SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE HERE, UH, EXISTING STABILIZATION, MAYBE A LITTLE JARGONY, I'LL WORK ON THAT, BUT, UM, IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO ACQUIRE AND PRESERVE AN EXISTING ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACE TO UNLOCK THE BONUS. 
          SO WE DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO INCENTIVIZE NEW SPACE. 
          SOMETIMES THERE ARE CHERISHED SPACES THAT ARE THREATENED. 
          WE WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOPMENT, TO PARTNER WITH THOSE TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE IN PERPETUITY, AND THAT THAT INVESTMENT IN THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE DEVELOPER'S ABILITY TO, TO SORT OF MANAGE THAT PROJECT AND MOVE IT FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY. 
          AND LASTLY, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE BENEFICIAL TO, FOR A PROJECT TO CREATE A PRESERVE CULTURAL SPACE DUE TO ITS SIZE, LOCATION, OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. 
          THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE HEARD STRONGLY FROM, UH, OUR PARTNERS IN SOMERVILLE, WHICH WE'VE SORT OF CONNECTED WITH TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES ON. 
          UM, SO INSTEAD UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, PAYMENT IN LIEU INTO A CULTURAL STABILIZATION FUND THAT WOULD BE, UM, STOOD UP AND THEN THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE, UH, TO ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CENTRAL SQUARE THAT ARE EXISTING TO HELP SORT OF UNDERPIN THEM ECONOMICALLY AND, AND HELP SORT OF LIFT THEM UP AS WELL. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO I WANNA WRAP THIS UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UH, FOR DISCUSSION. 
          BUT I'LL END WITH A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN THE PROCESS. 
          UH, WE'RE GETTING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR, OUR ACTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          UH, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE ONLINE SURVEY. 
          HOPEFULLY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THAT A NUMBER OF LISTENING SESSIONS, FOCUS GROUPS, AND, AND GRACIOUSLY THIS ROUND TABLE. 
          UH, WE'LL BE HOPING, UH, HOSTING AN IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE, UH, THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 29TH AT STREET THEORY COLLECTIVE. 
          UM, THAT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE REFINED ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          THAT'LL BE AN IN-PERSON EVENT. 
          WE'D LIKE TO REALLY GET OUT INTO THE SQUARE. 
          UM, WE WILL ALSO HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION ONLINE, THOUGH, FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN ATTEND OR WANT TO SORT OF REFLECT ON IT. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO PIVOT TO DRAFTING THE ZONING, UM, YOU KNOW, IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, IDEALLY, DEPENDING ON THE TIMEFRAMES OF OTHER PROJECTS AND THE COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVE, UH, AND COULD BE, UH, ABLE TO SEND SOMETHING UP BY, UH, THE BEGINNING OF, UH, BY THE END OF THE YEAR RATHER, UH, TO START OFF THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS. 
          AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO THE, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT JUST TO PREVIEW THE NEXT SESSION FOR THE SECTION. 
          FOR THE, UH, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE HERE. 
          WE HAVE A, A SLIDE IN THE DECK, UH, THAT SAYS, QUESTIONS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS ON. 
          THERE'S SIX AND DIFFERENT BUBBLE BOXES. 
          IF FOLKS WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE QUESTIONS AS WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, THAT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT THING WE GO TO. 
          UH, SO I'LL TURN IT NOW OVER TO THE, THE CITY CLERK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DAN TOTTEN. 
          UM, DAN IS NOT ONLINE OR IN PERSON. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RAINA JAHAR, YOU'RE UNMUTED. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          I HAVE UNMUTED YOU ON OUR END. 
          YOU HAVE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF ON YOUR END AS WELL. 
          HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, GO AHEAD. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          HELLO EVERYONE. 
          MY NAME IS RENA JAVARI. 
          I AM A COMMUNITY ARTS ORGANIZER, UH, A BOARD DIRECTOR AT THE CAMBRIDGE MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER AND THE CO-PRODUCER WITH THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND MAYOR SID'S OFFICE OF THE FIRST HOPEFULLY ANNUAL, UH, CAMBRIDGE CAT TOUR AND MEOW FEST. 
          UM, THE DECK SHOWS US WHAT CENTRAL SQUARE HAS LOST, BUT NOT WHY WERE THOSE SPACES THAT WE LOST AT 30,000 SQUARE FEET WHERE THEY LOST TO RENT, TO SALE, OR LACK OF USE. 
          AND THE ANSWERS MATTER, UH, BECAUSE NEW SPACE BUILT UNDER THE SAME 
          [00:25:01]
ECONOMICS COULD FAIL THE SAME WAY AS SOMEONE WHO'S DEEPLY INVESTED IN LOCAL ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES ACTUALLY BEING USED AS SUCH BY THE COMMUNITY. 
          I WANT TO UNDERLINE THAT SPACES ALONE DO NOT RESULT IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          SPACES NEED ACTIVATION, FACILITATION AND EXPERIENCE SHAPING PEOPLE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO INVITE FOLKS IN, MAKE IT EASY TO PARTICIPATE AND DESIGN WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THEY ARRIVE. 
          I ALSO WANNA NAME THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SQUEEZE THAT WE'RE IN. 
          THIS IS JUST THE REALITY. 
          RESTAURANTS, UH, NIGHTLIFE AND TICKETED ENTERTAINMENT ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY OUT OF REACH FOR MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. 
          SO MY QUESTIONS ARE, ONE, WHAT DOES THE CITY KNOW ABOUT THE CURRENT DEMAND? AND FROM WHOM, WHO IS SHOWING UP AND WHO IS PRICED OUT? TWO, HOW WILL THESE SPACES SUPPORT GATHERING THAT ISN'T BUILT AROUND SPENDING MONEY? AND WHO IS RESOURCED TO RUN IT REGULARLY? AND THREE, COULD THE CULTURAL STABILIZATION FUND OPERATE A SU SUPPORT OPERATORS AND PROGRAMMING NOT ONLY REAL ESTATE? AND IS THERE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY? IF A REQUIRED SPACE SITS UNDERUSED, I'D URGE THAT ACTIVATION CRITERIA BE PART OF WHAT QUALIFIES A SPACE FOR THE DENSITY INCENTIVE. 
          A NAMED STEWARD, A PLAN FOR COMMUNITY ACCESS AND A FUNDING SOURCED FOR PROGRAMMING SPACE ONLY MATTERS IF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO USE IT AND SOMEONE IS THERE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND SHAPE THE EXPERIENCE. 
          I'D WELCOME THE CHANCE AT A LATER POINT TO SHARE WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM PROGRAMMING, UM, AT THE MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER, AS WELL AS PRODUCING MEOW FEST WITH THE CITY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE FERRIS. 
          UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN GO AHEAD. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, I AM, UH, TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF HAVING, UM, SUPPORTS FOR THE ARTS IN CENTRAL SQUARE, BUT I ALSO WORRY THAT THE MEANS OF DOING THAT WILL BE DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE, UH, GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT THAT IS ALREADY GOING ON IN OUR CITY. 
          AND I DON'T HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM OF HOW TO, UM, ACCOMPLISH THE SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE. 
          UH, BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY DOUBTFUL THAT THAT, UM, UPSELLING CENTRAL SQUARE IS GONNA BE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN. 
          AND, UM, I DON'T SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, A APPROACH WHERE, UM, THERE IS BENEFITS TO CENTRAL SQUARE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE OPTIONS ARE NOT EXPLORED IN THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER RAINA. 
          UM, I THOUGHT ASKED VERY GOOD QUESTIONS. 
          SO AS SINCE SHE IS IN THE ARTS WORLD AND I AM NOT, I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO HER. 
          UH, I'LL STOP THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, LEE. 
          WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO DAN TOTTEN. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UH, MY NAME IS DAN TOTTEN, 54 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE. 
          UM, UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE TWO POINTS. 
          ONE IS THAT, AGAIN, LIKE LEE, I LIKE, I'M SO PASSION. 
          THERE'S LEFT IN BOSTON THAT IS ACTUALLY FUN TO GO OUT IN AT NIGHT. 
          UM, AND THAT, AND THAT BY UPZONING CENTRAL SQUARE, WE MAY BE LEADING TOWARDS A SITUATION WHERE CENTRAL SQUARE JUST BECOMES LIKE ANOTHER SEAPORT OR ANOTHER ASSEMBLY ROW OR ANOTHER, EVEN JUST BOYLESTON STREET DOWN IN FENWAY. 
          THEY'RE JUST NOT SPECIAL. 
          THEY'RE FULL OF LIKE THESE CHAINS THAT ARE NOT LIKE, AT ALL ATTRACTIVE, AND WE STILL HAVE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          SO I REALLY, REALLY HOPE THAT, UM, AS THIS CONVERSATION MOVES FORWARD, THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT LOSING SIGHT OF THAT. 
          AND THAT FOLKS IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY REP REALIZE THAT, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO STAND TOGETHER AS A WHOLE AND, UM, NOT LET THE CITY SORT OF DIVIDE 
          [00:30:01]
US UP OVER, YOU KNOW, LIKE A FUND THAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY AT SOME POINT IN 10 YEARS, RIGHT? LIKE, WE NEED TO STICK TOGETHER AS THE PEOPLE. 
          AND I HOPE THAT FOLKS, UM, THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY WILL HEAR THAT MESSAGE WITH THE BEST OF INTENT. 
          UM, THE SECOND COMMENT IS JUST ABOUT, UM, THE TIMING OF THE ZONING PETITIONS. 
          LIKE THERE'S A, THERE'S A SLIDE IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION THAT PROJECTS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING PETITION RELEASED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND I AM ALSO AWARE THAT THE CITY INTENDS TO, UM, CLARIFY THE INCLUSIONARY ZONING PERCENTAGE. 
          RIGHTFULLY SO, AS WE'VE ASKED BEFORE IT EVEN MOVES FORWARD WITH CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          SO HOW ARE YOU GONNA HAVE A COMPLEX FRAUGHT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INCLUSIONARY PERCENTAGE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR AND GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU CAN INTRODUCE CENTRAL SQUARE IN JANUARY? AND OH, BY THE WAY, THE WHOLE CITY'S UPSET ABOUT MULTIFAMILY, AND YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT BY THE END, THE YEAR 27, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR VERY LONG. 
          SO I JUST POSED THE QUESTION OF LIKE, THIS IS NOT A REAL TIMELINE, AND WE SHOULD JUST BE HONEST ABOUT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, DAN. 
          THAT IS ALWAYS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          AND FOR THE RECORD WE HAVE, UM, MAYOR SADIKI AT THE TABLE WITH YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER COUNSELOR JOIN SINCE THEN. 
          UM, GREAT. 
          WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO THE QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION SECTION. 
          UH, I THINK SINCE WE'VE STARTED, WE'VE HAD TWO OF THE OTHER, UH, OTHER PANELISTS JOIN ON ZOOM FROM CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UH, KYLIE AND YAD, DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES? IF YOU COULD COME OFF MUTE ON THE ZOOM? YES. 
          HI, THIS IS JD SEDER FROM REPRESENTING NABIL AND NABIL NABIL SEDER FROM THE MIDDLE EAST RESTAURANT. 
          NABIL, GO AHEAD. 
          HELLO FOLKS, AND GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO BRING CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          CENTRAL SQUARE IS IS MY HOME. 
          I'VE BEEN IN CENTRAL SQUARE FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS, 55 YEARS. 
