A rendering showing the view of one of the Residences at Rivergreen buildings along Rivergreen Drive. – The Architectural Team, Inc.

Here’s what to know about the nearly 600-unit development planned for Everett

Everett Planning Board A rendering of V10 Development's planned 591-unit project along the Malden Rive
A rendering showing the view of one of the proposed Residences at Rivergreen buildings from the riverfront park. The Architectural Team, Inc.


With three residential buildings and plenty of open space, V10 Development is looking to revamp a former industrial area along the Malden River.

On a mission to revitalize Everett’s languishing industrial areas, V10 Development has filed plans to transform a parking lot and long-vacant site into 591 units of housing with a sprawling stretch of waterfront open space.

The Residences at Rivergreen would feature three five-story residential buildings adjacent to Rivergreen Park, along the Malden River.

The development, according to V10, is “the culmination of decades of work and effort to restore this site to its former beauty,” giving a long-needed makeover to what was once the General Electric Everett Plant, formerly known as Air Force Plant 28.

What’s the history?

The site languished for decades after General Electric moved to consolidate its aircraft manufacturing plants in Everett and Medford in the 1980s, according to John Tocco, V10’s managing partner and COO.

“Decades upon decades of it just being fenced off, walled off,” he told Boston.com in a phone interview. “The riverfront was overgrown, and it really kept everyone in the community from even recognizing that Everett was on a waterfront, particularly in this area.”

The plot was later part of the master plan for Telecom City, a pie-in-the-sky dream of bringing 7,500 new jobs and increased tax revenue to Everett, Malden, and Medford.

Conceived in 1996 during a technology boom, the plan called for 1.2 million square feet of office space for high-tech companies, according to a 2001 article in The Boston Globe. While Telecom City never came to fruition, there were other ideas tossed around over the years, including an office park and a residential development with “a sea of surface parking,” Tocco said.

V10’s plan, he explained, places greater emphasis on establishing a network of open spaces for the community and reconnecting Everett with its scenic waterfront.

“Then the area can really flourish, and folks can enjoy it,” he said.

What will The Residences at Rivergreen include?

The 830,000-square-foot residential development will feature a mix of studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom units for rent, according to Tocco. Ten percent of the units will be designated as affordable housing, he added.

Plans filed with the Everett Planning Board indicate there will be 592 parking spots on site, with residential parking located under the buildings.

And when it comes to tenants, Tocco said he expects they’ll run the gamut from young professionals to retirees.

There will be a number of amenities spread out across the three buildings — the V10 website mentions a pool, gym, roof deck, and fire pits as some examples — so residents will have their pick.

“There’s a lot of different possibilities to create different experiences that appeal to different folks, and then you can have access to all of those,” Tocco said.

A rendering showing the view of one of the Residences at Rivergreen buildings along Rivergreen Drive. – The Architectural Team, Inc.

A rendering showing the view of one of the Residences at Rivergreen buildings along Rivergreen Drive. – The Architectural Team, Inc.

A place to gather

One of the more notable onsite amenities: A craft beer and coffee garden.

Tocco said the developers have partnered with Everett-based Night Shift Brewing and Koffee N’Box for the seasonal outdoor spot. 

“We’re going to bring them, and they’ll be opposite each other in sort of a beverage and refreshments garden, to try to activate these areas a little bit more,” he said. “So we’d bring public restroom facilities and two 20-foot trailers that would be seasonal installations for a beer garden [or to] come down and get a coffee.”

In lieu of rent, he said the plan is to have the businesses contribute a percentage of their revenue to a fund for the continued restoration and protection of the riverfront park.

“So far it’s been very well received, driving a lot of excitement to local Everett businesses,” Tocco said.

What’s the timeline?

The development is still in the early stages, awaiting local and state approval.

“There’s a lot of upfront work, and all those pieces have to come into place,” Tocco said. “After those come into place, probably a year from then we plan on breaking ground.”

