Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s latest email to residents included this news about a hotel/restaurant/housing project Mayor Setti Warren annnounced last May.
 
| Newton MA News and Politics BlogRemember the proposal for the former Newton Centre library property located at 1294 Centre Street?
 
Stuart Rothman, on behalf of First Cambridge Realty Trust Corporation, proposed rehabilitating the former library into a restaurant with a space for community use, building a stand-alone six-unit apartment building and, on his own property next door, developing a 55-unit extended-stay boutique hotel.
 
Following an opportunity to share with me the complete background of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process and the specific details of the proposed redevelopment for the property – including the recent notice from EMPath that they are not able to provide the self-sufficiency program for the housing component – I made the decision to not move forward with the proposed project from First Cambridge Realty.
 
I’ve asked the Planning Department to immediately begin exploring short and long-term options for the property. We will stay in close touch with the City Council and residents as we move forward.