Around Town

Preliminary Plans Submitted for Multi-Story Garage at Transformed Watertown Mall

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Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesA conceptual drawing of the garage that may go at 480 Arsenal Way, and would be part of the “Watertown Mall Transformation.” The first step in the redevelopment of the Watertown Mall, and neighboring properties, appears to be the construction of a multi-level parking garage. It would be part of a complex that includes life science buildings, retail, and second parking garage. Alexandria Real Estate Equities submitted preliminary plans to the Watertown Planning Department for a 700-vehicle garage that would be built at 480 Arsenal Way. It is part of what developers are calling the “Watertown Mall Transformation Project.”

Letters

LETTER: Group Urges Watertown Mall Redevelopment to be Net Zero Energy

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An Open Letter to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.:

With over 170 people attending your first public meeting on Alexandria’s plan for redevelopment of the Watertown Mall, we know that you are aware of how important this project is to the community of Watertown. We also know that Alexandria has committed to being  “a mission-driven company dedicated to making a positive and lasting impact on the world…”  Your website states that “environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is core to our DNA.”  We have high hopes for this project. Watertown Faces Climate Change, a local climate action group (see affiliations below)  calls on you to do the work to make these buildings Net Zero Energy/Platinum LEED. We know that Alexandria has the capacity to build to these standards because you have done so at 325 Binney St. in Cambridge.

Around Town

Developer to Discuss Plans for Watertown Mall at Community Meeting

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Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesA rendering of the conceptual plans for the Watertown Mall property and adjacent properties. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. will discuss conceptual plans for the Watertown Mall property and adjacent properties. Meetings are planned for Thursday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, March 1 and will be held virtually. The plan calls for keeping the Target store, and building a campus on the properties that will include life science, retail and community uses.

Around Town

Local Dance Studio Survives the Challenges of the Pandemic, Uncertainty About Home at Watertown Mall

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The Watertown Mall recently changed owners when Watertown Mall Associates Limited Partnership sold it for $130 million to Alexandria Real Estate Equities on April 21. Business owners in the mall spent much of the early summer wondering what the new changes would mean for them, including Maria Zullo, owner of Miss Maria’s School of Dance. Miss Maria’s School of Dance (MMDS) was founded 10 years ago in Watertown and has grown into a thriving local business. The studio was originally located on Waverley Avenue in the current location of Suzyn Day Spa, and has since moved three times, growing larger with each move. 

The first location had a single dance room, and after two years, MMSD expanded into a three dance room location on Main Street. In its eighth year of business, Zullo was able to secure a lease at the Watertown Mall in the location where the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) used to be.

Around Town

Deal to Sell Watertown Mall Closes, Purchased by Owners of Arsenal on the Charles

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The Watertown Mall — home to Target and Best Buy — has been sold for $130 million to the owner of other major properties in Town. The sale by Watertown Mall Associates Limited Partnership and New York-based Rosen Associates to Alexandria Real Estate Equities closed on Thursday, according to a story on Bisnow Boston which reported the closing of the deal. Alexandria has become a big player in biotech in Watertown. It also owns the Arsenal on the Charles and the former Mount Auburn Club. 

The future of the property is not clear, with Target having a lease through 2033, according to Bisnow.com. Other tenants of the Watertown Mall include the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Joyful Garden restaurant, Miss Maria’s School of Dance, Carter’s and Work N’ Gear.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Rumors of Sale of Watertown Mall to Life Science Developer

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The Watertown Mall — home to Target, the RMV and Best Buy — could soon be sold to a developer looking to create life science lab space, according to a Boston Globe article. The potential deal involved a sale by owners Rosen Associates Management Corp. to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, which also owns the Arsenal on the Charles and the former Mount Auburn Club. The sales price of the 18-acre-site on Arsenal Street is reportedly $125 million, according to the Globe. The property lies in the Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) zone in East Watertown, which allows for taller buildings (up to five stories) and more dense development (75 percent building coverage) than most areas of town.

Government

Watertown RMV Extends Designated Hours for Seniors

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Mall:

The designated RMV senior service hours, which began on September 2nd , 2020, will be continued through January 2021. For those who are 75 and older, the Registry of Motor Vehicles offers weekly Wednesday service hours that are in place to offer an option to senior citizens to practice proper “social distancing” protocols to keep customers safe. Individuals who are in this age group are required by Massachusetts law to renew their state driver’s license in person. To make a reservation to renew at an RMV Service Center please visit Mass.Gov/RMV and select the Seniors License Renewal option to Make/Cancel a Reservation transaction tab. For those who are an AAA member, they may renew their license/ID at an AAA location.

Entertainment

Make Snowman Puppets at Watertown Family Together Event

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Mall:

While we’re all inside during the cold month of January, the Watertown Mall is offering fun, take home craft kits! These wonderful Snowman Puppets, supplied by Watertown Families Together, are a delightful way to spend a snowy January day. The kits come complete with puppet instructions, a popsicle stick, and the precut pieces to put together your very own puppet! The puppets will be available on mall pushcarts which are located near the front entrance of the mall and in the back hallway next to Target. Puppets will be available January 18th through January 31st, and are available while supplies last.