Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 2, 2026 DOCKLANDS | FROM PAGE 1 industrial area to mixed uses that could include high-tech manufacturing, residences, office space and retail establishments. “It looks tremendous,” longtime Everett resident Mike Russo said of the conceptual and tentative plans for what could replace gas tanks he could see from his home. “It’s good to be able to see something other than the gas tanks,” State Representative Dan Ryan added. “There’s so much space with the gas tanks gone.” “The gas tanks were a landmark,” urban planner Chris Dempsey, of Speck Dempsey, acknowledged. “Now that they’ve come down, it’s a sign the Everett is changing. We hope people feel it’s for the The Davis Companies Vice President of Development Ben Masselink and Davis Managing Director of Mixed-Use Development Melissa Schrock. better.” The Docklands District is one part of the larger Commercial Triangle, which is the area bordered by Lower Broadway, Revere Beach Parkway/Route 16 and the Mystic River. Everett Landco bought Docklands District land from ExxonMobil. Global Partners and The DaLawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net vis Companies, which are affiliated with Landco, are the developers. For comparative purposes to 106 acres, Boston Common and the adjacent Public Garden total about 75 acres, with Boston Common 50 acres and the Public Garden 25. Boston Common and two Public Gardens equal about the size of the Docklands District area in question. Davis Managing Director of Mixed-Use Development Melissa Schrock called plans “district size development.” Charlestown comprises most of Ryan’s district, but the Docklands District is also in it. “I’m interested in the future of the entire area and how taking the old industrial area and changing it into housing, commercial and mixed use will revitalize the economy,” he said. “I want to be helpful to Everett but also understand the effects on Charlestown just as I Landscape architect Anthony Fox. wouldn’t want development in Charlestown to affect Everett negatively.” “People want to see the community revitalized,” State Representative Judith Garcia said. “Projects that can regenerate a city create hope. The vision of what they’re trying to create is ambitious and on a grand scale, but it seems like it will accommodate different uses.” Most of her district covers Chelsea but also includes sections of Everett’s Ward 2. The Docklands District is in adjacent Ward 1. “Chelsea is watching these developments closely to see what our good neighbors in Everett are doing,” she said in reference to the economic, environmental and social impacts development will have on Everett and surrounding communities. “We got to see what’s possibly going to happen, but there are a lot more steps to go,” Ward 4 Councillor Holly Garcia said of the event. “I’m interested in seeing variety and more parking.” The Open House allowed people to see maps of the area, photos of it while the gas tank were there and after they’d been removed, conceptual maps of dense and light development and artist renditions of what area may look like, but it should be noted development may look radically different from those renditions, which was acknowledged by Dempsey. He added that the Open House was part of the public process of incorporating the area into a local Master Plan to “set guardrails.” The plans also require adherence to environmental guidelines set by the state Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The site is only three miles from Kendall Square near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and could provide space for a high-tech start-up by MIT grads. It is also close enough to so many communities; people working in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville or communities north of Everett would find it accessible to their places of work. Installation of a commuter rail stop and more bus service in the area would help facilitate that. The commuter rail stop would be on the Newburyport/Rockport line. “Public transportation is very important to this,” Davis Vice President of Development Ben Masselink thinks. Long awaited and desired access to the waterfront and open space with access to the Mystic River, on existing streets or future pathways, are also parts of the plans. Davis owns a small portion of land on the Mystic and is looking for ways DOCKLANDS | SEE PAGE 6
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