Mayor Arrigo Files Emergency Request for Receivership of 370 Ocean Avenue

Taking bold and decisive action, Mayor Brian Arrigo filed an emergency request for the court to impose a receivership for the Water’s Edge apartment building at 370 Ocean Avenue to oversee the improvements to the property.

In addition to the filing, the City has already moved to foreclose on all three properties (370 Ocean Ave., 364 Ocean Ave., and 388 Ocean Ave.) owned by the Carabetta family for outstanding tax title issues. Currently the property owners have $1.9 million in past taxes owed to the city.

The building was the scene of a three-time fire on June 21. During the blaze, Revere firefighters rescued two residents who were on an eleventh-floor balcony and had become trapped by the heavy smoke conditions. City officials condemned the building for code violations. More than 100 residents have been displaced.

Arrigo said that a hearing on the matter was scheduled for today (Wednesday) at Chelsea District Court.

City Officials Tour Building, Press Conference Held

Mayor Arrigo, Fire Chief Christopher Bright, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, and the city’s inspectional services team toured the 370 Ocean Ave. building July 14 to determine the current conditions. Following that tour, Mayor Arrigo spoke at a well-attended press conference held across the street from the building. Virtually every Boston TV news station, along with WBZ-AM Radio, was present, with some reporters doing live on-site reports.

Arrigo didn’t mince words about his displeasure about the deplorable conditions inside the apartment building.

“The decision to go to court and impose receivership is one that we made after years of dissatisfaction with the Carabetta family and Carabetta Properties,” said Arrigo. “And that dissatisfaction has only been exacerbated by their inability to step up to the plate for our residents during one of the hardest times anybody can go through – being displaced out of their homes.

“What I can say about what we saw [during the tour of the building] is that the conditions are absolutely deplorable,” continued Arrigo.

The mayor announced that the City will be utilizing emergency funding to assist all of the displaced residents. Arrigo said he would be meeting with the displaced residents to provide an update on the housing situation.

DA Hayden said he “applauds Mayor Arrigo, the Revere Fire Department, and the entire City of Revere for the work that they’ve done to assist these residents and help them in this situation, where they are locked out of their homes.”

(Information from a City of Revere-issued press release on the issue was used in the compilation of this story).