REVERE Vol.29, No.42 -FREENE PATS HONOR RHS PAT’S COACH CICATELLI SEE PAGE 12 ADVOCATE www.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday 781-286-8500 Friday, October 18 , 2019 Mayor announces Amazon will come to Revere M Greater Boston delivery station will create hundreds of jobs after renovation Special to The Advocate ayor Brian Arrigo has announced that Amazon will open its newest delivery station at the site previously occupied by the Necco candy company – creating hundreds of parttime and full-time jobs in one of the most significant commercial developments in Revere’s history. Amazon will invest in renovations to the building at 135 American Legion Hwy. and house its Greater Boston delivery station under a lease arrangement with property owners Atlantic Management and VMD Companies. “This is a leap into Revere’s future as a strong, modernized and prosperous city,” Mayor Arrigo said. “Amazon’s investment in our community will invigorate the local economy and promote Revere as a place where prominent, innovation-driven businesses are welcome and can thrive.” After Atlantic and VMD acquired the 50-acre property in April 2017, Mayor Arrigo collaborated with the new owners and championed zoning legislation that restricted the property’s use to advanced commercial activiRevere Celebrates its Heritage at Annual Columbus Day Parade ty, including technology warehousing and e-commerce. The building – containing approximately 830,000 square feet – became vacant in September of 2018, when Necco abruptly ended operations after 15 years at the location. The availability and quality of Revere’s workforce, along with its proximity to public transportation and Logan airport, helped attract Amazon to Revere. “The Mayor’s Office, his Economic Development staff and the City Council, particularly Ward Councilor John Powers, who was adamant about keeping the Necco site as commercial property, were essential in working with Amazon and bringing assurances that Revere would be a long-term home for the company and its employees,” said Atlantic Management CEO Joseph Zink. “Mayor Arrigo was hyper-focused on increasing employment with smart economic growth policies. This is a big win for Revere and the region,” said VMD Companies Managing Director/Founder James L. Vitas II. When the new delivery station opens its doors in 2020, Amazon will become Revere’s largest employer and generate a significant increase in comMAYOR | SEE PAGE 19 We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover $2.45 GALLON GALLON $ 3.43 ON THE MARCH: Elected officials including Ward 5 Councillor John Powers, State Rep. and Speaker of the House Bob DeLeo, city councillors Jessica Giannino, Arthur Guinasso, and Ira Novoselsky, along with school board members Mike Ferrante and Gerry Visconti wave to parade goers at the annual Columbus Day Parade on Monday. See page 14 for photo highlights. (Advocate photo by Katy Rogers) DEP hearing on emission control plan Saugus and Revere residents express concerns about Wheelabrator being allowed to use emission credits to meet proposed pollution standards By Mark E. Vogler S augus Board of Health Member Shawn Ayube scolded representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) when he got his chance to comment on an emission control plan (ECP) for the Wheelabrator Saugus incinerator. “It’s absurd and it’s gross negligence,” Ayube said of a provision within the draft copy of Wheelabrator’s plan that enables the company to buy Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) in order to meet more stringent standards for Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. Ayube was one of 40 residents – mostly from Saugus and Revere – who testified Tuesday night during a three-hour hearing in the Saugus High School auditorium on DEP’s draft approval of Wheelabrator’s pending application to update its ECP. All of them opposed the plan. Under the proposed DEP draft, 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 Price Subject to Change without notice the maximum 24-hour average NOx emissions from Wheelabrator Saugus would be reduced from a limit of 205 parts per million (ppm) to 150 ppm. Nitrogen oxides are poisonous and highly reactive gases that can contribute to respiratory and heart problems. At face value, many critics of Wheelabrator – including Democratic State Rep. RoseLee Vincent – were initially supportive of the DEP | SEE PAGE 4
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