V10 Development has a few other Everett projects in the works, including the 230-unit mixed-use development Terra, as well as the 21-story, 397-unit luxury apartment tower SKY Everett. As with The Residences at Rivergreen, V10 is looking to help revitalize an industrial part of the city with Terra and SKY, he explained. 

“The overarching goal is to take tired, beat up, derelict parcels and breathe new life into them,” Tocco said of the company’s strategy for Everett.

“It’s been really an exciting time,” he added. “There’s a lot of potential and excitement happening in Everett.”

This article was originally published in boston.com on August 25, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

Nearly 600 units planned in yet another Everett project

Nearly 600 units planned in yet another Everett project

Nearly 600 units planned in yet another Everett project
Everett has seen one residential building after another go up in historically industrial areas off Revere Beach Parkway and Second Street. Now, one is planned for along the Malden River.

The newest major proposed housing development in the city would be built next to Rivergreen Park on what are currently surface parking lots for the Encore Boston Harbor hotel and casino and a vacant lot.

Rivergreen Drive, which awaits Everett Planning Board approval, is slated to include 591 units among three five-story buildings.

Proponent V10 Development of Boston is behind a few other Everett housing developments, including the 230-unit project Terra and Sky Everett, a proposed 21-story, 397-unit tower, both off Second Street, as well as The600, an 85-unit development on Broadway on the eastern edge of downtown.

Rivergreen Drive will be the latest of a series of residential projects adding thousands of housing units to Everett at a time when it and neighbors, including Revere and Malden, are some of the fastest-growing communities in the Boston area. Another large apartment building, Wellington Parkside, stands just across Air Force Road.

It would also be the most recent to be built along the Malden River, a small tributary of the Mystic River. Just across the Malden River in Medford stands a trio of apartment complexes: Modera, the Residences at River’s Edge and RE150. Just to the south in Somerville lies hundreds of more residential units at Assembly Row.

This article was originally published in Boston Business Journal on Aug 23, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

Everett Planning Board A rendering of V10 Development's planned 591-unit project along the Malden Rive

Developer Proposes Nearly 600 Units On Everett Riverfront

Everett Planning Board A rendering of V10 Development's planned 591-unit project along the Malden Rive
Everett Planning Board
A rendering of V10 Development’s planned 591-unit project along the Malden Rive

Everett has received a new proposal to add hundreds of multifamily units along the Malden River.

Boston-based V10 Development — a partnership between John Tocco, a former Encore Boston Harbor employee, and Ricky Beliveau of Volnay Capital — filed plans for its Rivergreen Park development on a site that is home to surface parking lots for the Encore casino and hotel.

The plans, first reported by the Boston Business Journal, call for 591 units across three five-story buildings.

In addition to the 830K SF development, part of the 25-acre site would be devoted to a 14-acre public riverfront path and park, according to the filing.

Rivergreen Park is the latest development to hit the Everett Planning Board’s desk, as the city has been flooded with activity, including over 1,500 units coming from a handful of developments from South Carolina-based Greystar.

V10 Development has been active in the city’s Commercial Triangle Economic District, which has seen the most development activity and attraction from residents. The developer has three major multifamily projects in the district: the 397-unit Sky Everett, a 230-unit project off of Second Street and an 85-unit development on Broadway Street.

Although the city is seeing this boom in development, not all parts have seen it equally. Most of Everett’s waterfront is still underdeveloped, with old industrial sites lining its part of the Mystic River, leaving little access to the waterfront for residents and the public.

The waterfront appeared to gain some momentum when The Davis Cos. was reportedly in talks to buy the 95-acre ExxonMobil site, one of the largest potential redevelopment sites in Greater Boston, but in September the deal was terminated.

