After an outcry of opposition from Revere residents, the proposed site of a “restorative, educational housing” facility is no longer slated for the residential Oak Island neighborhood, according to an attorney for the developers.
Attorney Gerry D’Ambrosio said he has been working “behind the scenes” with the developers, Rob and John Nakashian, to find another location in the city, away from children and senior citizens.
The team is discussing the project with another city property owner “in the private sector,” D’Ambrosio told the Herald on Tuesday. The attorney declined to disclose who the property owner is and where the new proposed site is.
“We hope we can find an area that may be more accommodating to the neighbors,” he said. “It’s a difficult process. You take one step back so you can hopefully take two steps forward.”
Mayor Brian Arrigo, in a statement, expressed disappointment over the withdrawal of the project’s proposed site, slated for the dead-end Arcadia Street, near Revere Beach. It would have provided “much needed housing and support for dozens of Revere residents,” the mayor said.
Despite the change in location, the services that would be offered through the center remain the same: 24 beds for the homeless along with vocational training, and psychiatric assistance and drug counseling if needed, D’Ambrosio said.
Oak Island residents held a protest last week, advocating their support behind the idea of a homeless center while urging D’Ambrosio and the Nakashians to find another location for it.
Some residents referred to the proposed facility as a “drug addiction center” rather than a restorative, educational housing facility
“It’s especially disappointing given the vitriol and propaganda spread about the project,” Arrigo said in a statement. “The stigma attached to those facing homelessness and substance use disorder is very real and has been on display for the last two weeks in our city.”
Boston-based Bay Cove Human Services would have staffed the center, and the mayor said the city will work with the nonprofit to find the “right location.
About 25 Oak Island neighbors learned about the decision during a meeting Monday with the attorney and proposed developers, resident Anthony Parziale told the Herald. The only details they received were that the new proposed site will be “better suited for the shelter’s needs in terms of safety,” he said.
Neighbors at Monday’s meeting voted for five townhouses to replace the proposed center that would have taken the place of a three-family dilapidated, vacant home on Arcadia Street.
“I’m just happy for everybody involved that we were able to find a safe place and that we still get a homeless shelter because those people need help,” Parziale said. “It is a win-win for everybody.”