Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/business/page/46/)
Roche Bros. will be opening a location at Arsenal Yards in Watertown, and the store is hiring hundreds of employees. Roche Bros.’ Head of Recruitment, Andrew Coletti, said the store has begun looking to hire people in a variety of roles at the new store. “We are hiring over 200 people for our new Watertown Store,” Coletti said.
Building 1 is one of the new additions to the Arsenal on the Charles proposed to be built by the new owners. The following information was provided by Alexandria Real Estate Equities:
Please join Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (ARE) for a review and discussion on conceptual plans for the Arsenal on the Charles (AOTC) campus, which ARE purchased from Athena Arsenal, LLC in late 2019. The purpose of these meetings will be to present and discuss ARE’s proposed plans to redevelop AOTC into a collaborative and innovative campus including life science, office, retail, and community uses, as well as publicly accessible open spaces and streetscape improvements. Discussion will highlight the changes from Athena Arsenal LLC’s previously approved Campus Master Plan Special Permit and Site Plan Review (PB-2016-01) as well as conceptual designs for the new buildings and the associated public realm including pedestrian and bicycle connectivity tothe adjacent neighborhoods. (note: postings will be available online prior to the first meeting)
An overhead view of Arsenal on the Charles, showing the proposed new additions: Building 1, Building 2, the Connector and Site D.
We will be hosting two community information meetings: one on February 3rd, and the other on March 11th.
Watertown’s Donohue’s Bar & Grill received the first grant from the Step Up to the Table Foundation, a group looking to save local restaurants during COVID-19. Donohue’s was nominated by Josh Vernon, who sent in a letter talking about how much the restaurant has given back to the community since it opened in 1998, particularly to the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. “When you mention Donohue’s to anyone from the Watertown area, they think of family and a wonderful place to gather together for all reasons JD would never ask for help, so as a friend and customer I felt he deserved this nomination so he can continue giving back to his community and supporting his staff,” Vernon wrote in his nomination. Like restaurants across Massachusetts, Donohue’s has faced many hurdles during the pandemic, from being closed in the early days of COVID, to continued reduction of capacity and other restrictions. See a video, below, posted by the Step Up to the Table Foundation when it told owner JD Donohue about the grant:
A trio of homes sold this week in Watertown. $505,000 – 10 Swetts Ct. Unit 10, Condo – Townhouse, 1,256 Living Area Sq. Ft., 6 Room, 4 Bedroom, 1 Full & 1 Half Bathroom
$470,000 – 10 Williams St. Unit 50, Condo – Detached, 950 Living Area Sq.
The Newton Needham Regional Chamber hosted a “Zoominar” about the latest Small Business Association’s PPP application process. The chamber shared the link to the video in its daily newsletter. See it below. https://www.watertownmanews.com/2021/01/21/banks-now-accepting-applications-for-ppp-loans/
Check out the open houses in town this weekend. $829,000 – 14-16 Dwight St., Multi-family Home – 2 Family – 2 Units Up/Down 2,320 Living Area Sq. Ft., 2 Units, 11 Total Rooms, 4 Total Bedrooms Open House: Sunday 12-1:30
$439,000 – 290 Pleasant St. Unit 106, Condo – Mid-Rise, 761 Living Area Sq. Ft.
Businesses can now apply for federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Applications can be sent to banks. The loans can be forgiven if 60 percent of the funds are used for payroll. In the first round, the loans could only be used for payroll and rent, but the list has been expanded and now includes employee health benefits, mortgage interest, utilities and expenses that are essential to business operations. Some changes have been made to the program, according to this Forbes magazine story.
A view of the proposed life sciences building at 66 Galen Street viewed from Galen Street. Plans for an a new life science building on Galen Street near Watertown Square got praise from the Planning Board for taking steps to address traffic in the area, improving public transportation and creating green space for public use. The board voted unanimously on Jan. 13 to support Boston Development Group’s project at 66 Galen St., which includes the former Colonial GMC dealership and sits next to the MBTA’s Watertown Yard. On Jan.