This article was originally published in BISNOW on August 24, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

Project of the Month: Callahan Construction completes The 600 for V10 Development - 80,000 s/f mixed-use development

Project of the Month: Callahan Construction completes The 600 for V10 Development – 80,000 s/f mixed-use development

Project of the Month: Callahan Construction completes The 600 for V10 Development - 80,000 s/f mixed-use development
Everett, MA Callahan Construction Managers (Callahan)

Everett, MA Callahan Construction Managers (Callahan), a full-service construction management company based in Bridgewater, Mass., recently completed The 600 mixed-use project for V10 Development, a real estate development company specializing in multifamily mixed-use projects throughout New England. Located on the 600 block of Broadway, this 80,000 s/f ground-up new construction is steps away from public transportation and the Encore Boston Harbor Resort.

The six-story residential complex features 85 residential units ranging from studios to one- and two-bedroom units with high-end finishes. Featuring an array of amenities such as a restaurant, rooftop deck, commercial space, and 37 parking spaces, The 600 is fully leased. A ribbon cutting was held with city of Everett officials on April 27th.

Callahan was retained to provide pre-construction and construction management services. Two existing buildings on the site were demolished to make room for the new apartment complex. The ground floor was constructed in a podium style and contains the residential lobby, two retail rental areas, mechanical spaces, the loading dock, and parking. Floors two through six are identical wood frame construction and each includes 17 residential units with quartz counters in the bathrooms and kitchens. The roof level has a 4,500 s/f roof deck area which will include enclosed restrooms, stairs and elevator lobby, and outdoor seating and cooking areas for use by tenants.

“Back in the summer of 2019, we had the idea of providing comfortable, moderately priced units at the heart of a vibrant street in Everett,” said John Tocco, managing director of V10 Development. “Thanks to Callahan and the rest of the project team, we are proud to deliver The 600 to the crown of Broadway and spur additional development throughout the Business District in Everett.”

The 600 was designed by Context, a collaborative design workshop. From the beginning, Context embraced the fact that being a large building, on the top of the hill, on one of the busiest streets in the city, meant that the project would be prominent from many different vantage points. The design team sought to embrace its important location, allowing the building to stand out while being sympathetic to the surrounding neighborhood. In order to keep from feeling too massive and bulky, Context used cantilevered bays and changes in facade materials to break down the facades into something more consistent with neighborhood residential architecture. Masonry was used at the street level to provide a visually familiar and human scaled pedestrian experience.

 

The project team included:

  • V10 Development – Owner/Developer
  • Callahan Construction Managers – Construction Manager
  • RJ O’Connell & Associates, Inc. – Civil Engineer
  • Bridgeline Exteriors Exterior – Building Envelope 
  • Intus Windows – Windows
  • Wozny/Barbar & Associates, Inc. – Consulting Engineers

This article was originally published in NEREJ on August 18, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

V10 Development, NEI General Contracting, and The Architectural Team celebrate groundbreaking of 210,000 s/f The Cove in Worcester, MA

V10 Development, NEI General Contracting, and The Architectural Team celebrate groundbreaking of 210,000 s/f The Cove in Worcester, MA

V10 Development, NEI General Contracting, and The Architectural Team celebrate groundbreaking of 210,000 s/f The Cove in Worcester, MA
The Cove, 89 Green Street – Worcester, MA – Rendering courtesy of ZVZ Studio

Worcester, MA — V10 Development along with NEI General Contracting, and The Architectural Team (TAT), broke ground on The Cove, a seven-story 210,000 s/f building located at 89 Green St. NEI is providing preconstruction and construction management services for the project, which was designed by TAT. This new mixed-used development overlooks Polar Park, the home of the Worcester Red Sox, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on December 14, 2022, and featured remarks by lieutenant governor Karyn Polito, mayor Joseph Petty, and city manager Eric Batista.

Located in the city’s Canal District and abutting the recently opened Polar Park baseball stadium, The Cove will consist of 173 market-rate apartments made up of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units with views into the stadium for games, concerts, and other events.