          THE MIDDLE EAST RESTAURANT AND NIGHTCLUB STARTED AS A SMALL LITTLE, TINY 24 SEATS. 
          AND, AND I'M REALLY, REALLY HONORED AND PLEASED THAT THE CITY AND ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY HELP TO SUPPORT THE ART AND THE CULTURE. 
          AND IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S MY HOME AND I REALLY WANNA KEEP THE ART, KEEP THE MUSIC, KEEP THE MIDDLE EAST. 
          PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DO WHATEVER YOU CAN DO AND KEEP DOING, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE YOU, WE REALLY SUPPORT YOU, AND WE ARE HERE TO BE PART OF CENTRAL SQUARE FOREVER AND EVER. 
          I'M, I'M JUST TURNED 79 AND I'M WILLING TO BE HERE UNTIL THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE TO SUPPORT YOU AND SUPPORT THE ART AND THE CULTURE AND THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL TOWN THAT WE ALL LOVE. 
          AND THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH. 
          WHATEVER NEEDED FROM US. 
          THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, AND KYLIE, ARE YOU ABLE TO COME OFF, UH, MUTE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YEP. 
          MY NAME IS KYLIE CONNORS AND I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF CANTAB LOUNGE. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, SO YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. 
          WOULD LOVE TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY FROM THE LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITY CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. 
          I'M JUST GONNA READ THE QUESTIONS QUICKLY. 
          FOR ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T, UH, IS WATCHING OR DOESN'T HAVE IT AHEAD OF THEM, THEY ARE, WHAT ARE THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES THAT ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ARE FACING IN CENTRAL SQUARE? DO YOU RENT OR OWN YOUR SPACE? AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT HOW YOU PLAN FOR THE FUTURE? UM, WHAT ASSISTANCE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM THE CITY TO HELP YOU STAY IN CENTRAL SQUARE? DO ANY OF THE APPROACHES SHARED TODAY RESONATE STRONGLY WITH, UH, WITH YOU? WHAT ONE THING DO YOU FEEL IS THE MOST CRITICAL FOR US TO KNOW AS WE ADVANCE THIS PROJECT? WHAT'S MISSING AND ARE THERE OTHER APPROACHES WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING? AND I'M HEARING THAT, UM, KEVIN FROM PHOENIX LANDING, MAYBE ONLINE AS WELL. 
          KEVIN, COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES. 
          UH, KEVIN TRAINOR HERE FROM THE PHOENIX LANDING. 
          GREAT, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          I'D LIKE TO JUST ECHO WHAT NA BILL WAS SAYING. 
          UH, IT'S, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THIS COMMITTEE GETTING TOGETHER BEFORE THINGS HAPPEN IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          UM, I'VE GOT, I MISSED THE START OF THE MEETING, I APOLOGIZE. 
          BUT, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES GOING ON REGARDING OUR BUILDINGS WITH OUR LANDLORD AND THAT, AND HE'S BASICALLY GIVEN EVERYONE A TWO AND A HALF YEAR LEASE. 
          BUT I MET HIM YESTERDAY, HE SAID, THERE'S NO PLANS AS OF NOW. 
          MY THOUGHT WOULD BE, THIS IS WHY I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN. 
          HE'LL OFFER US TO GO BACK INTO THE LOCATIONS, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN BOSTON BEFORE, AND THE COST OF GOING BACK INTO THE BUILDING WAS ASTRONOMICAL. 
          AND UNLESS WE HOLD THESE LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOME SORT OF PAYMENT TOWARDS US GOING BACK IN, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY WAY IT'LL HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, AS YOU SAY. 
          I'M SORRY I MISSED THE TO TOPICS BEFORE THIS, BUT I'LL 
          [00:35:01]
CATCH UP. 
          NO WORRIES. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. 
          THAT'S EXACTLY THE, THE KIND OF, UH, ISSUE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET HERE TODAY. 
          UM, SO YEAH, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. 
          IF FOLKS COULD RAISE THEIR HANDS EITHER IN PERSON OR, OR HIT THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON ZOOM, UM, WE'LL START. 
          A STACK WANTS TO GO FIRST AND I'LL, I'LL JUMP AT ONCE. 
          OH, UH, YEAH. 
          BRIAN, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD? SORRY, THROUGH YOUR CHAIR. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THESE ARE MEANT TO BE PROMPT QUESTIONS. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SORT OF STEER THE CONVERSATION, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO SORT OF GET IT FLOWING, SO I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL BEHOLDEN TO THAT. 
          IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE TOPICS, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OPEN TO HEAR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, SO THANK YOU FOR SURFACING THEM. 
          THAT'S A GREAT POINT. 
          UH, FOLKS WHO ARE NOT SPEAKING ON ZOOM COULD MUTE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WHO'D LIKE TO GO FIRST? CA, COUNCILOR , DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? DID YOU WANNA GO? LET'S FOLKS THINK, I THINK YOUR INTENTION WAS THAT THE ART SPEAK FIRST, RIGHT? SO I'M, I I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE ART SPEAK FIRST. 
          I, I CALL. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M GOOD TO GO FIRST. 
          UM, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANNA START WITH JUST SAYING HOW GREAT IT IS THAT WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, IN A FORUM LIKE THE SULLIVAN CHAMBER TODAY IN CITY HALL, THAT'S A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF HOW SERIOUS THE CITY IS TAKING THIS ZONING AND IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'VE SAT IN AT LEAST FIVE OF THESE MEETINGS WITH FOLKS FROM AROUND THIS TABLE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, REALLY LIKE STARTING TO UNPACK THIS, LIKE UNDERSTAND THIS TO ANSWER ONE OF THE PROMPTS, UM, A MOST PRESSING CHALLENGE THAT ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ARE FACING IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          JUST THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE BELOVED PLACES THAT WE ALL TURN TO ON A WEEKEND OR THURSDAY, FRIDAY NIGHT, ARE HOUSED IN ONE STORY BUILDINGS, RIGHT? THE CANTAB, THE MIDDLE EAST MAN, RAY, UM, THE PHOENIX LANDING, MONKFISH, LA FABRICA, MIDDLESEX, UM, THESE ARE ALL REALLY IMPORTANT PLACES, AND THEY'RE NOT JUST LIKE GROUND FLOOR LEASES. 
          UM, SO ANY SIZABLE UPZONING DOES PUT THOSE LOCATIONS AT LIST AT RISK. 
          AND I'D LOVE TO JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT PROTECTIONS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD. 
          YES, BUILDING BOX THIS BIG CAN GET THAT BIG IF THE PLACES GO BACK IN THE KEVIN, THE POINT KEVIN MADE AROUND THE COST OF GOING BACK IN, WORKING WITH LANDLORDS, DEVELOPERS, DO YOU GET A VANILLA BOX? DO YOU GET A ROUGH FINISH? DO YOU HAVE TO BRING OUT YOUR PLUMBING? THE COST OF DOING ANY OF THOSE THINGS IS SO, UH, DAUNTING. 
          UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTERS REALLY AROUND, UM, OPERATORS, YOU KNOW, I'M SO HAPPY AND GRATEFUL TO BE SITTING NEXT TO TWO GREAT OPERATORS, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL OPERATORS ON THE LINE. 
          UM, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE OPERATOR TOO. 
          IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE, THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS OR, OR THE BUILDING. 
          IT'S, IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE OPERATORS. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE A HUGE FARM LEAGUE IN GREATER BOSTON OF FOLKS WHO COULD JUST MOVE INTO SPACES. 
          AND I REALLY QUESTION HOW CAN WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND OWNERSHIP VERSUS LEASEHOLD, UM, BECAUSE OWNERSHIP ALLOWS FOR OPERATORS TO DO MORE, TO HAVE LONGER TENURE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THOSE FIT OUTS AND, AND DESIGNS YOU SHOWED, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD SORT OF IZE SOME OF THAT STUFF SO THERE'S MORE OWNERSHIP INTO THESE NEW BUILDINGS AT THE GROUND FLOOR WITH SOME OF THESE OPERATORS? UM, I'LL HOLD THAT FOR NOW AND TURN IT OVER TO SOME OF MY COUNTERPARTS AND, AND ADD SOME MORE AS THE CONVERSATION GOES. 
          THANKS FOR HAVING US. 
          IT'S REALLY, UH, AS MICHAEL SAYS, IT'S JUST A, UM, TO BE TREATED WITH THIS RESPECT TO COME INTO THIS CHAMBER AND HAVE SO MANY MEETINGS OVER THE LAST FEW, UH, YEARS. 
          REALLY. 
          UH, UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IN, IN, IN THE DANCE WORLD ESPECIALLY, WE ARE NOT TRAINED TO DO THIS. 
          I'M TRAINED TO MAKE SOME DANCES AND I MAKE SOME DAMN GOOD ONES. 
          I WORK WITH COMMUNITY. 
          AND, UM, AND SO THIS IS A BIG COMMUNITY EXERCISE, AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DANCE BY THE END OF THIS MEETING. 
          JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, UM, UH, I WAIT, I WAIT FOR THAT DAY. 
          I DO, UM, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COME UP FOR ME IN THE, UH, AS WE OWN OUR OWN BUILDING, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT IT SINCE I GOT THERE, DAY ONE, UH, IN THE BEGINNING, THIS IS NO SHADE ON, ON OUR, MY PREDECESSORS. 
          IT JUST, WE WERE MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING. 
          TAKING THAT EMPTY BUILDING AND MAKING IT INTO A DANCE CENTER, WHICH I WANT TO, UM, SAY, I KNOW WE ALL LOVE THE DANCE COMPLEX, 
          [00:40:01]
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU REALIZE THAT THIS IS THE CENTER OF PEOPLE'S ANCESTRIES. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE LIKE IT IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
          I WAS JUST AT A CONFERENCE IN, UH, AUSTIN, TEXAS, UH, UH, MEETING OTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ARTISTS, 200 OF THEM. 
          AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THIS IN CAMBRIDGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          SO WHEN I SAY THAT, UM, WE NEED, UH, SPECIAL ATTENTION, IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S EITHER OR WITH THEATER OR ANYTHING LIKE ELSE, IF WE WERE, IF WE WEREN'T THERE, YOU KNOW, ANCIENT HULA, SEVEN KINDS OF AFRICAN DANCE, UM, UH, MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE, EVERYTHING WOULD JUST KIND OF HAVE TO GO FIND ITS WAY BACK INTO BASEMENTS AND, AND, UH, HOME STUDIOS. 
          THAT'S THAT KIND OF THING. 
          SO, SO IT IS ABOUT THE CULTURE OF, OF WHO WE ARE. 
          UM, AND SOME OF THE MEETINGS WE'VE HAD, I'VE BEEN, UH, AWARE OF, UH, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN AROUND, UH, FOR A FEW DECADES, THAT, THAT IT'S THE LONGEVITY OF HOW LONG THESE THINGS LAST, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN MAKE THESE POLICIES AND MAKE THEM, UM, UH, IN FAVOR OF THE ARTS AND, AND BUILD ANOTHER FLOOR ACROSS THE STREET AND IT BENEFITS US, BUT IT'S HOW THE INTERWOVEN INTERLOCKED, UM, POLICIES AND LEGISLATION AND, AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAPPEN. 
          IT'S HOW WE LOOK AT THE STATE AND THE CONVERSATIONS THERE. 
