Project Proposed for Russo’s Site to be Discussed at Community Meeting

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Jacobs A view of the four-story life science center proposed for the former Russo’s site at 560 Pleasant St.

A community meeting will be held about the proposed project on the former Russo’s & Sons site on Pleasant Street on June 9.

The plans for the property, at 532-560 Pleasant St. include a lab/office building, retail space, a parking garage, with publicly-accessible open space in between. The full proposal is located online and can be found here. 

Developers sent out the following meeting announcement:

BDPF Pleasant Street Owner, LLC, the owner of the properties located at 532 and 560 Pleasant
Street would like to introduce itself and cordially invite you to a presentation of its plans to transform the site into a vibrant Office Research and Development/Lab Life Sciences Campus incorporating a complementary and inviting retail component, publicly accessible open space, river and community path connections, streetscape enhancements and other public realm enhancements while promoting the goals of the Pleasant Street Corridor.

We will be hosting an interactive meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 6:30pm. We hope you are able to join us for the presentation and look forward to your comments. For ease of access, the meeting will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Just prior to the start of the meeting, please access the link below to join via computer or mobile device. You may be instructed to download the Zoom application. The project team will also attempt to secure a live broadcast spot with
local cable access TV. If none are available, the project team will record and make it available through local cable access TV for on demand viewing.

Meeting Date: Thursday, June 9, 2022, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Meeting Place: virtual, via Zoom webinar
URL: https://bit.ly/532-560-pleasant-st-mtg (note: if typing manually, all lowercase)

Or, head to https://zoom.us/join and enter
Webinar ID: 820 7752 6599
Passcode: 02472

Via one-tap mobile:
+13017158592,,82077526599#

Via telephone:
(301) 715-8592
Webinar ID: 820 7752 6599
Passcode: 02472

First-time Zoom help: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360034967471-Quick-startguide-for-new-users

Project Contact:
Chris Roller
c/o Saracen Properties, LLC
croller@saracenproperties.com

5 thoughts on “Project Proposed for Russo’s Site to be Discussed at Community Meeting

  1. To BDPF Pleasant Street Owner, LLC: Please be sure to avoid the mistake made at the last recent developer community meeting: please hold this online community meeting in Large Meeting format, not Webinar format, so that the community can actually see each other as well as the speakers and can see all chat comments.

    Thank you!

  2. Great question Patti Cassidy. And, I second Libby Shaw’s comment. The recent “community” meetings are bogus. The community cannot see who is in the meeting nor the comments or questions being posted. These meetings need more publicity on the part of the town, the agency/developer, and at least the councilors in the district. While I truly appreciate Charlie Breitrose’s efforts to get the word out, Watertown News cannot be the only public communication vehicle.

    The recent meetings regarding the DCR’s Cannalonga Park on Pleasant Street and the office/lab proposal for the former Sterritt Lumber site were dismal. In both cases the state agency/developer stated that this was the format our Planning Office recommended given Zoom bombings. If so – Baloney! Show me the metrics on that problem. Many of us attend numerous Zoom meetings where we can see everyone who is attending and all the posed comments and questions.

    And PLEASE folks, sign up for notifications on the city website. That’s the minimum you should do to be somewhat informed about the issues that concern you before setting off on a litany of complaints about all the development/issues in our city on Facebook, Nextdoor, on Watertown News, or at your favorite hangout. The times have been a changing for quite some time. You snooze, you lose. And let me say this again and again – when election season rolls around be informed and VOTE!

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