Newton Centre plan touches a nerve with businesses
Newton Centre plan touches a nerve with businesses
Good morning and happy National Compliment Day,
Have I told you that you are tremendous?
Two outstanding chamber member companies have just had changes in leadership.
In both cases, they’ve turned the reins over to a new generation from inside their organizations.
But first, it appears that Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is looking to challenge one of the commandments of suburban municipal management: “Thou Shall Not Propose Taking Away Parking.”
Plus, I’ll tell you who we honored at the Watertown Business Awards last night.
Newton Centre plan touches a nerve with businesses
Creating spaces to engage the public with events and amenities has been a successful strategy for bringing vitality and new visitors to downtowns nationwide.
However, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s plan to construct a public plaza in Newton Centre doesn’t appear to have support from a constituency it was designed at least in part to help: Newton Centre’s small businesses.
The new plaza would be built on a portion of the central triangle parking lot adjacent to the Newton Centre Green as part of a one-year ARPA-funded pilot project.
“We’re envisioning seating for outdoor dining, play spaces for youngsters and families, and space for art, community and culture. More broadly, we see a safe and fun place to meet and hang out,” Fuller wrote in her newsletter.
The problem is the project involves removing 51 prime parking spaces from the lot.
And here in the burbs, parking is almost always contentious, as the Watertown City Council was reminded this week.
Fuller says the city has identified 67 new parking spaces on side streets around Newton Center to offset the loss.
But every business owner we’ve heard from so far worries that unless the new spaces are easy to find, close by and highly visible, Fuller’s plaza will lead to lost business.
“As it stands we do not have enough parking for our current level of business during peak times — mid-day, evenings and weekends,” Kay Masterson, co-owner of Johnny’s Luncheonette wrote in a letter to Fuller and Newton City Council.
“It is not unusual for business owners to receive calls from customers saying they are circling the Center trying to find a space. We should not be reducing the amount of parking for customers until we solve the current parking challenges. It’s hard to calculate how much business we may all be losing because of how few spaces are available during busy times,” Masterson adds.
Fig City News and the Newton Beacon have more.
I’d like to know how you feel.
Developer looking to renovate Needham building for light manufacturing
Edgewater Properties is seeking a special permit from the Needham Planning Board to renovate its property at 63 Kendrick Street.
The 19,000 SF commercial building is largely vacant and is expected to become entirely vacant soon. Edgewater will use this opportunity to leverage the building's high ceilings and refurbish the space for light manufacturing while keeping a small amount of office space. In addition, the facade will be redone, and the courtyard filled in.
The Wellesley-based company is currently in the process of modifying its special permit, with hopes to begin construction by mid-April.
Friday grab bag
- The National Immigration Law Center has created a guide for employers: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace.
- In addition, MIRA's Know Your Rights webpage has slides, recordings and posters in multiple languages to share with employees who have immigration-related questions.
- First, it was Milton. Now, Needham is the community others are looking to when deliberating their MBTA Communities Act compliance plan. “Don’t Needham my Cape Ann,” writes Gloucester resident Jack Clarke in a Gloucester Times op-ed. It’s a plea to not defeat his community’s plan when it goes before voters later this year.
- Don’t forget the Wellesley Wonderland Ice Sculpture Stroll today (Friday) 4-6 p.m.. and WinterFEST in Newton tonight through Sunday.
- Congressman Jake Auchincloss will host a virtual town hall for the new YIMBY Caucus, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. Register.
- Is this where we are now? I’m not sure how to explain what happened at the Needham School Committee meeting on Tuesday. Watch just after the 15:00 minute mark here.
- MassBay Community College seeks volunteers to remotely review 25-30 student applications for food and transportation assistance from Feb. 5–12. If you can help, please email sjohnson3@massbay.edu by Jan. 28—this will involve 1-2 hours of your time.
- Jetset Pilates studio will open in Wellesley Square this spring as its first Massachusetts location. The Miami-based chain has 18 locations today, primarily in Florida, and plans to also open in Newton (BBJ)
- The Chamber’s Young Professionals’ Group (ages 21-40) is hosting an open house Jan 30 at noon. Join in person at our Needham office or via Zoom to learn about upcoming events/initiatives and other opportunities to get involved with one of our most active chamber subgroups. If you are a chamber member-- your coworkers are members too -- so please share with your organization's emerging talent. RSVP
A new year, a new generation of leaders at two outstanding local companies
After nearly a decade of promoting important causes through media organizations, Donna Latson Gittens and Judi Haber have sold their Watertown-based company, MORE Advertising.
The new owners? Two long-serving MORE employees.
Principal of Account Services Megan Palamé and CFO Beth LePage are the new CEO and COO & CFO, respectively.
“Megan and Beth will co-author an exciting next chapter for MORE,” said Haber, who had been the award-winning company’s managing partner and president.
“They bring a combined 25 years of experience with this firm and a deep commitment to advancing what we have built. The agency’s future is bright with the talent of our entire team behind them.”
And at National Development too
Also, turning leadership over to employees is Newton-based National Development.
Founded by Ted Tye, Tom Alperin and Jack O’Neil in the 1980s, National is transitioning to Brian Kavoogian, who oversees investment strategy as CEO. Ed Marsteiner, head of development, as president.
Ted Tye, the last co-founder still working at the firm, will turn over day operations in March after building National Development into one of Greater Boston’s best-known real estate operations, writes Greg Ryan at the BBJ
“I've done well over 100 buildings in the Boston area, but it's the people and the culture and the company, and seeing that continue and innovate and be different and look for different ways to manage and different ways to lead,” Tye told Ryan. “To me, that’s what I've worked for.”
National has more than 200 employees. View part of National’s portfolio here.
Meet our first ever Watertown Business Award honorees
Finally, we had a blast last night at the first annual Watertown Night at Donohue's Bar and Grill.
Our thanks to our sponsors Watertown Savings Bank, the City of Watertown, Connex E-commerce and Watertown News. And a special shout out to our affable host J.D. Donohue and his team.
We were thrilled to present a check to the Watertown Boys & Girls Club from ticket proceeds to executive director Gary Beatty.
Our 2025 Watertown Business Award Honorees:
- Customer Service Award: Max Ritcey, owner of Ritcey East (Award presented by Rep. Steve Owens)
- Business Excellence Award: O’Some Café (Award presented by Sen. Will Brownsberger)
- Community Leadership Award: Archy LaSalle, vice chair of public arts & culture committee/advocate. (Award presented by Councilor Vinny Piccirilli)
- Nonprofit Impact Award: Watertown Community Foundation (Award presented by Council President Mark Sideris)
Top photo from the left:Liz Helfer, public arts and culture planner for the City of Watertown who accepted the award for LaSalle; Max Ritcey of Ritcey East; Tia Tilson from the Watertown Community Foundation and Ricci Cheng of O’Some Café.
Bottom photo: Council President Mark Sideris with Watertown Community Foundation’s Tilson and Chamber President Greg Reibman. Photos by Jay Dobek.
We’re looking forward to next year’s Watertown Night but we’re going to need a bigger room! It was packed.
And coming later this year: The Needham Business Awards, Wellesley Business Awards and our first ever Newton Small Business Awards.
That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know that there are better ways to keep your hands warm than wearing gloves.
See you next week.
President & CEO
Charles River Regional Chamber
617.244.1688