Jonathan Dame reports for Wicked Local Newton.
The developer looking to rebuild the Orr block in Newtonville Tuesday night presented city councilors and the public with two new design options for its proposed mixed-use project.
The developer has a preference – and councilors appeared to have one, too – but Damien Chaviano of Mark Investment Inc. said his firm would be happy to build either.
Generally, I’m pleased with the way this project is evolving. I like the level of cooperation I’m seeing between the developer and the city. Frankly, I’d feel more confident in the outcome if Ted Hess-Mahan was still the Chair of Land Use. As with all these large developments, it’s important that elected officials negotiate effectively to get the most benefits for our city. The Mayor has proven to not be particularly good at negotiating real estate deals, and I don’t have the same level of confidence in Marc Laredo that I had in Ted when he was Chair.