          SO, SO THIS IS REALLY GOOD WORK, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN ECOLOGY, RIGHT? SO I JUST, UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD AT THE BEGINNING AND THEN, AND THEN 4, 6, 12 YEARS LATER, IT'S BACK TO THE SAME THING. 
          AND THAT, UH, UH, ERA OF ARTISTS IS STILL DEALING WITH, UM, WITH THAT, UM, ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND, AND I THINK IT, MIKE, WHEN YOU CAME ON TO CREATE THE BID FROM THE BUSINESS, UH, UH, WHAT WAS IT CALLED? ASSOCIATION. 
          UM, IT, IT WAS THE, THE REVALUING OF THE ARTS AS AN INTEGRAL PROCESS TO BE HERE. 
          SO I THINK IT, FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT BRANDING. 
          IT'S LIKE, YES, WE CAN SAY THIS, BUT IN, UH, IN LIGHT OF WHAT THE, UH, GENTLEMAN SAID ABOUT, UM, BECOMING KIND OF DISNEYFIED IN CENTRAL SQUARE, IT FEELS TO ME THAT WE'RE, UM, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, NOT GO THROUGH THE NEGATIVE DOOR, BUT THROUGH THE POSITIVE DOOR AND, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE BID HAS CREATED FOR US IN THE SENSE THAT WE LIVE UP TO THIS AND IT'S A TRUE AUTHENTIC VALUE, HOW THE CITY CAN HELP US, UH, UH, PUSH THAT UP AS WELL. 
          SO WE'RE NOT, UM, FIGHTING AGAINST SOMETHING. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE PLANTING SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW WITH THAT. 
          UM, AND LAST THING I'LL JUST OFFER IS WE'VE, WE'VE ENJOYED SUCH A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OVER THE LAST, WELL, 10 YEARS. 
          AND, UH, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AS AN OWNER, UH, OF THE BUILDING, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHERE WE WOULD BE AT THIS POINT. 
          UH, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO GET MORTGAGES REFINANCED, UH, WITHOUT THEIR HELP, UM, UH, TO GET A LOAN, UH, UH, SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST START SOME OF THE, UH, WORK ON THE FRONT FACADE OR BOTOX FOR BRICKS, AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT, THE REPOINTING. 
          AND, UM, SO, SO THAT IF THERE WEREN'T A CRA RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS AGAIN, NO SHADE TO ANYBODY IN THIS CIRCLE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD'VE DONE. 
          AND, UH, SO I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF, TOM. 
          AND, UM, AND WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO MORE WAYS ARTISTS ARE WILLING PARTNERS TO ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING. 
          AND I THINK SOMETIMES, WELL, SOME ARTISTS ARE FOLD THEIR ARMS IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO FOR ME? THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH ANYBODY AT THIS TABLE OR ANYTHING, DON'T THINK. 
          AND ALSO IT'S, IT'S NOT THE CASE WITH, UM, PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT THE DANCE COMPLEX WHO WANT TO PRESERVE AND BE A, A LIVING DYNAMIC ARCHIVE OF TODAY AND TOMORROW, UH, AS WE GO ON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OTHER FOLKS? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ANYBODY ON THE ZOOM I OH, OH, SORRY. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          NO, I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD. 
          UM, THANKS PETER AND MICHAEL, THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, THOUGHTS AND YOUR CAREFUL THINKING ON WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          CERTAINLY, UM, WHAT CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS COULD BE IN THE SQUARE TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE LOST AND GREATER, AND THEN ALSO WHAT EXISTS. 
          UM, I'M IN LARGE AGREEMENT WITH EVERYTHING PETER SAID AND, AND ALSO HOW MICHAEL FEELS ABOUT THINGS. 
          SO I THINK I'LL TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION. 
          UM, SO, SO CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER IS A BIG COLLABORATOR. 
          I MEAN, WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH EVERYONE HERE, HERE. 
          WE WERE JUST HERE IN THE SUMMER, UH, DOING NO RECOMBINATION WITHOUT, UM, REPRESENTATION, WHICH WAS A GREAT, UH, TWO WEEK PROGRAM WITH, UH, MIT AND THE CITY. 
          UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH PETER A LOT, BOTH FOR, BOTH WITH JASON AND, UM, AND THE RIVERFEST AND OTHER PROJECTS. 
          SO, AND WE'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TOO. 
          SO A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO AND WHAT I THINK IS INTEGRAL TO A CULTURAL DISTRICT IS THE WORKING TOGETHER, RIGHT? COLLABORATING, FINDING STRENGTH IN YOUR NEIGHBORS, UM, INCREASING YOUR AUDIENCES, BEING ABLE TO TREAT YOUR ARTISTS BETTER, MORE PAY, ET CETERA. 
          UM, SO I'LL, 
          [00:45:01]
I'LL MENTION THAT. 
          AND MORE SPACE IN THE SQUARE FOR CULTURAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONS IS, UH, VERY POSITIVE FOR US. 
          'CAUSE IT'S MORE FRIENDS TO COLLABORATE WITH. 
          UH, I, I THINK THE, HMM, I THINK THE ISSUE WITH DEVELOPMENT AND ACTUALLY UPZONING, DOES UPZONING MEAN JUST BUILDING HIGHER OR ANY NEW BUILDING? THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE. 
          UPZONING IS THAT I DON'T, IS THAT BUILDING HIGHER OR ANY NEW ANYONE ? YEAH. 
          SO IT, IT REFERS TO KIND OF INCREASING THE ZONING CAPACITY. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT IT, SO NEW DEVELOPMENT, NEW DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THAT. 
          UM, I MEAN, NEW DEVELOPMENT BRINGS IN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW MONEY. 
          SO CERTAINLY PAYMENT IN LIEU AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE, UH, WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL TO US. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'VE NOW, WE'RE ON OUR 18TH YEAR HERE, UM, SHOCKINGLY, AND WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF CAPITAL NEEDS THAT, THAT, FRANKLY, NO ONE'S REALLY FUNDING OR THEY'RE FUNDING AT SUCH SMALL, NOT NO ONE CRA, NOT NO ONE, UM, BUT THEIR FUNDING MAYBE NOT ENOUGH COMPARED TO WHAT WE NEED. 
          WE PROBABLY NEED TO PUT IN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE NEXT, I DUNNO, HOWEVER MANY YEARS. 
          UM, AND WE'RE A NEW BUILDING, RELATIVELY NEW, RIGHT? I GUESS WE'RE NOT NEW ANYMORE. 
          , UM, NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. 
          UH, SO, SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, MORE DEVELOPMENT AND HOW DO YOU RETAIN THE CULTURE OF THE SQUARE. 
          UM, UH, THAT'S A CONFLICT THAT EXISTS AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SOLVE THAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT. 
          UM, I WANNA SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST THEATER IN GENERAL. 
          SO, 'CAUSE WE'VE DONE, I JUST WENT TO A BIG CONFERENCE WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT THEATER IN THE UNITED STATES. 
          UM, BUDGETS FOR THEATERS ARE DOWN, INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS. 
          UH, AUDIENCE AUDIENCES ARE DOWN. 
          WE'RE STILL IN RECOVERY MODE FROM COVID, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. 
          UM, THERE ARE FEWER PERFORMANCES AND SMALLER CROWDS. 
          THIS IS SORT OF AN AVERAGE ACROSS THE NATION. 
          UM, AUDIENCES ARE DOWN ALMOST 57% ACROSS THE NATION, WHICH IS SHOCKING. 
          THAT IS NOT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, THANK GOODNESS. 
          UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN A DECENT PLACE. 
          I'D SAY WE'RE HOLD AND STEADY. 
          UM, BUT WHAT IT SAYS IS MAYBE THE WAVE HASN'T FULLY CRASHED ON US YET, AND THE NEXT FEW YEARS DUE TO GOVERNMENT FUND LACK, LACK OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND, AND OTHER, AND THE TRICKLE DOWN OF ALL THAT, UM, WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT US. 
          SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S SORT OF THE WORLD OF THEATER. 
          AND I KNOW THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS IS ALSO, UH, STRUGGLING FROM OUR FRIENDS THAT WE COLLABORATE WITH AS WELL. 
          SO THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA GET EASIER . 
          SO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND MOVING THIS FORWARD. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST WANT TO ADD A SMALL THING. 
          I BLIND SIGHT TO MY LEFT AND TO THANK CAMBRIDGE ARTS, UH, COUNCIL JASON FROM THE GET GO HELPING US THROUGH AS WELL. 
          I DIDN'T SEE YOU SITTING THERE, SO I'D ADD JUST ONE PIECE, UM, ABOUT THAT QUESTION OF DEFINITION OF UPZONING TO THE THING CDD SAID. 
          AND FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME, BUT I THINK, UH, PART OF IT, RIGHT, YOU CAN, COULD REDEVELOP RIGHT NOW, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THAT IN CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          THE MIDDLE EAST, I THINK A FEW YEARS AGO HAD A PROPOSAL FOR A REDEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, ENDED UP NOT GOING AHEAD, BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT YOU CAN REDEVELOP AND UPZONING, UH, WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GO TALLER. 
          THAT CREATES MORE VALUE IF YOU CAN GO TALLER. 
          AND ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IS IF THE CITY IS LETTING FOLKS BUILD TALLER AND CREATE MORE VALUE, WHAT DO CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS GET IN RETURN? WHAT CAN WE DEMAND? IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TWO STORIES TALLER, THREE STORIES TALLER, HOW CAN WE DEMAND A VALUE FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN RETURN? YEAH. 
          AWESOME. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU VIN, FOR SAYING THAT. 
          UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE. 
          I THINK, UM, PE YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO SAY REZONING BECAUSE, UM, THE, I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT THE FACT THAT DEVELOPMENT MICHAEL'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 
          IT, IT PUTS, UM, PEOPLE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT, WHETHER THAT'S WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING OR BUSINESSES, AND THAT'S A CONCERN. 
          UM, BUT TALKING ABOUT ZONING DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME ONE THING OR THE OTHER. 
          WE'RE AT THAT, WE'RE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT TODAY UNDER CURRENT ZONING. 
          AND SO WHAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IS HOW CAN WE USE ZONING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LEVERAGING ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO GET THE THINGS THAT WE WANT. 
          AND SO I THINK OFTEN THERE'S THIS CONNOTATION THAT, OH, YOU DO NOTHING, WE'RE SAFE, IT, WE'RE NOT. 
          UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS PUT FORWARD WHAT ARE OUR VALUES 
          [00:50:01]
AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. 
          UM, THE OTHER POINT I WILL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZONING. 
          THAT'S THE, THE PROJECT. 
          THERE ARE SO MANY TOOLS, UM, AT, AT NOT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS MULTIPLE TOOLS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY WHO CAN HELP AND NOR NOR SHOULD WE, IT'S THE CRA, IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, IT IT DEPENDS ON, IT'S THE OPERATORS. 
          LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S CRITICAL. 
          AND SO IT'S THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WE NEED TO, UM, WORK AND THRIVE ON. 
          AND IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE THING HERE, BUT I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT LIKE THERE CERTAINLY IS A FULL, UM, ECOSYSTEM OF WORK AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT, THAT FEED AND WHAT MAKES CENTRAL SQUARE SO SPECIAL. 
          AND WE WANNA CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, WE, AS VICE, VICE MAYOR ZE WITH HIS HAND UP, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ONE OF OH, A GO TO COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN AND COUNCILOR. 
