News

By SCOTT JACKSON

Five city councillors will introduce a resolution on Monday voicing their opposition to a proposed pedestrian bridge inside Merrymount Park that would connect Pine Island to Ryan Boathouse.

Councillors Charles Phelan Jr., Anthony Andronico, Noel DiBona, Anne Mahoney and Brian Palmucci are sponsoring the resolution against the proposed bridge inside Black’s Creek.

In the resolution, councillors say they are concerned about chemicals leaching from the wooden bridge into the salt marsh and say the island should remain untouched.

“At this point we do not know the type of pressured treated wood being used and that could cause great leaching of hazardous chemical into the salt marsh,” they wrote.

“The area known as Pine Island is one of the last untouched and undeveloped parts of Quincy and home to several different species of wildlife that call Black’s Creek home.”

The proposed bridge would be 450 feet long and 17 feet wide, the councillors state in their resolve. It would require 66 pile towers driven into the salt marsh to support it.

Monday’s City Council meeting is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be preceded by a series of public hearings starting at 6:30 p.m. and an ordinance committee meeting at 6:40 p.m.

The meeting is being held remotely via Zoom. Those wishing to watch the meeting on the Zoom app can do so by entering the meeting ID 951 4678 9655 and the password CY0j2M. Those wishing to listen by phone can do by calling 929-436-2866 and entering the same meeting ID and the password 198931.

By SCOTT JACKSON

Mayor Thomas Koch on Thursday unveiled plans for three new developments along Hancock Street in Quincy Center featuring nearly 600 residential units between them.

One of the buildings would also be home to a performing arts center.

Koch announced plans for the new buildings at a City Hall press conference joined by Sam Slater and Joey Arcari, the developers behind the projects. The three buildings represent private investments of $300 million into Quincy Center, Koch said, and will include 800,000 square feet of new development. The projects will also generate $2 million in new tax revenue each year.

The mayor said the new developments would help transform the section of Quincy Center between Hancock Street and Burgin Parkway.

“It is time for that side of Hancock Street over to Burgin to be developed. It is time to transform that area,” he said. “That is what we are talking about today.”

Koch said he understood some of his critics might take issue with the additional development in Quincy Center, but noted there is a shortage of housing in the Boston area.

“The economy of Boston is heavily based on education and medical, and a lot of young people come to this region in need of a place to live, and that is a challenge right now. We are helping to meet that demand,” the mayor said.

“This creates new vitality, new vibrancy. It creates new jobs, it creates new taxes. And, it is on the spine of the tracks – we are right by the Quincy Center Red Line station…it checks a number of the boxes off, why it makes perfect sense.

“This is where we want density, this is where we want height, this is the center of commerce in our city. This isn’t in the middle of a neighborhood.”

Slater, who is a partner in the NHL’s Seattle Kraken expansion team, would develop two of the buildings.

The first building would be located at 1469 Hancock St., presently home to the Adams Arcade. Slater is proposing a 15-story, 200-unit residential building on that site with 4,000 square of retail space and 4,000 square feet of restaurant space.

The second building would be located on the site of the city-owned parcel of land at 1565 Hancock St., also known as the Messina Lot, where a 14- or 15-story building would be constructed. That building, which is still in the early planning stages, would house the new performing arts center and somewhere in the range of 350 residential units. Koch said the venue would be named in honor of First Ladies Abigail and Louisa Adams.

Arcari, whose firm, the Broadway Hospitality Group, operates the Tavern in the Square restaurants, would construct a seven-story building at 1445 Hancock St., now home to a Family Dollar. The building would include a restaurant on the ground floor, a coworking space on the second floor, and 40 residential units on the upper floors.

Koch said he plans to ask the City Council to acquire the two buildings at 1461 and 1453 Hancock St. which are home to a Tae Kwon Do studio and a coffee shop, among other businesses.  Those buildings, which are located between two of the proposed new buildings, would be razed to make way for a new green space.

The council would also have to approve of a land disposition agreement for the lot at 1565 Hancock St. The three projects would all be subject to review by the city’s Planning Board.

By SCOTT JACKSON

A series of hearings to review Quincy’s proposed fiscal year 2022 scheduled for this week have been postponed.

The City Council’s finance committee had been scheduled to hold budget hearings Wednesday and Thursday evening, but both have been cancelled.

Chris Walker, the chief of staff to Mayor Thomas Koch, on Wednesday morning said those hearings would be rescheduled for next week.

The postponement of this week’s budget hearings comes after the finance committee narrowly approved Koch’s proposed $475 million pension obligation Monday evening, casting doubt over whether the measure would have enough support to pass.

The  finance committee voted 5-3 on Monday in favor of giving a positive recommendation to an amended version of the bond. While only a simple majority was needed in committee for the bond to advance, it cannot be approved at a regular council meeting without the support of six councillors.

