Special To The Journal
The Water’s Edge Limited Partnership that operates the Water’s Edge Apartment Complex at 370 Ocean Avenue has released the following statement:
“A fire occurred at the Water’s Edge Apartment Complex at 370 Ocean Avenue, Revere, Mass., on June 21, 2022, causing extensive damage to several portions of the 16-story high-rise, resulting in the displacement of all residents due to a condemnation order issued by the City of Revere, on July 5, 2022.
The owners have diligently pursued all efforts to repair this building, even without the full cooperation of various city officials, and will seek to do so, until all repairs have been made in accordance with all building codes.
We understand how challenging this has been for our residents and are committed to doing everything we can to get them back into the building as quickly as possible.â€
The statement by Water’s Edge followed a July 20 hearing in which Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo had requested on behalf of the city that an emergency receivership action be taken at the 370 Ocean Avenue apartment building. The Boston Housing Court chose not to take immediate action on the matter following the hearing that was held at the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in Boston.
Mayor Arrigo issued the following statement in response to the Boston Housing Court’s decision on the City’s request:
“As Mayor of the City of Revere, I am appalled by the lack of action taken by the Boston Housing Court on our city’s request for Emergency Receivership at 370 Ocean Avenue. If there was ever a question of whether this is an emergency the judge only needs to talk with the 103 individuals, including young children, who have been displaced from this property since a fire on June 21, 2022. Instead, the judge refused an evidentiary hearing and would not hear any testimony from Revere Fire and Safety officials. It is beyond disappointing that the legal system – set up to protect innocent people from the harm of irresponsible and careless landlords – has failed in its duty when they were called on by those most in need. The city will continue to take every legal action available to hold the Carabetta company accountable for their continued disregard for their obligation to our residents.â€
The issue continues to be covered extensively by the Boston media. Interestingly the issue also came up in the form of a question about landlords at the Suffolk County District Attorney Candidates Forum Monday night. Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo brought up the Revere situation in his response, and Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden followed, stating that he had toured the building at 370 Ocean Avenue with Mayor Arrigo and his office is continuing to closely monitor the situation.
Meanwhile, Mayor Arrigo has kept the heat on Water’s Edge while his administration has been in frequent contact with the displaced residents. Arrigo hosted a meeting with residents of 370 Ocean Ave. July 21 to update them on the legal actions the city is taking and the city’s support for their relocation efforts.