          OH, COUNCILOR, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? COUNCILOR SUI FIRST, I THINK YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP A WHILE AGO. 
          COUNCILLOR EE COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN. 
          I ALSO DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE ONE OF OUR OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ON ZOOM. 
          WE HAVE DENNIS BANZA, UH, FROM THE, THE FABRICA. 
          DENNIS, DO YOU WANNA, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF BRIEFLY? LET'S SEE. 
          MAY HAVE TO GO BACK TO, UH, MR. BENZA. 
          UM, WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR. 
          OH, SORRY, I'M BACK HERE. 
          SORRY. 
          WILL THAT NO WORRIES. 
          UM, YEAH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UM, FOR PUTTING THIS, UH, HEARING TOGETHER. 
          AND I KNOW THAT MANY YOU GUYS AROUND THE TABLE, PARTICULARLY MICHAEL AND MY, UH, PARTNER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FRIEND KATHY OVER AT THE CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY EVERYBODY IN THE SQUARE, THE DANCE COMPLEX HAS, THAT'S DOING A LOT OF INCREDIBLY HARD WORK NOWADAYS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OPERATING A BUSINESS IN CENTRAL SQUARE, ASIDE FROM THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT EVERY DAY. 
          AND YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER, UM, WHEN I WAS CHAIRING THE ZONING COMMITTEE ON THE CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2013, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MASS AND MAINE, UM, ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TODAY WERE DISCUSSED BACK THEN, AND THEY WERE DISCUSSED 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT IN A REPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, KEN RES PROVIDED, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HELP OF A LOT OF THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, THESE CHALLENGES ARE REAL, RIGHT? BUT I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA CREATE SOME KIND OF A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IN CENTRAL SQUARE, WE'VE GOTTA BE WILLING TO MAKE BOLD DECISIONS. 
          AND WHEN WE DECIDED TO BUILD MASS IN MAINE, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY BOLD DECISION AND SOME OF US PAID A HEAVY PRICE POLITICALLY FOR IT, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY 2013, WE'RE NOW IN 2026, NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN BUILT IN CENTRAL SQUARE THAT HELPS SUSTAIN THE BUSINESSES OR THE HOUSING DEMAND IN THAT AREA. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, WE'VE GOTTA BE WILLING TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS THAT ARE GONNA BENEFIT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, THAT ARE GONNA ALLOW THOSE OF US THAT ARE OPERATES TO EITHER GROW OR BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE SQUARE, LIVING IN THE SQUARE THAT CAN HELP SUSTAIN OUR, OUR BUSINESSES AND GO TO THE THEATER AND GO TO THE RESTAURANTS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE PLACES THAT ARE POPPING UP, UM, THAT, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE CALL THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU KNOW AGAIN, ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR, UH, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. 
          AND I, AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL, UH, IS PREPARED TO MAKE SOME BOLD DECISIONS AND THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO HOLD THEM, UM, THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE AS WELL AS THE LANDLORDS AND THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UM, HOPEFULLY, UM, UH, WORKING IN THE SQUARE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR ZIM, AND THEN COUNCILLOR SUI, UH, VICE MAYOR ZE. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE, UM, ONE SMALL COMMENT, WHICH IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TO, UH, MELISSA, JUST AS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE HERE AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING. 
          THIS IS LIKE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? IN THAT EVERYTHING FOR THE MOST PART WILL REQUIRE A SPECIAL PERMIT, UH, THAT GETS DEVELOPED, UH, UNDER ANY CHANGES IN CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? Y YES. 
          SO CURRENTLY THE LIMIT IS 75,000 SQUARE FEET THAT WOULD GET A SPECIAL PERMIT IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, WHEN OUR ZONING PETITION WOULD, WOULD NOT CHANGE AND MOST DEVELOPMENT AT, AT THE SCALE WOULD FALL UNDER THAT. 
          SO YES, YOU'RE CORRECT. 
          SO THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, WHICH IS THAT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS WILL LIKELY REQUIRE A SPECIAL PERMIT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE ALL THE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT DON'T REQUIRE IT ALREADY ALLOWED NOW. 
          AND WHAT'S NICE ABOUT A SPECIAL PERMIT, ESPECIALLY IN LIKE A VERY SENSITIVE CONTEXT LIKE CENTRAL SQUARE, IS THAT THE CITY CAN JUST SAY NO. 
          AND SO THE PLANNING BOARD CAN JUST SAY NO TO A PROJECT THAT THEY FEEL LIKE IS NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE BUYRIGHT PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO, SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT AS A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT. 
          [00:55:01]
THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GONNA COUNCILOR ZUI AND THEN COUNCILOR GOVERN. 
          AND THEN COUNCILOR ZUBIE. 
          COUNCILOR ZUI. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, CHAIR SABRINA WHEELER. 
          SO I, I WANTED TO ASK, THIS IS FOR CITY STAFF AND UM, MAYBE, UM, SO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, THAT I KNOW WELL THAT HAVE REALLY VIBRANT ARTS AND THINKING, I'M FROM MARYLAND, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, WHERE MY SISTER LEE LIVES. 
          THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT'S NOT A COMPLETE COMPARABLE, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG CITY NOW. 
          IT WASN'T A BIG CITY WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN KENSINGTON, MARYLAND, BUT IT'S A THRIVING CULTURAL CENTER. 
          AND I WAS JUST LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MADE IT THERE, IT MADE IT A THRIVING CULTURAL CENTER AND APPARENTLY IT WAS 'CAUSE OF STRATEGIC PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
          THEY FOCUSED ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THEN THEY HAD A LOT OF STATE BACKED ARTS AND THEY PLANNED REALLY WELL. 
          THEY USED TAX INCENTIVES TO REBUILD THE CORE, AND THEN AGAIN, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
          AND THEN THEY HAD ANCHOR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. 
          AND THEN I'M JUST THINKING, MY SISTER LIVES IN, UM, BEACON, NEW YORK, WHICH HAS DIA ARTS CENTER, WHICH IS ANOTHER VERY, VERY BRIGHT, UH, VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S ON A DIFFERENT SCALE, SO IT'S NOT REALLY A COMPARABLE. 
          AND THEN I'M THINKING OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, WHICH AGAIN IS SORT OF THE SAME SIZE AS BEACON ON THE HUDSON RIVER. 
          AND YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A WHOLE ECOSYSTEM ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALL LIKE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. 
          BUT I'M WONDERING WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, UH, REALLY SUPPORTING THE ARTS MORE SUBSTANTIALLY AT CENTRAL SCARE SQUARE, I GUESS CLAUDIA, I DON'T KNOW. 
          OR DIRECTOR ZU, I DUNNO IF THIS IS REALLY FOR YOU. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE LIKE A ZONING PERSON AND YOU'RE FOCUSED ON THE ARTS, BUT THAT, SO ARE YOU THINKING THAT IT'S TAX INCENTIVES? I KNOW THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT YOU'VE SHARED BUT ARE YOU THINKING THAT'S WHAT MIGHT DO IT? AND I WANTED TO GO BACK TO, UM, RENA'S, REALLY GOOD QUESTION, WHICH IS, WHAT ABOUT OPERATIONAL COSTS? AND ARE, WHEN YOU'VE SEEN OTHER MODELS OF CITIES OF OUR SIZE, LIKE REALLY INFUSING THE ARTS, ARE THEY ALSO NOT JUST INFUSING, LIKE CREATING BUILDINGS, SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF SPACES, BUT HOW ARE THEY, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WELL FUNDED SO THAT THEY CAN OPERATE AND CONTINUE AND THRIVE? THAT'S, THANK YOU. 
          THREE CHAIR. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA INTRODUCE, UH, CHRISTINA TURNER FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WHO HAS BEEN A PARTNER IN SOME OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE ASKING, AND THAT I WILL SHARE BRIEFLY. 
          UM, IN TERMS OF OPERATORS, THE, YOUR CONCERN, MIKE, IS VERY VALID, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK ON AND HOW TO BUILD SUP, UM, SUPPORTING CAPACITY TO CULTURAL OPERATORS, BECAUSE, LIKE PETER SAID, OWNING YOUR BUILDING DOES NOT GUARANTEE STABILITY. 
          IT REQUIRES A CERTAIN TECHNICAL, UM, SKILLSET AND CONNECTIONS AND NAVIGATING THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, UH, LANDSCAPE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EASY TO DO. 
          UM, SO PART OF THAT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO FOLLOW, TO DEVELOP A PILOT PROGRAM FOR, UM, CULTURAL OPERATORS CALLED CULTURAL SPACE READINESS PILOT, THAT WOULD BRING IN, UM, OPERATORS TO SUPPORT THEM WITH THEIR ACCESS TO SPACE NEEDS. 
          AND THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR JOURNEY FOR SPACE. 
          SO THAT WOULD PROVIDE YOU WITH ASSISTANCE IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO WORK WITH AN ARCHITECT. 
          AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH AN ARCHITECT IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE? IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO, UH, REVIEW A LEASE, YOU'VE NEVER SIGNED A LEASE. 
          IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST OR AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS NEVER DONE THAT, THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU WOULD BE SUPPORTED THROUGH THAT WITH THE ARTS, ARTS AND BUSINESS COUNCIL, UM, AND THEIR NETWORK OF CONSULTANTS, UM, THAT WILL LAUNCH SOON. 
          UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, JUST CON WAITING ON FUNDING CONFIRMATION FOR THAT. 
          BUT THAT IS ONE WAY WE SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CENTRAL SQUARE AND ORGANIZATIONS BEYOND CENTRAL SQUARE. 
          BUT IT IS A VERY VALID CONCERN THAT WE SEE, UM, DAY TO DAY. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU AS A, A CULTURAL NONPROFIT, YOU EITHER KNOW HOW TO RUN A CULTURAL NONPROFIT IN ITS PROGRAM REALLY WELL, OR YOU MANAGE A BUILDING, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME AS  NATURALLY TO DO BOTH, UM, UH, CASE STUDIES. 
          THE VCA, THE BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN BOSTON HAS A CODE DIRECTORSHIP MODEL. 
          BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY HAVE A CO-DIRECTOR THAT MANAGES THE FACILITIES AND ONLY THE FACILITIES AND ALL THAT IT ENTAILS. 
          AND THEN ANOTHER DIRECTOR THAT MANAGES THEIR PROGRAMMING. 
          SO THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A VERY DIFFERENT SET OF SKILLS NEEDED AND THE ONE PERSON CANNOT DO BOTH. 
          UM, TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING 
          [01:00:01]
CENTRAL SQUARE BEYOND ZONING, RIGHT NOW, THE FOCUS IS ON THE ZONING AND THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT OF EXISTING LOCATION ORGANIZATIONS OR CREATING NEW SPACE THROUGH THE SURVEY, WE FOUND THAT. 
          AND HOW, WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE RATE? , I KNOW IT'S SUBSTANTIAL , UH, THROUGH YOUR CHAIR. 
          IT'S, UH, OVER 600 AT THE MOMENT. 
          UM, WE DO HAVE A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE DEMANDS FOR SPACE. 
          WHAT YOU, WHAT WOULD THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THE ART, AN ARTIST, THE CREATIVE WE LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF SPACE? AND WE SEE IN THE RESPONSE THAT THERE'S A MIX OF A NEED FOR SMALL PRODUCTION SPACES, LIKE AN ARTIST STUDIO, A RECORDING STUDIO, AND A SMALL TO MEDIUM PRESENTATION SPACES LIKE A GALLERY, UM, DANCE STUDIO AND OTHER STUFF LIKE MEDIUM SIZE, NOT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT LIKE THE PLATFORM. 
