It was a year of major transitions for Revere in 2023.
As 2023 comes to an end, 2024 will see a new mayor and a reshaped City Council as many of the issues that dominated the headlines over the past year should continue to play out.
In April, Mayor Brian Arrigo resigned from office to take the top job at the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Arrigo had already announced he would not run for a third term in office in 2023 when he stepped down to take the DCR job.
With Arrigo’s departure, City Council President Patrick Keefe took the reins as Acting Mayor, while Ward 1 Councilor Joanne McKenna became Council President Pro Tem.
The resulting mayoral campaign set off the chain of events that would reshape the council, as three at-large councilors gave up their seats to challenge Keefe for a full term as mayor.
Keefe and Councilor and former Mayor Dan Rizzo bested Steve Morabito and Gerry Visconti in the September preliminary election, with Rizzo topping the ballot.
However, the general election saw Keefe come out on top by about 360 votes, a margin that survived a recount that was filed by Rizzo.
With Keefe, Morabito, Rizzo, and Visconti giving up their council seats, the council race saw a number of newcomers elected for the new session beginning in January. In the at-large race, incumbents Anthony Zambuto and Marc Silvestri will be joined by Robert Haas III, Michelle Kelley, and Juan Pablo Jaramillo.
One of the big issues the council will need to deal with in the coming year is the ongoing effort to build a new Revere High School.
It was a rollercoaster of a year for the school building efforts, as it initially appeared the city was moving forward with plans to build a new high school on the 30 acre-plus Wonderland site.
Late in 2022, the council approved a $30 million taking of the Wonderland property by eminent domain to build the new school and potentially develop a smaller portion of the property, as well.
Early in 2023, the owners of the Wonderland property filed a lawsuit against the city seeking additional compensation for the land.
Late in February, the council voted 6-4-1 against approving the Revere High School project’s schematic design submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), ending most hopes of building the school at the Wonderland site.
The High School Building Committee was tasked with coming up with options to build a new high school on the current school site.
Early next year, the School Committee and the council could be faced with choosing an option for the new school at the current site and approving funding for the project.
Currently, the building committee is looking at four-, five-, and six-story building options for a new high school with an estimated cost in the range of $550 million, with the MSBA grant potentially picking up about $220 million of that cost. If the proposal stays on track, the new school could open for the 2028-29 school year.
Residents took the initiative on several issues facing the neighborhoods over the past year.
Neighbors opposed a proposed 24-bed homeless assistance facility on Arcadia Street, bringing their opposition to City Hall and to the streets. The neighborhood, city officials, and the developer were able to work together to rescind the plans for the development and come back with a proposal for townhouse units at 84 Arcadia St.
While a new high school is still in the planning stages, there was some major news this year on other municipal building projects
A new public works facility opened on Charger Street, with nearly twice the square footage of the old facility and indoor storage for the department’s vehicles.
The city was also preparing to cut the ribbon for the new Robert J. Haas Jr. Health and Wellness Center located at 321 Charger Street on Jan. 2. The center is an expansive, state-of-the-art facility that sets a new standard for health and fitness for youth and residents in the City of Revere, according to Keefe.
The new Point of Pines Fire Station also moved closer to becoming a reality, and the city moved forward with the Riverfront Master Plan with plans for the redevelopment of Gibson Park as the private development of the former G&J towing site continued.
After concerns were raised by some city officials, the new Amazon distribution facility on Squire Road at the former movie theater site opened in time for the holidays.
On the public safety front, the beginning of the summer season once again saw unrest at Revere Beach during the Memorial Day weekend, with three people injured during two separate shootings.
Councilors asked for answers and greater cooperation between Revere police, state police, and the DCR to help prevent further incidents along the public beach.
Later in the year, the council honored and recognized members from the Metro North Regional Emergency Communications Center; Dispatch Supervisors Ashley Goodwin and Jesse Fiorentino, Dispatchers Christopher Stewart, Brenna Kaiser, Alex Doerflein and Briana Reyes, and call takers Lauren O’Hara and Katerine Granda for their Meritorious actions for the shooting incidents that occurred at Revere Beach during their 2023 Memorial Day Weekend shift on Sunday, May 28.
Tensions simmered down as the summer progressed, and Revere Beach hosted yet another successful International Sand Sculpting Festival at the end of July, welcoming artists from across the world and tens of thousands of visitors to the beach and the city.
The Public Art Commission, chaired by McKenna, continued its push for a community art center at the old Beachmont Fire Station over the past year and advocated for public art installations and festivities in the city.