Councillors Anthony Andronico, Noel DiBona, William Harris, David McCarthy and Brian Palmucci voted in favor of the bond at Monday’s committee meeting while Councillors Ian Cain, Nina Liang and Anne Mahoney voted against it. Ward 5 Councillor Charles Phelan Jr. is recused from the matter because he is a current retire, he told The Sun on Tuesday; Phelan was formerly the city’s IT director.

Koch had drafted his proposed $346.65 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2022, which begins July 1, based on the assumption the pension bond would pass, saving about $15 million next fiscal year.

Walker on Wednesday said the administration would wait until councillors take a final vote on the pension bond on June 21 before determining what happens to the budget proposal.

“The council meeting and report out of committee will come Monday and we will take it from there,” he said.

By SCOTT JACKSON

Councillor Anne Mahoney on Monday said she was disappointed with Mayor Thomas Koch’s plan to use federal pandemic relief funds to acquire the Munroe Building in Quincy Center and a nearby parking lot.

Mahoney also said the city might not be able to use money earmarked for the college for property acquisitions.

Koch on May 27 announced he would use $15 million in funds the city and Quincy College, which is municipally owned, will receive from the American Rescue Plan to purchase the Munroe Building at 1227 Hancock St. and the parking lot at 1177 Hancock St. The mayor said the city should acquire those two parcels while they are available and was optimistic the land could be used to provide a new home for the school in the future.

During Monday’s City Council meeting, Mahoney said she has heard from a number of residents – who have called her, emailed or stopped her in public – that are opposed to Koch’s plan to purchase those two properties with the pandemic relief funds.

“People are upset, and they don’t want the Munroe Building purchased for Quincy College. They are even more outraged at the thought that pandemic relief funds are being used to take another building of the tax rolls of the city of Quincy,” Mahoney said.

“I must agree with the outcry. I am personally disappointed by the mayor’s choice to use federal pandemic money to purchase the Munroe Building. I do not believe the American [Rescue] Plan is intended for use for purchasing buildings to take them off tax rolls.”

Koch had previously sought council approval to borrow money to buy the Munroe Building and the parking lot, Mahoney noted, but withdrew the request before a possible vote on the matter on May 17.

“Listening to the overwhelming voice of the Quincy constituents, I believe a majority of the City Council was really ready to vote and reject the appropriation that was put before us,” Mahoney said. “Yet, this administration just did not want to hear the word ‘no’ and they removed it from our ability to vote and now he is using pandemic money for the mayor’s vanity project.”

Mahoney also said that colleges and universities cannot use money they receive from the American Rescue Plan’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund for construction or purchase of real property. She encouraged residents to raise their concerns with the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general.

“I think this is a misuse of pandemic relief funds,” Mahoney said.

“This no longer resides in the City Council, but I still feel it strong that I needed to speak about it. For the folks at home, for the people who stopped me, do not let the ARP funds for schools and students end up in the wrong hands. You asked what you needed to do – you can file a complaint online with the inspector general or call their hotline at 1-800-MISUSED.”

Chris Walker, Koch’s chief of staff, on Tuesday said the mayor’s plan to use the federal money for the land acquisitions had been vetted by outside auditors.

“The use of ARP funding for this purpose was fully vetted by the City’s independent auditors, so any claim to the contrary is at best mistaken and at worst purposely misleading to score cheap points,” Walker said in a statement.

“Site control for this parcel is critical to the future of the entire corridor so the City can determine its own destiny – as we have done multiple times in multiple areas when it comes to economic development in the downtown.  If Mayor Koch listened to chronic naysayers who would oppose a 75-degree sunny day if he proposed it, the City would look a lot different today and not in a good way.”

The city received $46.3 million in aid from the American Rescue Plan. Quincy College will receive $10.7 million from the ARP, half of which must be set aside for the benefit of the school’s students.

By SCOTT JACKSON

Twenty Quincy residents have taken out nomination papers to run for office in this fall’s municipal election, including each of the incumbents up for reelection this year.

Preliminary elections would be required in the race for Ward 2 seat on the City Council and the School Committee if all candidates who have taken out nomination papers qualify for the ballot.

Three candidates have pulled papers in the race for the Ward 2 seat on the council: incumbent Anthony Andronico of Endicott Street as well as challengers Steven Perdios of Ruggles Street and Jorgette Theophilis of Norman Road. Andronico was appointed to the seat in January following the resignation of longtime councillor Brad Croall. Croall was first elected in 2011, when he defeated Perdios by 56 votes.

Another race is possible for the three at large spots on the council. All three incumbent at-large councillors – Noel DiBona of Chickatabot Road, Nina Liang of Grand View Avenue, and Anne Mahoney of Ferriter Street – have pulled papers to seek reelection.