          SO HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEMAND AND THE LANDSCAPE RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT WOULD GIVE US A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO CRAFT MORE, UM, SPECIFIC TYPES OF SUPPORT. 
          UM, I KNOW THERE, ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONCERN ABOUT OVERSIGHT FOR THIS POTENTIAL FUND. 
          UM, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BRING IN, AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERS AND PETER HAS, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS, WHAT IS OVERSIGHT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING A NEW, A NEW FUND. 
          SO WE WOULD CERTAINLY EMBED THAT INTO THE WRITING OF HOW WE CREATE A, AN OVERSIGHT BODY COMMITTEE THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ARTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE, UM, TO GUIDE US ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT FUND. 
          THAT, THAT SOUNDS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          I'M, I'M THINKING OF, UH, KENNEDY , THE, THE KENNEDY CENTER IN WASHINGTON DC WHICH, UH, WHERE THE OVERSIGHT BODY WAS CRUCIAL TO ITS, UM, SUCCESSFUL MAN. 
          OKAY, WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN AND THEN COUNCILLOR ZUBIE, COUNCILLOR GN. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, THROUGH YOU. 
          UH, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY, UH, HERE AND TO ALL THE PROVIDERS. 
          I'M SORT OF LOOKING AROUND THE TABLE AND I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS TOOK BALLET LESSONS AT THE DANCE COMPLEX. 
          I'VE BEEN TO A MILLION SHOWS AT CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER, AND GOD KNOWS I'VE SPENT ONE TOO MANY NIGHTS AT THE CAN TAB IN THE PHOENIX . 
          SO, UM, I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU IN THE ROLE YOU'VE PLAYED, UH, IN MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY'S LIFE. 
          UM, JUST A COUPLE THOUGHTS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I I, I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO THINK HARD ABOUT, UM, HOW WE DO HELP PRESERVE THE PLACES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN AS WE TALK ABOUT REZONING AND UPZONING AND REDEVELOPMENT, WE KNOW IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S VERY HARD TO KEEP A PLACE OPEN WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, PILE DRIVING AND YOU KNOW, THINGS GOING AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SO, SO WE, THE, THE, THE RISK OF THOSE PLACES ARE, ARE REAL. 
          UM, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, AND WE, WE TALK ABOUT THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FINANCIAL REALITIES OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL REALITIES OF IF WE LOST THESE BUSINESSES AND THE, THE FINANCIAL BENEFIT THEY BRING TO THE CITY. 
          BUT IN TERMS OF THE, IN TERMS OF THE REZONING, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE SAY, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE A DEVELOPER TOO MUCH HEIGHT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TALL BUILDINGS, BUT HERE ARE THE 15 THINGS WE DEMAND DEVELOPERS DO IN ORDER TO BUILD THEIR BUILDING. 
          AND THE REALITY IS, IF THAT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT FINANCIALLY, THAT BUILDING NEVER GETS BUILT. 
          AND WE NEVER REALIZE THE, THE BENEFITS THAT WE WOULD THEN GET FROM THAT TRADE OFF, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW YOU CAN BUILD UP THE FIVE STORIES ON MASS AVE AND CENTRAL SQUARE, AND NOBODY'S DOING IT, RIGHT. 
          UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOESN'T PENCIL. 
          AND SO I THINK AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS, THE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA SAY WE WANT THE DEVELOPER TO BRING THESE BUSINESSES BACK IF THEY'RE DISPLACED, AND PAY FOR THEM TO RETURN AND SUPPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, SUPPLEMENT THEIR RENT AT A, AT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, BUT CERTAINLY NOT WHAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING FOR. 
          ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADD COST. 
          AND IF WE DON'T OFFSET THAT, SOMEHOW IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. 
          AND SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THE ZONING, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE BALANCE THAT. 
          AND I DON'T THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB AS THE, AS A COLLECTIVE IN EXPLAINING HOW THE FINANCING OF DEVELOPMENT WORKS. 
          AND SO PEOPLE JUST SAY, HEY, I WANT A SEVEN STORY BUILDING, BUT HERE ARE 27, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS THAT I PUT ON ALL GREAT, 
          [01:05:01]
RIGHT? AND ALL SOUND GOOD INDIVIDUALLY, BUT COLLECTIVELY MEANS NOTHING GETS DONE, BECAUSE NO DEVELOPER'S GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO IT. 
          SO I THINK WE HAVE TO, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE ZONING AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY TRY TO EDUCATE OURSELVES AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT ARE THE, THE REAL FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THIS, THIS, UM, I, I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE ARTS AND CULTURE, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE SQUARE IS, UM, JUST THE VARIETY THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE JUST RESTAURANTS, RIGHT? WE WANT THE DANCE COMPLEX, WE WANT THE THEATER, WE WANT, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE OTHER PLACES. 
          BUT I ALSO WANT CAMBRIDGE AND CENTRAL SQUARE IN PARTICULAR, TO BE AN EVEN MORE EXCITING PLACE THAN, THAN, THAN IT IS TODAY, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHERE THE RESTAURANTS COME IN. 
          AND I THINK ABOUT WHAT WE DID AROUND THE WORLD CUP, I THINK ABOUT WHAT MIKE AND, AND THE BID DOES AROUND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE, THE DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE-OFF, YOU KNOW, FESTIVALS AND THINGS THAT THEY DO, AND HOW DO WE DO MORE OF THAT AND ENCOURAGE MORE OF THAT? YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE CLOSING DOWN SYDNEY STREET EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, AND DOING EXCITING THINGS TO DRAW PEOPLE IN. 
          'CAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WILL, THEY'LL GO TO RESTAURANTS, THEY'LL SPEND MONEY, THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL GET INTO, THEY'LL SAY, WOW, THERE'S A DANCE COMPLEX. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. 
          MAYBE, YOU KNOW? SO BRINGING MORE PEOPLE IN IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO SUSTAINING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE SAY WE WANT TO SUSTAIN, WHETHER THEY'RE COMING IN TO VISIT OR WHETHER THEY'RE, WE'RE BUILDING MORE HOUSING. 
          SO THEY ACTUALLY LIVE HERE. 
          AND WHEN YOU THINK OF THE, THE JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN LOST IN KENDALL SQUARE RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE DIDN'T LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, RIGHT? SO THEY, BUT THEY WOULD COME INTO WORK AND THEN THEY'D GO OUT AFTER WORK, RIGHT? OR THEY, THEY GO TO A SHOW, THEY GO GET SOMETHING TO EAT, THEY GO TO A BAR. 
          IF THOSE JOBS ARE ALL GETTING CUT, THAT'S LESS PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY. 
          LESS REVENUE FOR ALL, FOR ALL THE ARTS AND, AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE SQUARE. 
          SO THESE ARE JUST ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES. 
          SO I, I, UM, I DO HAVE TO TAKE MY LEAVE. 
          I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. 
          BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY MY COMMITMENT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE, WE MAINTAIN CENTRAL AS A, A REALLY STRONG CULTURAL DISTRICT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. 
          UM, ONE THING WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IN THIS, WE'VE GOT THESE TWO PARALLEL PROCESSES GOING ON. 
          WE'VE GOT THE CENTRAL SQUARE REZONING, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE CITY LOT STUDIES GO, GO GOING ON. 
          SO THINKING WE DIDN'T REALLY TOUCH ON THAT. 
          SO THINKING ABOUT PROPERTY THAT WE ALREADY OWN, AND HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE THAT, UM, TO, IF IT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPED, IF WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH A DEVELOPER, WE OWN THAT LAND, THAT'S A HUGE PRICE OR A HUGE VALUE, I SHOULD SAY, TO A DEVELOPER. 
          SO IF WE'RE GONNA TURN OVER SOME OF THAT LAND TO A DEVELOPER, WE SHOULD REALLY BE S SQUEEZING THEM FOR AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AROUND THESE, AROUND THESE BENEFITS, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GIVING THEM A GREAT ASSET IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE PROPERTY. 
          SO THINKING ABOUT THE LOT STUDY AND HOW THAT FITS INTO ALL THIS, AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THE PROPERTY WE ALREADY OWN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I'M GONNA HAVE TO TAKE OFF, BUT I THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR WORK ON THIS AND, AND HAVING THIS, UH, HAVING THIS COMMITTEE HEARING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCILLOR ZUBIE NEXT. 
          COUNCILLOR ZUBIE. 
          I'LL JUST TAKE YOUR TOO, TOO. 
          OH, PERFECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M NOT TALL. 
          UM, ANYWAYS, UH, THANK YOU THROUGH YOUR CHAIR. 
          I DEFINITELY REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, THE START TO THE CONVERSATION ON THIS. 
          I KNOW I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO SINCE THE MULTIPLE STUDIES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE EVEN REFERENCED IN THIS PRESENTATION. 
          UM, I WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH A BIT, I WANT TO RAISE SOME POINTS SO THAT I WAS JUST THINKING THROUGH AS I LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, LOOK BACK AT THE K TWO C TWO REPORT, UH, THE CITY LOT STUDY AND THIS PRESENTATION, AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS THAT I HAD. 
          UM, SO AT THE BEGINNING, I NOTICED THE SLIDE SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, ZONING SPECIFICALLY CAN'T PRESERVE SPECIFIC BUSINESSES OR SPACES, AND IT CAN ONLY DELIVER BENEFITS THROUGH NEW DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, WHAT I TAKE AWAY FROM THAT IS EVERY CULTURAL TOOL IN THE PROPOSAL WILL HAVE TO DEPEND ON A PRIVATE DEVELOPER CHOOSING TO USE IT. 
          UM, AND IT'S PREDICATED ON THE, I, AGAIN, ON THE IDEA THAT IT'S ASKING A PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO CHOOSE TO BUILD OR PROTECT CULTURAL SPACE AND EXCHANGE FOR MORE HEIGHT OR DENSITY. 
          UM, I NOTICED ALSO IN THE PRESENTATION YOU REFERENCED A LOSS OF OVER 30,000, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE OF CULTURAL SPACE, UM, UNDER THE EXISTING RULES. 
          SO I'M GONNA HAVE RESERVATIONS, UM, OF DOING A VOLUNTARY BONUS OR INCENTIVES THAT IS RUN THROUGH THE MARKET, AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO REVERSE SOME OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING. 
          UM, SO WHAT 
          [01:10:01]
I TAKE THAT AS IT'S POTENTIALLY LIKELY, UH, THAT WE CAN PRESERVE STUFF, BUT IT CAN'T GUARANTEE IT. 
          AND THAT'S SOME OF MY WORRY. 
          I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE CREATIVE APPROACHES FOR THOSE GUARANTEES. 
          UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE SPACE WILL DICTATE THE OUTCOMES, AND THAT INCLUDES WHO OPERATES THE SPACE. 
          UM, AND I'D LOVE TO JUST SEE MORE, UH, ON THAT IN THE FUTURE, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. 
          UM, I WAS THINKING OF SOME THINGS LIKE DEED RESTRICTIONS ON THE BUILDING. 
          UM, NOT NECESSARILY RELYING ON FIXED TERMS, UH, RESTRICTED RENTS. 
          UH, IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON THAT, UM, I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SEE MORE SPECIFICS ON LIKE WHO'S OWNING WHAT RENTS THEY'RE PAYING. 