“We selected NEI for its experience and success building in dense urban communities. NEI proved to be extremely helpful at creating efficiencies through their preconstruction services in a rapidly changing economy,” said John Tocco, managing partner and COO at V10 Development. “TAT has been an invaluable partner to our company; we respect their extensive knowledge within this sector and are excited about the design solution we have developed together. Our teams have great synergy and a mutually rewarding working relationship.”

The existing vacant site adjacent to Polar Park will require excavation and support of excavation to construct below-grade parking and amenity space. NEI has begun sitework operations including preparation for the shoring installation and subsequent export of 30,000 tons of soil. Throughout construction, NEI will coordinate with Polar Park on game days.

“This project will turn vacant land and abandoned buildings into destination housing,” said Josef Rettman, president of NEI. “Worcester is one of the most competitive housing markets in the state with so much to offer residents. We are excited to be a part of this project and to bring more housing into Central Massachusetts.”

“The building is thoughtfully designed for optimal views of the adjacent Polar Park and incorporates an expansive outdoor courtyard, third-level amenity spaces and seventh-level lounge and roof decks – creating a seamless, light-filled indoor-outdoor environment for residents. The Green St. façade of the building, with large storefront windows and heavy masonry base, connects to the existing historic commercial fabric. On the upper floors, programmed with studios, one-and-two-bedroom units and dedicated resident amenities, exterior materials are lighter and use color and articulation of the massing to visually break down the scale of the building,” said James Szymanski, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, principal of TAT.

The design team took advantage of the site’s natural slope by locating underground parking into the elevated side at the back corner of the parcel. With 16,000 s/f of retail space, TAT strategically located the complex’s flatbread pizza and candlepin bowling venue on the two lowest floors. According to Szymanski, this creates a street-level restaurant experience with a connecting stair to the bowling alley on the lower level, abating associated acoustic and structural challenges. Local artists are being commissioned to create a mural to enliven the pedestrian connection to the ballpark along Plymouth St.

“The interior design – inspired by Sir Morgan’s Cove, a music venue that once occupied the site, which hosted bands like The Rolling Stones in the 70s and 80s – embraces a rock-and-roll glamor aesthetic with custom art and millwork, and tattoo-inspired pieces by local muralists,” said TAT’s Meghann Van Dorn, LEED AP ID+C, director of interior design.

Shown (from left) are: Jessica Morrissey, Bill Young, Chris Cormier, Delbert Laluc, David Hermansen, and John DeNisco. Photo by Frank Monkewicz
Shown (from left) are: Jessica Morrissey, Bill Young, Chris
Cormier, Delbert Laluc, David Hermansen, and John
DeNisco. Photo by Frank Monkewicz

The project team for The Cove includes:

  • Owner/developer: V10 Development;
  • General contractor: NEI General Contracting;
  • Architect: The Architectural Team / TAT;
  • Civil engineer: BSC Group;
  • Geotechnical Engineer: McPhail Associates;
  • Landscape architect: Michael D’Angelo Landscape Architecture;
  • Structural engineer: EM Structural;
  • Fire protection, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical engineer: Wozny/Barber Associates.

This article was originally published in NEREJ on January 20, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

A RENDERING OF THE COVE, BEING CONSTRUCTED ON GREET STREET IN WORCESTER

The Cove development in Worcester has awarded $7.7M to diverse subcontractors

A RENDERING OF THE COVE, BEING CONSTRUCTED ON GREET STREET IN WORCESTER
A RENDERING OF THE COVE, BEING CONSTRUCTED ON GREET STREET IN WORCESTER

The Cove, a seven-story development abutting Polar Park in Worcester, has awarded 18% of its contracts so far to subcontractors run by women or people of color.

This is set against a non-binding goal of 20% of the contracts going to certified woman- or minority-owned enterprises, although the project is only 12% complete and has awarded 86% of its construction contracts, so the project still has time to meet its goals.