William Burke of Rice Road and John Rodo Rodophele of Grenwold Road have also taken out papers to seek an at-large seat on the council. Both pulled papers to run for councillor at-large in the 2019 municipal election, but neither returned them. Burke ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 2018 and had run for Congress two years prior. Rodophele ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 5 seat in 2017 and ran for School Committee twice before that.

Ward 1 Councillor David McCarthy of Whitney Road, Ward 3 Councillor Ian Cain of Forbes Hill Road, Ward 4 Councillor Brian Palmucci of Cross Street, Ward 5 Councillor Charles Phelan Jr. of Fenno Street and Ward 6 Councillor William Harris of Ashworth Road have taken out nomination papers to run for reelection. No challengers had emerged in those races as of Tuesday morning.

In the race for School Committee, all three incumbents whose seats are being contested this year have taken out nomination papers. They are: Douglas Gutro of Arnold Street, Emily Lebo of Highland Avenue and Courtney Perdios of Ruggles Street.

Joining them in the race are Ellen Patterson O’Donnell of Hatherly Road, John McDonald of Quincy Shore Drive, Liberty Schaaf of Howe Street, and Liz Speakman of Merrymount Road.

Courtney Perdios was appointed to the committee in February, filling the remainder of Andronico’s term. O’Donnell, Schaaf and Speakman were also nominated for the seat during the joint convention.

Courtney and Steven Perdios are married, and this is believed to be the first time a wife and husband have both sought municipal office in the same election in city history.

There is no mayoral election this year. Mayor Thomas Koch was reelected to a four-year term in 2019.

The deadline to return nomination papers to the Board of Registrars is 5 p.m. on July 27 and certified nomination papers, including a statement of candidacy, must be submitted to the city clerk by 5 p.m. on Aug. 10.

The signatures of 50 registered voters are required to run for each office in a municipal election. Residents seeking one of the six ward councillor seats must obtain the signatures from within their ward.

If needed, a preliminary election would be held on Sept. 14. A preliminary election would be required if more than two candidates run for one ward council seat, or if more than six ran for either councillor at-large or the school board.

The final election is slated for Nov. 2.

By SCOTT JACKSON

Mayor Thomas Koch on Thursday said he would use $15 million in federal pandemic relief funds to acquire the Munroe Building and a second parcel of land in Quincy Center.

On Thursday, Koch joined U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch at a press conference inside the Quincy College welcome center at Presidents Place, where the congressman announced the city-owned school would be receiving $10.7 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package Congress approved in March. The award to Quincy College is in addition to the $46.3 million the city will be receiving directly from the ARP.

Lynch said half of the $10.7 million would be set aside for the benefit of the college’s students and the other half would be spent on the college itself.

Koch said he planned to ask the college’s board of governors to approve using a portion of that $5.3 million to purchase the Munroe Building at 1227 Hancock St. and the nearby parking lot at 1177 Hancock St. The remaining funds for the acquisitions would come from the $46.3 million in American Rescue Plan funds the city will receive, an allocation that does not require approval from city councillors.

The mayor said the city should acquire the land while it is available.

“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of planning to do, but if we lose that site, we are going to be in trouble,” he said. “I think that site is too important for economic development right around the Quincy Center station, educational purposes, tourism purposes.”

After acquiring the properties, Koch said he would solicit community feedback on their future use. He is hopeful the land could be used to provide a new home for Quincy College

“Hopefully within a year or so we can come back after a lot of community discussion, a lot of community feedback, with a solid plan going forward,” Koch said.

“The plan is to use a portion of the money for the college, a portion of the money that was dedicated to the city side to secure that site, and then we will continue the discussions, the planning, and hopefully secure a final home, a permanent home, for Quincy College.”

Koch had previously sought to borrow $23 million to purchase the Munroe Building and the nearby parking lot as part of a proposal to construct a 16-story building to house both Quincy College and municipal offices. The bond would have also covered the cost of relocating the building’s tenants and designing the proposed new municipal facility That proposal, however, was withdrawn last week amid opposition from city councillors.

At Thursday’s press conference, Koch reiterated his support for building a new home for the college.

“I know I have said it publicly before, but to secure the college’s future, it needs to have its own home,” he said. “We can’t continue to be nomads leasing in different parts of the city. A hundred thousand square feet right at the Quincy Center station makes absolutely perfect sense.”

Lynch called the prospect of buying a new home for the college “tremendously exciting.”

“While that is not in my purview, I just know the facts here. Forty-seven percent of the students at Quincy College are people of color,” he said.

“Part of this funding is really to address inequity, right, and the impact it has had on parts of this community. When you think about the population here that is being served at Quincy College, there would be a certain appropriateness to ideas like that.”