Page 2 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022 East of Broadway project runs into opposition By Christopher Roberson T he proposed East of Broadway project encountered staunch resistance during the recent public hearing held by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. According to the current plans, the development would be located across the street from Encore Boston Harbor. It would feature a pedestrian footbridge, a 999-seat events center, 20,000 square feet of retail space and a parking garage for 2,900 vehicles, as well as the possibility of three hotels and seven restaurants. During the February 28 hearing, Troy Siebels, president of the Massachusetts Performing Arts Coalition, said his organization helped craft the state’s Gaming Statute. The coalition also signed an Impacted Live Entertainment Venue Agreement with Encore’s parent company, Wynn Resorts. However, he said it appears that neither document was taken into consideration when the plans for East of Broadway were created. “Our frustration is that those things don’t seem to be worth the paper they’re printed on,” he said during the February 28 hearing. In addition, Siebels raised ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $3.839 Mid Unleaded $3.969 Super $4.099 Diesel Fuel $4.599 "43 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2021 KERO $5.99 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $4.599 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS concerns that the events center could hurt the theaters that belong to the coalition. “There’s the potential for them to bring in the acts that normally play in 2,500-seat theaters because their business model is diff erent from ours,” he said. “It’s not a silver bullet, restricting the venue size.” On February 10, Attorney Samuel M. Tony Starr; counsel for Wynn MA, LLC, assured the commission that East of Broadway would not be “part of the gaming establishment.” However, State Representative Paul Donato disagreed, saying the footbridge would be connected to Encore. “It’s very evident that this is, without a doubt, part of the casino,” said Donato. Attorney Daniel Rabinovitz, counsel for the City of Medford, said Encore has repeatedly broken the law as it pertains to indoor seating capacity. “Encore has continually had concerts where seats have been sold and seats have been put in their ballroom that are between 1,000 and 3,500 seats,” he said. “That’s a straight violation of the law.” Therefore, Rabinovitz said, Encore should be fi ned or at the very least, the commission should send the casino a “very stern written warning.” “Encore is not interested at all in complying with this restriction about the number of seats that they can have,” he said. “If we fi nd out that they’re going to have those kinds of events again, one of the things that my clients are going to consider is to fi le something in Superior Court for Injunctive Relief.” Kenneth Krause, a member of the Board Directors of the Friends of Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym, accused Encore of “predatory practices.” Citing one example, he said the New Wave band The B-52s was slated to perform at the Chevalier until Encore swooped in with a better deal. “They have an unfair advantage because they can off er these acts much more than the conventional theaters can,” said Krause. “They can pay much higher because they’re not reliant on income from the event itself.” In addition, Krause said the Commission is the only entity that can enforce the seating capacity at the proposed events center. “If the venue goes ahead and it’s not part of the Gaming Commission, they could turn around the next day and make it 1,800 seats,” he said. Everett Bank announces appointments to senior leadership team E verett Bank recently announced the appointment of John Migliozzi to executive vice president and head of commercial banking and mortgage and Cary Lynch to senior vice president and head of retail banking. Through their new roles, Migliozzi and Lynch will strengthen the bank’s customer relationships and grow its asset portfolios. “We are energized by the additions of John and Cary to our senior leadership team,” said Everett Bank President/CEO Richard O’Neil, Jr. “With their great depth of experience in fi nance, they are well positioned to usher in an exciting new era of growth for Everett Bank, while always staying true to our mission to do right by our customers.” Migliozzi brings more than 25 years of experience to Everett Bank. Reporting to O’Neil, Migliozzi will oversee the commercial and residential lending divisions. He will be entrusted with managing the existing real estate portfolio of $520 million and work to build up assets in the coming years. Before joining Everett Bank, Migliozzi managed commercial and residential real estate lending as East Boston Savings Bank’s executive vice president and senior lender. “Everett Bank’s local comCary Lynch munity feel and customer-fi rst approach set it apart from the competition and immediately attracted me to this role and opportunity,” said Migliozzi. “I am thrilled to join an organization that prioritizes high-touch customer service and I am committed to continuing that reputation as we continue to build the future of Everett Bank.” As an industry veteran with more than 35 years of retail managerial experience, Lynch will also report directly to O’Neil with the goal of enhancing marketing strategies and improving the branch and digital delivery channels, all while maintaining a strong focus on the execution of exceptional customer service. Prior to joining Everett Bank, Lynch served as senior vice president and director of retail sales and service at Century Bank, which is headquartered in Medford, Mass., where he managed the branch netJohn Migliozzi work and supervised the retail operations and analytics team. “Joining such a driven and dedicated team is an honor,” said Lynch. “In this newly created role, I am looking forward to enhancing our approach to providing tailored fi nancial solutions and exploring new ways to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.” In addition to the appointments of Migliozzi and Lynch, Everett Bank brought on Brian DeVenne as the business development offi cer. Serving under Lynch, DeVenne will represent Everett Bank in the community and will be tasked with acquiring and developing new business and customer relationships. He joins Everett Bank from Century Bank, where he served as the branch manager for the Everett location. Prior to Century Bank, DeVenne was a business development offi cer for Citizens Bank. Prices subject to change Ask about our Conditioner! FLEET
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