The project, undertaken by Boston developer V10 Development and Worcester’s Churchill James, had the 20% goal for contracts with women business enterprises and minority business enterprises set by the City of Worcester’s Responsible Employer and Inclusionary Participation Policy at the time, said Worcester Chief Development Officer Peter Dunn, speaking at the Worcester Redevelopment Authority’s June 8 meeting. However, the project does not benefit from a tax-increment exemption from the City, so it does not face penalties for the goals.

So far, the project has given contracts with a total value of $7 million to MBEs and $670,000 in contracts to WBEs. There were still $6.5 million in contracts to be awarded as of April.

When complete, the Cove will feature 171 residential units and 16,000 square feet of commercial space at 89 Green St. When construction began in November, V10 said the complex was slated to open in August 2024.

In the fall, the City updated the diversity contract goals for publicly-backed projects, which do not apply to The Cove as the goals were changed after the project began. These new goals are to provide 15% of contracts to WBEs and 10% to MBEs.

The City tracks workforce and contractor demographics of projects receiving tax benefits from the city government. In the case of The Cove, the City is tracking its project because it sold property for the project to The Cove’s developer. The project does not face any penalties since it doesn’t receive tax breaks.

The City proposed a stricter REIPP policy in the spring for developers receiving city tax breaks. Developers could face fines or even a reduction or revocation of tax benefits. This stricter policy is under review by the City Council’s economic development committee, said Dunn. In the past, many projects that received tax breaks or have been tracked by the CDO have fallen short of meeting workforce diversity goals, and the general contractor behind Polar Park paid a $1.9-million fine in December for making false claims about the employee and subcontractor diversity of that project.

The Cove project, as of April, employs 24.3% Worcester residents, about even with the 25% goal, which is lower than the 50% goal for projects receiving City tax breaks.

The project has so far employed 67.7% people of color, far exceeding the 38% goal; but zero women. These numbers are far from final as the project is only 12% complete, with six subcontractors having been on site.

This article was originally published in Worcester Business Journal on June 15, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

The 600 Apartment Building Celebrates Grand Opening

The City of Everett’s Director of Planning and Development Matt Lattanzi recently joined John Tocco, managing partner and chief operating officer at V10 Development, Senator Sal DiDomenico and elected officials to cut the ribbon celebrating the grand opening of The 600 apartment building on April 27.

V10 Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer John Tocco celebrates the opening of The 600 apartment building with his son, Mario Tocco, daughter, Josie Tocco, and brother, Greg Tocco, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Located at 600 Broadway, this sleek and modern apartment building holds 85 units including 13 affordable units. Residents already call this place home as it is currently 60 percent occupied. The project is an over $30 million investment in Everett including a new restaurant and retail establishments. The retail has been leased and is coming soon.

For more information, please visit live600everett.com.

This article was originally published in Everett Independent on May 4, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

The old Mystic Generating Station in Everett, with Encore Boston Harbor casino in the background. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe

Wynn Resorts buys Everett power plant site. Is a Revs stadium on the Mystic next?

The old Mystic Generating Station in Everett, with Encore Boston Harbor casino in the background. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe
The old Mystic Generating Station in Everett, with Encore Boston Harbor casino in the background. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe

Wynn Resorts has won the auction for a big section of the Mystic Generating Station on the banks of the Mystic River in Everett, across the street from the company’s Encore Boston Harbor casino.

But it remains to be seen whether New England Revolution fans will score their own victory: a soccer stadium going up on Boston’s doorstep.

On Tuesday, power plant owner Constellation Energy completed the sale of roughly 45 acres to the Nevada-based casino company for $25 million. Both sides released brief statements about the deal, though neither of them addressed efforts to lure the Revs there.

All Constellation would say is that it has completed the sale of the decommissioned portion of Mystic station, “following an open and active sale process,” and that the sale represents the best outcome for the company and the city of Everett.

Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver issued an open-ended statement as well, saying: “Our goal for the purchase is to ensure that future development in the area is synergistic with our existing investment at Encore Boston Harbor, our planned development on Lower Broadway and the broad planning of the Lower Broadway District by the City of Everett.”