          KIND OF SIMILAR TO THAT POINT THAT I JUST BROUGHT UP. 
          THE K TWO C TWO REPORT NOTED THAT LANDLORDS FAVOR THE HIGHEST BIDDERS AND MOST CREDIT WORTHY TENANTS. 
          SO THERE'S A WORRY THERE ABOUT NEW CULTURAL SPACE GOING TO A BIGGER DEVELOPER OR A CHAIN RATHER THAN THE COMMUNITY'S OWN INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE DANCE COMPLEX, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          SO I'M NOW LEARNING MORE AND MORE BY THE DAY IN DOING THIS WORK THAT INCENTIVES WILL DEFINE THE SPACE, BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE NEED INCENTIVES TO DO THE RIGHT THING. 
          UM, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ENGAGE ON THAT. 
          ANOTHER THING THAT CAME UP ON THESE SLIDES IS THAT WE DON'T HA WE HAVE A LACK OF A CONSISTENT DEFINITION OF LIKE, WHAT IS, UH, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT OR WHAT ACTUALLY DEFINES THE ARTS. 
          AND I GET THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF THE ARTS WORLD IS THAT YOU CAN DEFINE IT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IN A SETTING LIKE THIS, IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT. 
          I, I REALLY HOPE THAT PART OF THE WORK AND HOW CDD DEVELOPS THAT DEFINITION IS CENTERING THE FOLKS WHO ARE AT THIS TABLE AND ON THE ZOOM, UM, AND THE ONES THAT WE'VE LOST TOO, LIKE EMF AND, AND HOW WE DEFINE THAT. 
          AND WE HAD KIND OF ALREADY HEARD SOME OF WHAT THAT DEFINITION LOOKED LIKE, LOOKS LIKE FROM, FROM YOU ALL. 
          UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I'VE ALSO KIND OF BEEN LEARNING FROM THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING TOO, IS AT, IN THE LONG TERM, UP ZONING IS GONNA RAISE THE VALUE OF THE LAND. 
          UM, AND THAT'S GONNA GIVE REASONS FOR LANDLORDS TO SELL AND CARRYING THAT MINDFULNESS WILL REALLY MATTER, LIKE MICHAEL BROUGHT UP EARLIER, FOR THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE ON THAT, LIKE ONE STORY LEVEL. 
          UM, SO IF THERE'S WAYS WE CAN EXPLORE PROTECTIONS ON THE DEMOLITION PROCESSES, THE DISPLACEMENT OF EXISTING TENANTS OR EXISTING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, WOULD LOVE TO SEE LIKE RIGHTS OF RETURNS. 
          UH, WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THIS WITH MULTIFAMILY, AND I DON'T WANT US TO MISS THAT HERE. 
          UH, ANOTHER THING THAT CAME UP FOR ME WAS, UH, AGAIN, LIKE THIS LARGER GOAL OF AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HEIGHT BEING TIED TO CULTURAL BENEFITS DOESN'T NECESSARILY DECLARE THE ACTUAL AFFORDABILITY OF THOSE UNITS. 
          SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER THING I'M SITTING WITH AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE ON. 
          UM, I DON'T WANT US TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE END UP UPZONING CENTRAL SQUARE AND THEN IT ENDS UP BEING VERY EXPENSIVE AND CONTINUING TO PRICE OUT THE VERY SAME PEOPLE. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THAT WOULD REALLY SUCK. 
          UM, AND, AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT I WISH I GOT TO SEE A LITTLE MORE ON, 'CAUSE YOU GUYS REFERENCED IT IN THE PRESENTATION, WAS WHAT I THINK IS OUR STRONGEST MECHANISM, WHICH IS THE CITY LOTS STUDY. 
          WE OWN 10 SITES. 
          UM, WE HAVE SEEN THE ESTIMATIONS ON THAT STUDY TO BUILD AN ESTIMATED 250 UNITS AT LEAST, UM, PLUS OVER 30,000 SQUARE FOOTAGE OF FLEXIBLE CULTURAL PERFORMANCE BASE. 
          LIKE THAT'S INCREDIBLE TO, TO SEE, UM, WE'RE OWNING THESE PARCELS. 
          WE CAN SET THE AFFORDABILITY, WE CAN USE THE TERMS DIRECTLY, WE GET TO WORK WITH WHO WE DEVELOP WITH, WE GET TO WORK AND DECIDE WHO THE OPERATORS ARE INSTEAD OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, PLAYING MORE WITH THIS LARGER RISK OF A PRIVATE DEAL, PENCILING OUT, ESPECIALLY IN THE MARKET THAT WE'RE IN. 
          AND WE KNOW MARKETS GO UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON WHAT STATE, UM, OF THE WORLD THAT WE'RE IN. 
          SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THOUGHTS I'M THINKING OF. 
          I'M THINKING OF SOME OF THE ARTISTS I'VE TALKED TO WHO, YOU KNOW, EITHER USED TO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE AND NOW LIVE ELSEWHERE, WHO ARE COMMUTING OUT INTO DORCHESTER AND, UH, IN ROXBURY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD MUSIC CITY STUDIOS AROUND THE AREA. 
          UM, AND I'M, I'M WORRIED ABOUT LIKE IF WE UP ZONE AND WANNA PROTECT CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, BUT THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT COME INTO PLAY END UP BEING A LOT HARDER TO ACCESS BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF QUOTE UNQUOTE NEWER DEVELOPMENTS, THEN WE'RE NOT REALLY LIKE SPEAKING TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT I ALSO WORRY ABOUT. 
          I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST SHARED A LOT. 
          UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE BIDS WORK. 
          I APPRECIATE THESE INSTITUTIONS. 
          I'VE DONE MY OWN MIDDLE EASTERN DANCING, UM, AT THE DANCE COMPLEX. 
          UH, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO AND, AND DEFINITELY WANNA CONTINUE TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR GUYS' PRESENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, ALL YIELD. 
          I HAD A COUPLE, UH, COMMENTS AND I ALSO, WE WANT TO HEAR MORE FROM THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS 
          [01:15:01]
AND SEE IF STAFF WANNA RESPOND TO ANYTHING. 
          WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 45 MINUTES OR SO THAT WE CAN TAKE. 
          UM, I WANNA ADD A COUPLE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO, TO THINK ABOUT TO THE ONES THAT ARE ON SLIDE 22. 
          I THINK A THING I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS, HAVE THERE BEEN TIMES YOU'VE BEEN UNCERTAIN ABOUT YOUR VENUE'S FUTURE? AND WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THAT? WHAT DO YOU FEEL UNCERTAIN ABOUT NOW? WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? UM, AND THEN WHAT WOULD IT MAKE IT MORE LIKELY THAT YOUR VENUE COULD STAY IN CENTRAL SQUARE FOR ANOTHER 15 OR 20, 30 YEARS? THAT CAN BE A SPECIFIC PLANNING TOOL, BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MAYBE THAT THE ANSWER THERE IS, YOU KNOW, I WANNA RETIRE AND I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA DO IT AFTER I DO. 
          RIGHT? JUST REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR THOSE, UH, THAT KIND OF DETAIL FROM FOLKS. 
          UM, AND THEN THE, THE COMMENTS I HAD, I THINK THE POINT THAT, UH, MICHAEL MONAS TEAM RAISED ABOUT O OWN VERSUS RENT, UH, IS A REALLY CRITICAL ONE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE BOTH HAVE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES I THINK FOR, FOR RENT. 
          YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A LEASE, YOU'RE ON A SPECIFIC TIMELINE AS A BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY INSTITUTION, UM, THE PHOENIX LANDING, RAISING THAT POINT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVE A TWO YEAR LEASE. 
          AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          WHETHER OR NOT WE CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT CENTRAL SQUARE AT THE CITY COUNCIL OR, OR THE CITY, THAT LEASE IS GONNA BE UP IN TWO YEARS. 
          AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE DO ANYTHING, WE SHOULD REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A, A PLACE HERE AND USE ALL OF THE CITY'S TOOLS TO, TO DO THAT. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT IS A, A PIECE WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP, UH, OFFLINE OFF WITH COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AS WELL. 
          AND THEN ON THE OWNERSHIP SIDE, IT'S UH, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT THERE AREN'T CHALLENGES, BUT MAYBE ARE A LITTLE MORE IN CONTROL OF YOUR DESTINY AND THEN FIGURING OUT HOW YOU'RE PRESERVING IT AND THE, THE TOOLS. 
          I THINK THAT THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, CALL OUT WAS HELPFUL AND GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CCF COMING. 
          UM, THAT IS A THING WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AS WELL. 
          UH, AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO RAISE A POINT THAT SOMEONE ELSE MADE, I THINK IT WAS MAYBE SOMEONE IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT SPACE NEEDS ARE A BIG CHALLENGE AND, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION AROUND PLANNING AND ZONING ARE A GOOD TIME TO TALK ABOUT THEM. 
          'CAUSE ZONING IS ALL ABOUT LAND USE AND PLANNING IS ABOUT, UH, SPACE. 
          AND SO TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE THAT ON THE SPACE NEEDS IS IMPORTANT. 
          BUT THERE AREN'T THE ONLY CHALLENGE, RIGHT? THERE ARE LOTS OF CHALLENGES FAKING FACING LOCAL BUSINESSES. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AND TARIFFS AND INTEREST RATES AND JUST TRENDS OF BUSINESS. 
          UH, BUT THERE, UH, THERE ARE THINGS WE, WE CAN DO. 
          AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS A LOT OF TOOLS AROUND, UM, THAT I'VE SEEN AROUND SUCCESSION PLANNING OF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION, THINKING ABOUT WHAT DO I DO NEXT? HOW DO I, I TRANSITION IT, I HAVE BEEN TO SOME REALLY GOOD EVENTS THE CITY HAS DONE AROUND EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU TRANSITION YOUR BUSINESS TO YOUR EMPLOYEES AND, AND THEY BUY IT. 
          AND THAT'S A WIN-WIN BECAUSE THE INSTITUTION STAYS THERE. 
          IT MEANS PEOPLE KEEP A JOB AND IT MEANS THEY HAVE MORE POWER OVER THEIR WORKPLACE. 
          UH, COMMUNITY SPACE ACTIVATION, SOME OF THAT ISN'T, IS IN OUR CONTROL. 
          SOME OF IT WASN'T. 
          I THINK ABOUT, UM, THIS SUMMER, JUST ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH THE WORLD CUP IN TERMS OF THAT BROUGHT PEOPLE INTO CENTRAL SQUARE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WERE ABLE TO BUY DRINKS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THEN TAKE THOSE OUTSIDE AND THE WORLD DIDN'T FALL APART. 
          AND CAN WE KEEP THINGS LIKE THAT GOING, HAVING LAST CALL BE A LITTLE BIT LATER, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO WORK ON, BUT THAT WE CAN BE ADVOCATING FOR AND WORKING FOR IT, IF THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS TO, TO STAY HERE AND MAKES OUR COMMUNITIES MORE VIBRANT. 
          THOSE ARE THINGS WE SHOULD BE PUSHING ON AS WELL. 
          AND THOSE AREN'T DIRECTLY SPACE AND ZONING THINGS. 
          UM, I KNOW THERE'S SOME REALLY EXCITING STUFF COMING AROUND, FOOD VENDORS LIKE THAT IS A PIECE WE CAN THINK OF, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES TOO. 
