DEVELOPMENT IS A promising word in Gateway Cities, and Everett’s new mayor just inherited a lot of it in his first few weeks in office. Agreements for two major projects – a $500 million soccer stadium and two new hotels across from the Encore Boston Harbor casino – were announced just as former mayor Carlo DeMaria was leaving office earlier this month. Another massive mixed-use development that will include manufacturing, office, and retail space is already the works.
It’s all part of DeMaria’s 18-year legacy, during which he ushered in a development boom anchored by the city’s welcoming of the Commonwealth’s biggest casino. But in November, voters decided that the swaggering mayor’s work in Everett was finished after a series of scandals, including an investigation that found DeMaria had intentionally concealed “longevity” bonuses that were improperly paid to him.
Few cities have experienced the kind of growth Everett has seen in the last seven years. Now, further transformation of the city’s once-blighted Lower Broadway district will be overseen by newly elected mayor Robert Van Campen, who was inaugurated on January 5.
“I refer to it as a case study for urban renewal,” he said in an interview. “It is quite an honor for me to come into office at a time when I have the ability to make sure this is all implemented properly.”…