The Kraft Group, meanwhile, continued its silence, declining to comment about potential interest in the property.

The location of Mystic Station. Wynn Resorts won the auction for a big section of the Mystic Generating Station on the banks of the Mystic River in Everett, across the street from the company’s Encore Boston Harbor casino. – COURTESY OF CBRE
The location of Mystic Station. Wynn Resorts won the auction for a big section of the Mystic Generating Station on the banks of the Mystic River in Everett, across the street from the company’s Encore Boston Harbor casino. – COURTESY OF CBRE

But the Krafts have made no secret about their desire to find a standalone home for their soccer team, which currently shares Gillette Stadium in Foxborough with the New England Patriots.

They’ve been on a long quest to find a suitable spot in or near Boston to build a stadium more similar in size to those used by other pro soccer teams, with 20,000 to 30,000 seats, and custom-designed for the game’s sightlines. Many sites have been pitched over the years, from the old Wonderland dog track in Revere to the industrial Inner Belt area in Somerville to the City of Boston’s public works yard next to the Southeast Expressway. The Krafts got close with the former Bayside Expo site, owned by UMass, but that idea was dropped in 2017 amid political pushback and traffic concerns.

More recently, the focus has shifted to Everett — and in particular to the land across from Route 99 from the four-year-old casino. Wynn would still need to work out a deal with the Krafts. The two companies already have a relationship dating back to when Wynn started looking to expand into Massachusetts. Land owned by the Krafts in Foxborough was Wynn’s first choice, more than a decade ago, before the casino operator moved on to Everett.

While Wynn owns the power-plant land now, Revs fans can’t celebrate just yet. The roughly 45 acres sit within a state-regulated Designated Port Area, where only maritime industrial projects are allowed to be built. Sports venues, for example, are not an allowed use. Removing the site from the DPA requires an act of the Legislature, or a protracted boundary review process by the state Office of Coastal Zone Management.

Proponents for Wynn and the city tried to move a measure through the Legislature last summer, tucking it into the back of an economic development bill in the last days of the year’s formal sessions. The House of Representatives went along with the idea, but the Senate leadership seemed reluctant, and time ran out before an agreement could be reached.

Environmental groups such as the Conservation Law Foundation raised concerns about that measure, which also would have exempted the project from size limits dictated by the state’s tidelands development rules under a law known as Chapter 91. They wanted a more public process, in part to protect the site’s potential for future industrial port use. Supporters for the measure, meanwhile, argued public access to the city’s waterfront there would be improved by a large-scale development, instead of a decommissioned power plant.

Wynn’s best bet now seems to be striking a deal with CLF and its allies, the kind of deal that avoids another round of controversy at the State House. One idea that’s been floated is to retain some part of the riverfront as a port, possibly for cruise ships, while the stadium gets built further from the water’s edge. It’s also possible that Chapter 91 protections, considered sacred by CLF, can remain in the next attempt.

The location of Mystic Station in relation to area transit. – COURTESY OF CBRE
The location of Mystic Station in relation to area transit. – COURTESY OF CBRE

The property in question is primarily in Everett but it straddles the Boston line; some of the 45 acres are taken up by an Eversource switching station that will remain, and one piece of the site is actually in the river. Constellation is keeping an adjacent site with two newer electricity-generating units, known as 8 and 9, that are primarily natural gas-fired. But even those are scheduled to be retired in spring 2024, and the future of that section remains unknown at this time.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria has long had his eyes on the decommissioned plant property, hoping it can become part of an entertainment district along Lower Broadway with restaurants, hotels, and other venues — building off the casino’s success and replacing the gritty industrial uses that once lined the thoroughfare.

In 2021, city officials included the 45-acre area within an urban renewal district, essentially giving them the right to take it by eminent domain if necessary. That decision apparently sparked Constellation to put the decommissioned portion of the property up for sale last year, when the energy company hired a team with brokerage CBRE led by Scott Dragos. While the resulting contest was competitive, it’s unclear how many other bidders submitted offers.