          UM, ALL OF THOSE PARTS WE JUST WANNA HEAR FROM FOLKS AS WELL AND BE THINKING, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPACE AND PLANNING AND ZONING. 
          THIS IS THE ONLY THING AND WE NEED TO, TO KEEP THINKING OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. 
          SO THOSE ARE JUST, UM, SOME PIECES I WANTED TO MENTION AND WOULD LOVE TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO CITY STAFF, COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, IF YOU HAD OTHER, OTHER THOUGHTS WERE RAISED. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, MICHAEL, BACK TO YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, YOU HAD ASKED THE QUESTION, UM, ARE SOME OF THE ORGS HERE AND ON ZOOM UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE? AND I THINK I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION ON BEHALF OF ANY, EVERYBODY THAT'S THE ONE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER'S YES. 
          RIGHT? UM, FOLKS ARE DEFINITELY ON CERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT, UM, I JUST HAVE A FEW POINTS TO MAKE ABOUT ZONING REAL QUICK. 
          UM, BUT FIRST I WANTED TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, MELISSA, PETER SAID SOMETHING THAT I AGREE FULLY WITH THAT. 
          UM, DOING NOTHING IS NOT A STABILIZATION STRATEGY. 
          YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SAID THAT VERBATIM, THAT'S KIND OF HOW I HEARD IT. 
          BUT, BUT, BUT DOING NOTHING IS NOT A STABILIZATION STRATEGY. 
          UM, THE MARKET PRESSURES FOR GREATER CAMBRIDGE, GREATER BOSTON, THAT'S PUTTING PRESSURE IN THE MARKET THAT'S MAKING CHANGES. 
          SO YES, WE DO NEED TOOLS AND UNFORTUNATELY, YES, WE DO NEED INCENTIVES, BUT TALKING ABOUT ZONING, SINCE THAT'S THE MEETING WE'RE IN, THERE WAS A SLIDE ABOUT EXISTING STABILIZATION AS PROTECTION PROJECTS CAN PRESERVE EXISTING CULTURAL SPACES ON ANOTHER SITE AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE EXPLORED TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS? LIKE GOING BACK TO THOSE ONE STORY BUILDINGS, IS THERE A WAY THAT THEY COULD SELL THEIR RIGHTS IF THEY OWN THE BUILDING OR IF THE PROPERTY OWNER'S WILLING TO SELL, WHICH ESSENTIALLY 
          [01:20:01]
IS A FORM OF PRESERVATION. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO MUCH MORE WITH THE BUILDING IF, IF YOU HAVE NO AIR RIGHTS ABOVE THE GROUND FLOOR MIGHT CHANGE. 
          BUT AGAIN, THAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH GENERATIONAL TURNOVER AND, AND OTHER THINGS. 
          SO, SO ONE IS TDR SOMETHING WE CAN THINK ABOUT FOR CENTRAL SQUARE ZONING. 
          I KNOW THE CITY'S DONE TDR TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UH, UH, MIT HAS DONE SOME ON PACIFIC STREET, SORT OF WITHIN THE DISTRICT. 
          SO IT'S HAPPENED IN AND AROUND THE SQUARE. 
          THAT'S ONE TWO, THERE WAS ANOTHER SLIDE THAT WAS GREAT THAT SAID, IF YOU ONLY LOOKED AT ZONING, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THIS IS CAMBRIDGE CULTURAL DISTRICT. 
          THIS CAME UP IN A MEETING WITH THE CRA AND THINKING ABOUT THAT, LIKE HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE ARTIST HOUSING? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE LIVE WORKSPACE WHERE ARTISTS CAN LIVE AND WORK HERE THAT WILL LAST LONGER THAN A MURAL WILL, UM, THAN THAN A SIGN WILL. 
          YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT ARTISTS LIVE HERE? AND THAT WILL DEFINE THAT THIS IS CAMBRIDGE'S CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT ARTISTS CAN LIVE HERE. 
          AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE, UM, BACK TO ZONING, AND THIS MIGHT BE MORE DESIGN GUIDELINES. 
          SO I'D LOVE STAFF TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS IDEA OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE EXISTING NIGHTLIFE OR, OR BRING THEM BACK. 
          BUT BACK TO THE CHALLENGES ABOUT PHYSICAL FUNCTION, BRINGING THEM BACK MEANS THEY NEED HELP WITH CEILING HEIGHTS, ENTRANCES, EGRESS, VENTILATION, LOADING STORAGE AND SOUND ISOLATION. 
          AS SOMEONE WHO'S GOTTEN, UH, QUITE A FEW SOUND COMPLAINTS OVER THE OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN ZONING, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE THE TOOL FOR THAT, MAYBE THAT'S MORE OF A DESIGN GUIDELINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          BUT CAN THAT BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION? BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY A CHALLENGE. 
          AGAIN, YOU CAN GET A VANILLA BOX AND IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TENANTS WHO LIVE DIRECTLY ABOVE, THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE CONFLICT. 
          SO HOW CAN WE JUST BE MINDFUL IF WE'RE GONNA PUT IT OUT THERE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENTS NEED TO ACCOMMODATE OR BRING BACK, WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS TO HELP ENSURE OUTSIDE OF COST THAT, UM, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COEXIST IN THOSE BUILDINGS. 
          ZE HAD A HAND UP. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO, I DUNNO, IF CITY STAFF WANTED TO RESPOND FIRST, ASK CITY STAFF RESPOND DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THAT, OR, OR SHOULD WE MAYBE JUST GO AROUND AND THROUGH YOUR CHAIR? YEAH, HAPPY TO RESPOND. 
          SO, UM, TWO OF THE APPROACHES THERE THAT I HAD SHOWN EARLIER, THE ONES THAT INVOLVE TWO SITES ARE, ARE TO A DEGREE, WHICH YOU'RE GETTING AT. 
          SO TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS. 
          BUT I THINK WE HAD INITIALLY BEEN THINKING THAT AS THE TOOL, WE'RE NOW ACTUALLY THINKING THAT, UH, NOT TO GET OVERLY TECHNICAL, BUT A PUD, WHICH IS SORT OF A SIMILAR, ALLOWS FOR SIMILAR OPTIONS, BUT A GREATER DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE CORRECT WAY TO GO. 
          UM, I MIGHT TAP IN, UH, MY COLLEAGUE JEFF, IF HE WANTS TO SORT OF EXPLAIN WHY ONE IS A LITTLE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS THAN THE OTHER, IF HE DOESN'T MIND. 
          BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE WERE ORIGINALLY CONSIDERING AND ACTUALLY ACTUALLY HAVE NOW HAVE MOVED TO THINKING THAT THE, UH, A PUD APPROACH THAT ALLOWS FOR, UH, SHIFTING MULTIPLE USES ACROSS, UH, COMMONLY HELD SITES WOULD BE EVEN MORE ADVANTAGEOUS, BUT ACHIEVE THAT SAME GOAL. 
          JEFF, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? HI, IS MY AUDIO WORKING? YEP. 
          YEAH, WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          THAT'S ALRIGHT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANKS. 
          I WAS, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THAT AND UM, AND I WAS SENDING MESSAGES TO MY COLLEAGUES, SO I I IN CASE I COULDN'T MAKE IT ON. 
          YEAH, I THINK THE, I THINK WHAT MICHAEL WAS DESCRIBING IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, UM, TO TAKE DIFFERENT SITES AND ALLOW FLEXIBILITY AND HOW DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS CAN BE MOVED AROUND IN ORDER TO, UM, ACHIEVE CERTAIN GOALS. 
          AND THAT'S, UM, WHETHER YOU CALL IT A TDR OR A PUD, IT'S, IT'S ALL KIND OF THE SAME THING. 
          IT'S, IT'S THE IDEA OF TAKING MULTIPLE SITES AND THEN KIND OF TREATING THEM, UM, AS ONE PACKAGE UNDER ZONING SO THAT YOU CAN, UM, ACHIEVE CERTAIN GOALS THAT YOU COULDN'T ACHIEVE WHEN YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT ONE SITE BY ITSELF. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT VICE MAYOR ZIM, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PETER. 
          AND IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE ON THE ZOOM WHO'D LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK, YOU CAN USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE AND WE'LL ADD YOU TO THE STACK. 
          I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT. 
          WE'VE GOT COUNCILOR FLAHERTY UP IN THE, THE BALCONY. 
          THANKS FOR EVERYBODY. 
          COUNCILOR, UH, WE'LL GO TO GO TO VICE MAYOR ZI. 
          UM, YEAH, UH, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE ONLY, UH, ADDITIONAL THOUGHT I HAD WAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, SOMETIMES YOU DO GO INTO LIKE A KENYAN VALLEY EFFECT, YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME CAN BE REALLY TALL AND THEN IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO A REALLY SHORT, AND IT MAKES IT KIND OF STRANGE. 
          ONE THING THAT'S I'VE SEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN TORONTO IS JUST LIKE A LOT OF HISTORICAL PRESERVATION WHERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TWO STORIES OF THE BUILDING OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER TALL THE BUILDING IS CURRENTLY IS PRESERVED, AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST SAY WHERE THEY CAN'T DELIVER ADD ON TOP OF IT. 
          UM, THAT DOES REQUIRE SOME CREATIVITY, BUT I'VE SEEN IT IN, UH, TORONTO IN PARTICULAR TO BE QUITE SUCCESSFUL. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE AS WELL. 
          AND 
          [01:25:01]
THEN I GUESS MY QUESTION A LITTLE BIT IS LIKE, UM, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS A LITTLE BIT IN THAT, UM, I, I WOULD GIVE THIS EITHER TO, UH, THE CHAIR, UM, OR TO MY CO-CHAIR AND COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER OR TO THE STAFF, UM, OR WE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT LIKE AFTERWARDS AS WE'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPILING ALL THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          YEAH. 
          DO CITY STAFF WANNA SPEAK? I DON'T THINK THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC FOLLOW UP WE HAVE FROM THIS. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER COMMITTEE MEETING PLANNED OR A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A DATE WHERE ZONING IS GONNA COME FORWARD, BUT I THINK TAKING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND ADAPTING THEM ARE A BIG PART OF IT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING STAFF YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR, AND I DO WANT TO ADD SOMETHING, BUT I ALSO WANT TO GIVE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS BECAUSE I THINK YOU HIT EVERY TOPIC THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AROUND THE TABLE. 
          AND SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT DEEPLY ABOUT THIS AND PULLED US TOGETHER. 
          I ALSO, I DIDN'T SEE CHRISTINA WALK IN, BUT YOU TALKED EARLY IN THE, IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX. 
          THE TOOLBOX IS HERE IN THE ROOM WITH THE FOUNDATION, WITH CRA, WITH THE CITY STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS WITH THE BID AND WITH COUNCIL PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL OF THESE NEEDS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO HAS THE BENEFIT OF LONGEVITY. 
          I'LL TELL YOU, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. 
          AND I THINK WE HAVE THE BEST FIGHTING CHANCE TO GET REALLY GOOD WORK DONE AND BE ABLE TO FASTEN DOWN AND BOLT THESE THINGS IN PLACE. 
          SO WE DO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM. 
          BUT THE PIECE I WANTED TO REITERATE, YOU SAID IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS, AND MIKE JUST SAID IT AS WELL, BUT I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE SAID ENOUGH. 
          ARTIST HOUSING, ARTIST HOUSING, ARTIST HOUSING. 
