Revitalization of Everett Sq. starts with eminent domain of unsightly Bouvier Building

Time for certain city councillors to set personal politics aside for betterment of the city

By Neil Zolot

At their meeting Monday, July 22, the City Council rejected a request from Mayor Carlo DeMaria to borrow $3 million for improvements to Everett Square. The same city councillors had also done so at prior meetings on April 29 and May 13. Members raised objections about parking, new street configurations and traffic patterns that would create common space.

The Square has been described as the Heart of Everett, but DeMaria pointed out, “It’s not in the best condition.” He’s right. Everett Square, weighed down by the ancient Bouvier Building, is long overdue for a facelift.

An intersection like Everett Square is not only the center of a commercial district, but, hopefully, a touchstone and a place to showcase the culture and personality of a community. Think about what Harvard Square, Davis Square and Copley Square mean to Cambridge, Somerville and Boston.

Unlike Cambridge and Boston, Everett doesn’t have a Common or something like Revere Beach. Revere’s Common near its City Hall is small, but at least it’s there. The irregular shape of downtown Chelsea around its City Hall makes for a good area to cordon off and provides space for street fairs. Saugus Center, anchored by a rotary, is closed for its Town Day every year.

Most of Everett’s open space is in its cemeteries. Glendale Park needs to be used lightly to keep it in shape for sports. Rivergreen Park/Playground isn’t centrally located and hard to get to, even more so than Mary O’Malley Park in Chelsea. Wehner Park, where Broadway meets Lynn Street, is small and at the northern end of the city bordering Malden.

Can Everett Square be a Harvard Square or Copley Square? No, but it can be more than it is. Could Everett close Broadway from City Hall to the Parlin Library for events? Yes, but nothing ever gets done the easy way. After the votes by the City Council, where do things go from here?

City Council action on April 29 and May 13 were votes to reject plans, but also ask for more information before a formal vote. July 22 they formally rejected plans. (A plan was approved by a different City Council in 2017 and plans were formulated in 2019 as part of a larger urban renewal plan, but the pandemic put everything on hold.)

“I believe a new proposal would have to come before us to continue,” Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers said.

“The Administration will need to file a request for reconsideration or a new request,” DeMaria’s Chief-of-Staff, Erin Deveney, confirmed. “City Councillors agree improvements are needed, but there was no agreement as to how. The Mayor is obviously disappointed when he can’t reach consensus with the Council, but is not easily discouraged. When he feels he has a good idea, he’s willing to continue to advocate for what he feels is in the best interest of the City. He’s persistent when he thinks improvements can be made to benefit the community.”

Any action will probably come after a vote in the state legislature on whether to include $2 million in bills for aid to Everett to defray the cost of the $3 million requested as the City’s share of a $5 million project. The other $2 million is secured through $1.4 million from the state Gaming Commission and $600,000 from a previous state bill, some of which could be lost if the project falls through. “For Councillors who were supportive, but concerned about the cost to the City, that may allay those concerns,” Deveney thinks.

Current plans do not include creation of a traditional Common, but squaring off the diagonal entrance from Broadway’s southbound lane into School Street Place and School Street would create what might be better described as a plaza similar to broad sidewalks in Harvard Square where musicians play, which would be adjacent to a grassy area in between the intersections of Norwood and School Streets and Broadway. “The Mayor is advocating for improvements to Everett Square to create open space conducive to community gatherings,” Deveney said.

Some objections to that center around elimination of the so-called School Street Shootout, where southbound motorists enter School Street to avoid the traffic back-up farther down Broadway towards Revere Beach Parkway and get a faster route to Main Street to Sweetser Circle.

On July 22, Rogers, City Council President Robert Van Campen, Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky and Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro voted to authorize borrowing the $3 million, but six other Councillors voted against it, and one was absent. “I feel bad about that,” Matewsky said. “We have an opportunity to do something nice and I think this will come back to us. There’s no business growth in the Square and it needs new retail businesses. For it to be revived you need some.”

“We must invest in our infrastructure,” Van Campen feels. “We have seen what years of neglect and underinvestment have done to some of our assets. The concerns which have been raised that local businesses in Everett Square need support and resources are real and I believe we should advocate there as well. I also believe we should target investments along Norwood Street. Rebuilding and improving Everett Square will pave the way for an improved environment in which all our local businesses can thrive and grow.”

Rogers hopes recent events “are at least a catalyst in obtaining the Bouvier Building. My hope is if we that take that step, there may be more appeal for other Councillors in renovating the Square in general.”

Rogers resolution to “consider acquiring the Bouvier Building, 166-172 School Street near Norwood Street, by eminent domain and propose redevelopment for public community benefit” was unanimously approved. The condemned building was built in 1877 and once housed the city’s library. Decades ago, it housed veterans’ organizations and an ice cream parlor. DeMaria has suggested building a new City Hall on the site, while Ward 6 Councillor Peter Pietrantonio has suggested it could be razed for a Common.

“We have to take the building, but it doesn’t have to be used for a public purpose,” Matewsky thinks. “The City could sell it to a private developer at a profit.”

That being said, its time to move the city forward. The mayor has a plan, along with the support of some city councilllors.  The benefits gained from a revitalized Everett Square far outweigh any personal agendas. The crumbling Bouvier Building is a black mark, an ugly reminder of those who continue to snub their noses at the administration’s plan to benefit Everett’s residents.