Even if a deal with Kraft Group doesn’t come to fruition, Wynn at least knows it now controls the property’s destiny, as the company prepares to develop land across the street from the casino, next door to the Mystic plant. Construction on a parking garage and new events venue with a rooftop “day club” and a bar with sports betting is expected to begin later this year, and will include an overhead walkway across Broadway connecting the casino with the new development.

Simply demolishing the hulking buildings and smokestacks would be an aesthetic improvement for such a prominent site.

“It’s truly our gateway into the city,” said Matt Lattanzi, Everett’s planning director. “It’s the first parcel of land you see entering Everett from Boston. We want it to be something vibrant, something nice.”

This article was originally published in boston.com on March 17, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

V10 Development to Start Seven-Story Mixed-Use Overlooking Polar Park in Worcester

V10 Development to Start Seven-Story Mixed-Use Overlooking Polar Park in Worcester

V10 Development to Start Seven-Story Mixed-Use Overlooking Polar Park in Worcester

Boston, MA-based real estate developer V10 Development has broken ground on The Cove, a seven-story, 210,000 square foot mixed-use building located at 89 Green Street in Worcester, MA. The property’s 173 apartments will overlook the minor league based team Worcester Red Sox’s Polar Park.

The Cove, situated in Worcester’s Canal District, will consist of 173 market rate apartments made up of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units with views into the stadium for games, concerts and other events. Additional property features include underground parking and 16,000 square feet of retail space with pizza restaurant and bowling venue.

“This project will turn vacant land and abandoned buildings into destination housing,” said Josef Rettman, president of NEI General Contracting, which is serving as the project general contractor. “Worcester is one of the most competitive housing markets in the state with so much to offer residents.”

The project team for The Cove includes:

  • Owner/Developer: V10 Development
  • General Contractor: NEI General Contracting
  • Architect: The Architectural Team / TAT
  • Civil Engineer: BSC Group
  • Geotechnical Engineer: McPhail Associates
  • Landscape Architect: Michael D’Angelo Landscape Architecture
  • Structural Engineer: EM Structural
  • Fire Protection, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineer: Wozny/Barber Associates

This article was originally published in connectcre on January 11, 2023. Click here to view the original article.

Wynn has reshaped its plans for land across the street from its Encore Boston Harbor casino. The theater and nightclub are still there, but there will also be a poker room and sports-betting area.DESIGN BY ELKUS MANFREDI

Wynn eyes expansion of Everett casino — including gambling — on big site across Broadway

Wynn has reshaped its plans for land across the street from its Encore Boston Harbor casino. The theater and nightclub are still there, but there will also be a poker room and sports-betting area.DESIGN BY ELKUS MANFREDI
Wynn has reshaped its plans for land across the street from its Encore Boston Harbor casino. The theater and nightclub are still there, but there will also be a poker room and sports-betting area.DESIGN BY ELKUS MANFREDI

Wynn Resorts’ newest vision for the company’s land across Broadway from its Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett includes two hotels with ballrooms, three parking garages, a theater, restaurants, clubs — 1.8 million square feet of development in all.

Most notably, the latest plans also call for gambling, in the form of a poker room and sports-book facility. But for that to materialize, Wynn needs the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to go along.

The 13-acre area largely consists of parking lots today. But that could soon change.

Wynn has made headway in local permitting with the project’s first phase: Everett’s planning board approved a site plan last week, and the city council could vote Monday on a required zoning change to allow gambling to take place there. This first phase includes a 2,100-space parking garage, a sports bar, a poker room, a nightclub that can fit nearly 1,000 people, a roof-deck “day club,” a 980-seat theater, and a 200-seat comedy club. The block would be connected to the main casino via a pedestrian bridge over Broadway (Route 99). The gaming commission awarded Wynn the state’s first sports betting license last week; Wynn plans to offer sports bets in the casino and eventually, if the gaming commission agrees, in the new building as well.