          AND I'LL ACTUALLY EXPAND THE APERTURE JUST A LITTLE BIT TO ALSO SAY CULTURAL WORKER HOUSING. 
          WE EMPLOY FAR MORE CULTURAL WORKERS IN CAMBRIDGE THAN WE EMPLOY ARTISTS. 
          AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING. 
          I THINK THESE GUYS KNOW THAT DEEPLY AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE OPERATORS THAT ARE ON THE CALL. 
          AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO DO MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK WHEN COUNSELOR AND CHAIR ZUI TALKS ABOUT THE AUTHENTIC PLACES IN MARYLAND AND NEW YORK THAT SHE CARES ABOUT OR THAT HER FAMILY EXPERIENCES, THOSE ARE NOT BOUTIQUE LOCATIONS, AND WE CANNOT BE A CITY WHERE WE IMPORT OUR ARTISTS AND OUR CULTURAL WORKERS. 
          SOME OF THAT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN BECAUSE OF SIZE, BECAUSE OF COST, BUT WE HAVE TO BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND ACTUALLY CREATE AN AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS, BUT ARTIST HOUSING . 
          THANK YOU, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. 
          WE'RE GONNA, UH, MR. DEMURO, AND IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO GET ON STACK, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          UM, MR. DEMURO. 
          I LOVE THAT. 
          UM, UH, I'M JUST RESPONDING A LITTLE BIT TO BOTH, UH, SITUATIONS. 
          YOU KNOW, THE DANCE COMPLEX IS, IS A, A RENT BY THE HOUR SITUATION FOR THE MOST PART. 
          AND IT COULD GO BACK TO THAT. 
          IT, UH, WHEN I GOT HERE 15 YEARS AGO, UH, UH, THE, THE, THE BLOOM OF THE NEWNESS OF THE ORGANIZATION FROM THE NINETIES WAS STARTING TO GET A LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE AND KIND OF GRAYISH. 
          AND, UH, AND THAT'S, UH, NOT SHADE TO ANYBODY. 
          IT'S JUST THE NATURAL LIFE CYCLE OF A NONPROFIT. 
          WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILLS NECESSARILY TO, TO GROW DIFFERENTLY, BUT WHAT I THINK HAS HAPPENED, NOT BECAUSE OF ME, BUT BECAUSE OF THIS IDEA OF THE THIRD SPACE THAT PEOPLE GO TO HOME WORK AND THIS SPACE THAT WE HAVE IT, UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN CREATE REALLY EASILY. 
          AND SO, SO AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, WE COULD SURVIVE, BUT IT WOULD BE A SHELL OF WHAT IT WAS. 
          IT WOULD BE RENT BY THE HOUR. 
          THERE'D BE A A A PHYSICAL CARETAKER TO THE SPACE, BUT THERE WOULD BE NO SOLE C KEEPER OF THE OF IT. 
          AND WHEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THAT AND THE WORRIES ABOUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY BECOMING KIND OF, UH, COOKIE CUTTER AND DISNEYFIED IN CENTRAL SQUARE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HIRE THE CARETAKER AND THE PERSON WHO'S LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND YOU GOTTA MAKE A PROFIT AND EVERYTHING'S PLASTIC AND YOU SPRAY SOME WINDEX ON IT, IT'S CLEAN AND THEN YOU GO HOME. 
          UH, WE KNOW THAT CENTRAL SQUARE DOESN'T CLEAN UP WITH A LITTLE WINDEX, RIGHT? AND SO I, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE CONVERSATION, UH, THAT ECHOES FOR ME IS THAT IT JUST TAKES TAKING CARE OF YOUR ARTISTS AND HOUSING AND, UM, UH, GUEST ARTIST HOUSING, KEEPING MY ARTISTS IN THAT BUILDING. 
          UH, I WOULD SAY THERE'S PROBABLY 8,000 PROFESSIONALLY GEARED DANCERS, PROBABLY 500 COMPANIES, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE, THE 80 TEACHING ARTISTS THAT ARE THERE ALL THE TIME. 
          AND THEY COME AND GO AND THEY WORK OTHER PLACES BECAUSE, UH, THEY HAVE TO, TO MAKE A, MAKE A LIVING GO. 
          BUT WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT SPIRIT IN CAMBRIDGE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, GO TO MINNEAPOLIS, YOU'LL FIND THE FUNDING, YOU'LL FIND IT HERE, SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE. 
          WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT THAT CAMBRIDGE WAS A, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST NAME OFF PEOPLE'S LIPS ALONG WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING WELL, BUT WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE IT COMFORTABLE. 
          UM, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT RACIST, RIGHT? WELL, ARE WE PRO ARTISTS IN THE SAME, SAME, UH, UH, WAY THAT WE TALK ABOUT OTHER, UH, OTHERING OF UP PEOPLE? UH, COUNCILLOR EY, 
          [01:30:02]
THANK YOU. 
          THAT WAS JUST, THANK YOU FOR THE MINNEAPOLIS PLUG. 
          THAT WAS JUST MAKING ME THINK ABOUT. 
          MINNEAPOLIS ALSO HAS INCREDIBLE ARTS, AND APPARENTLY IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAD INDUSTRIAL WEALTH, THEY HAVE STRONG PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT. 
          IMMIGRANT DI DIVERSITY AND PIONEERING ARTS INFRASTRUCTURE IS AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING PLACE. 
          BUT THEN WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO IS HEAR FROM TOM EVANS OF THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BECAUSE YOU'VE REALLY BEEN THINKING HARD ABOUT THESE ISSUES. 
          AND WHAT ARE, UM, IF YOU WOULD, CAN YOU REVEAL LIKE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR ARTS CONTINUE TO THRIVE HERE AND GROW? UM, THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR. 
          UM, IT'S A BIG QUESTION. 
          UM, SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING ACROSS THE BOARD AT, UH, THIS ISSUE FOR BOTH ARTIST PRODUCTION SPACE AND ARTIST HOUSING SPACE. 
          AND THERE'S A LOT OF MODELS OUT THERE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT LOTS OF CASE STUDIES AND SO FORTH. 
          THEY'RE ALL CHALLENGING TO PULL OFF, ESPECIALLY IN A PLACE WHERE LAND IS ALREADY EXPENSIVE. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, I MEAN, I USED TO LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF MINNEAPOLIS THAT'S NOT THAT EXPENSIVE, UM, OR WASN'T. 
          UM, AND SO A LOT OF THAT THRIVE PROVIDENCE ALSO ANOTHER PLACE THAT REALLY THRIVED WHEN LAND COSTS AND DEVELOPMENT COSTS WERE DOWN. 
          SO THAT IS A CHALLENGE WE FACE NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, AND SO EVERY PROJECT EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, FOR MORE, UH, MORE CONTEMPORARY WORK IS GONNA TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES. 
          UM, AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT A FULL TOOLBOX OF WHAT, UM, HOUSING FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, WHETHER, UM, TAX INCENTIVES OR SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UH, DISCUSSED FOR, UM, A COUPLE OF, UM, LAND USES THAT WE'D WANNA ENCOURAGE. 
          UM, WRITING DOWN LAND VALUE, WRITING DOWN FINANCING COSTS, UM, AND ALSO JUST FINDING A WAY TO, UM, BASICALLY SUBSIDIZE THROUGH, UM, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 
          SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE A A FEW, UM, EXAMPLES OF OUR PROJECTS WHERE WE INVEST A FAIR AMOUNT OF CAPITAL, UM, AS AN ORGANIZATION. 
          AND WE USUALLY DON'T EXPECT TO SEE ANY OF THAT COME BACK, UM, WITH THE HOPE THAT THEN WE FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN MAINTAIN ITSELF AND KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. 
          'CAUSE THAT IS A, A REAL COST TOO. 
          SO, UM, BISHOP ALLEN DOWN THE STREET WAS A RATHER EXPENSIVE, UH, ADVENTURE. 
          UH, I SAID VENTURE AND THEN ADVENTURE AT THE SAME TIME. 
          UM, 'CAUSE BOTH ARE TRUE. 
          UM, AND WE JUST GOT TO A STABLE PLACE WHERE AT BELOW MARKET NONPROFIT RENTS, WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THE BUILDING RUNNING WITHOUT, UM, UH, CREATING A LONG-TERM BURDEN FOR US OR THE CITY. 
          UM, AND EVEN THAT IS DIFFICULT WITH, UM, ART SPACE, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH, THE COST OF UTILITIES, COST OF LABOR AND SO FORTH. 
          SO I GUESS IT'S ALL TO SAY IT'S EVERY INDIVIDUAL PROJECT YOU WANNA TAKE ON IS GONNA BE HARD AND TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES. 
          UH, THERE'S NO MAGIC BULLET AT ALL. 
          UM, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, I THINK IS, UH, PUBLIC MONEY, PRIVATE MONEY AND CREATIVITY, UH, TO PULL THESE PROJECTS OFF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK EITHER IN PERSON OR ON ZOOM. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, NOT SEEING ANYONE ELSE. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UM, CITY STAFF WANNA ADD AS A, AS A WRAP UP OR REFLECTIONS FROM THIS? UH, ALSO OKAY, IF THERE'S NOT THROUGH YOU CHAIR, UM, I THINK I'D, I'D LOVE TO JUST PUT IN A PLUG FOR THE UPCOMING ENGAGEMENT. 
          SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT NEXT STEPS, UM, WE HAVE AN ONLINE SURVEY THAT'S GOING RIGHT NOW. 
          WE'VE HAD ROBUST ENGAGEMENT, BUT WE'D LOVE EVEN MORE. 
          UM, I DO HAVE A PLUG FOR THAT IN THE PAMPHLET. 
          PEOPLE COULD FIND THAT ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE. 
          UM, THAT WILL BE OPEN THROUGH, I BELIEVE OCTOBER 9TH IS WHAT WE'RE TARGETING RIGHT NOW. 
          SO THERE'LL BE AN EMAIL IMMINENTLY SORT OF ANNOUNCING THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYED OPEN THROUGH THIS HEARING TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ENGAGE WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, AT THE END OF THE MONTH, UH, OCTOBER 29TH AT STREET THEORY COLLECTIVE, UH, IN THE EVENING WE'LL BE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE, AND THAT'S INTENDED TO SHARE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, REFINEMENTS AND UPDATES TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD SHARED INITIALLY, UH, IN LATE 2024. 
          UM, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, UH, CONNECTION POINT, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, TO SORT OF THINK THROUGH NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF DRAFTING A PETITION. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, WELL THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS MEETING TOGETHER TODAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF, I'M SURE YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO, UH, SHARE THOUGHTS, INSIGHTS, REFLECTIONS ON THIS. 
          UM, THE FEEDBACK WAS REALLY HELPFUL AND, UM, WE HOPE TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY KEEP YOU ENGAGED GOING FORWARD THROUGH WHATEVER COMES NEXT, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE PIECES. 
          AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF, OTHER COUNSELORS, CITY STAFF, THIS, UH, FEEDBACK IS REALLY USEFUL. 
          [01:35:01]
UM, AND WITH THAT, I, UM, WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN FROM COUNCILLOR SUI. 
          COUNCILOR ZUBE. 
          YES. 
          VICE MAYOR. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          COUNCILOR MCGOVERN IS ABSENT. 
          COUNCILLOR SPR WHEELER. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          COUNCILLOR EY. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          THAT'S FOUR MEMBERS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. 
          WE ARE JUNE. 
          THANK YOU ALL.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.