Big Night Entertainment Group will run most of the operations in the new building, excluding the poker and sports betting. Big Night plans to relocate its Memoire nightclub from the casino to the club space in the new building — in part to make way for the overhead passageway and to take advantage of the larger venue, newer technology, and outdoor decks.

Big Night partner Ed Kane said he’s been impressed with the creativity that Wynn and Elkus Manfredi Architects have shown in designing the new building.

“Whatever way of Broadway you approach it from, you’re not going to miss this building,” Kane said. “It’s going to be a statement piece. … The design is fantastic.”

Wynn general counsel Jacqui Krum told the gaming commission last month that about 800 people will be employed at the block’s various venues. Of those, Kane expects about 500 people, mostly hourly employees, will work for Big Night.

The next phase, according to plans filed with state environmental regulators on Nov. 15, includes the two hotels, one with nearly 500 rooms and the other with more than 300. Each building will feature ballrooms and some restaurant and retail areas, as well as garages with at least 450 spaces. The final block will consist of a two-story building with restaurants and shops.

Everett voters in 2013 approved what would become Encore Boston Harbor casino on the site of an old Monsanto plant along Broadway in Everett. Now Wynn Resorts and city officials are seeking approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to expand gaming into new buildings being planned across the street.JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF
Everett voters in 2013 approved what would become Encore Boston Harbor casino on the site of an old Monsanto plant along Broadway in Everett. Now Wynn Resorts and city officials are seeking approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to expand gaming into new buildings being planned across the street.JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF

Matt Lattanzi, Everett’s planning director, said he estimates the first phase would generate $3.6 million a year in new property taxes (or payments in lieu of taxes, depending on the eventual legal structure). He said the second phase, with the hotels, would bring another $10.8 million a year in revenue to the city, on top of roughly $3 million in lodging taxes.

Wynn had initially insisted that there would be no gambling on that side of Broadway, during its early planning for the block.

The company first proposed an 1,800-seat events venue there. Rival theater operators were worried about the competition, and pointed to a provision in the state’s gaming law that bans event venues with 1,000 to 3,500 seats from being built on casino properties. Wynn eventually scaled back the size of the theater to 980 seats, even though the company at the time had argued the land across the street shouldn’t be considered part of the casino.

Now, Wynn finds itself arguing to the commission that the new building should be regulated as part of the casino after all. Representatives for Wynn and for the City of Everett said the possibility of an expansion of gambling is in keeping with the intent of the voters’ approval of the casino in a 2013 referendum.

Commission members started to discuss last month whether the voters’ overwhelming support for a casino at the former Monsanto site, where the casino was built, should count as an endorsement for gambling across the street. No resolution was reached, so the discussion will likely spill into the new year. Wynn needs a positive vote from the commission to host any gambling, including the sports book and the poker room, across the street.

Theater operators, meanwhile, are staying vigilant amid this expansion. Bill Blumenreich, owner of the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, said he remains concerned even though Wynn reduced the theater size to just under the legal threshold.

“They’re blatantly trying to hurt other theaters,” Blumenreich said of Wynn. “It’s all about their bottom line.”

Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said in an email that the company wishes to “provide a diverse variety of entertainment options for our visiting guests, which we believe will grow, not reduce, the demand for local entertainment.”

That sentiment was echoed by Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. The mayor added that Wynn’s plans conform to his efforts to make that part of the city a hospitality destination and to transition it away from gritty industrial uses that have long characterized the area.

“We always knew they were going to increase their footprint there,” DeMaria said of Wynn. “I’m pretty certain that the 86 percent of the residents who voted for the referendum and all those who didn’t vote would love to see them expand and hire more people and pay more taxes and create more aesthetically pleasing parcels. We all need to remember what that area looked like before they came and what they’ve done.”

This article was originally published in bostonglobe.com on December 11, 2022. Click here to view the original article.