By Adam Swift
During his State of the City Address at the Susan B. Anthony School Auditorium last Thursday, Mayor Patrick Keefe highlighted the progress Revere has seen during his first full year in office.
“A year ago, I stood before you in this auditorium and outlined my plan to move our city forward guided by the principles of optimism and unity – aiming for progress that improves the everyday lives of folks like us who are fortunate enough to call Revere home,” Keefe said. “Leading with this mindset meant we would address the complex decisions we make on a day-to-day basis with a positive attitude and confidence: I’m proud to say that progress is our result.”
State and local leaders came out to show their support for the mayor and the city, including Governor Maura Healey, who introduced Keefe and praised the job he has done for Revere.
“Revere is a city that says so much about America, that says so much about what makes this country so great; what it stands for, and what makes Massachusetts so special,” said Healey. “To me, Revere has always been a city of the American Dream, where the American Dream begins, where the American Dream is built, it’s full of so many hardworking people with big hearts, and neighborhoods that are both tight knit, and welcoming. It’s a place where people care about themselves and their community.
“It’s a city that is proud of its history and also building towards its future.”
Keefe’s speech focused on both that history, as well as Revere’s push toward progress.
“Tonight, I am happy to tell you what this progress looks like for our great City,” Keefe said. “We can start by looking at what we have achieved in our public schools. The most substantial project in the City’s history is the construction of a new Revere High School.”
By August, the mayor said there will be shovels in the ground, and the long awaited project will be closer to becoming a reality.
“I maintain that a city’s schools are the greatest measure of a community’s reputation, and I am committed — along with our City Council, our School Committee, our Superintendent, and all of Revere’s educators — to build a new Revere High School that symbolizes both the outstanding quality of our school system and the growth and vitality of our city. We all know that our students represent the very best of Revere and its future.”
Keefe pointed to the positive atmosphere Revere builds and maintains both as a home for its residents and as an attractive location for businesses large and small.
“These new businesses have changed our city’s landscape, while preserving the character and personality that makes it our home,” Keefe said. “With our proximity to Boston, Revere has become the optimum location not only for large businesses such as Amazon, but family-owned businesses as well.
In 2024, the mayor said 82 new businesses opened their doors in Revere.
“These include restaurants, cafes, Revere’s first Urgent Care center, fitness studios, pet care boutiques, and modern spas,” Keefe said. “These are operated by our neighbors who know that a Revere address will foster success. All these contribute substantially to our tax base and lessen the burden on our homeowners.”
Some of those larger businesses that add to the tax base include Amazon, the Trident Logistics Center on Lee Burbank Highway., and the continuing work at Suffolk Downs.
“We see the makings of an expansive mixed-use neighborhood, where some
$500 million dollars has already been invested into our local economy,” Keefe said about the Suffolk Downs project. “The City Council’s recent approval of Suffolk Downs as a Smart Growth District will help stimulate further growth throughout the project, specifically with the construction of Portico later this year. And this fall the groundbreaking of a nationally branded hotel. Suffolk Downs will continue to deliver union jobs to local tradespeople, as well as permanent jobs when businesses begin to open this summer:
Further enhancing Revere’s micro economy.”
Looking into Revere’s future, Keefe said when completed, Suffolk Downs is projected to produce some $60 million dollars every year in taxes to the city.
The mayor said commercial development benefits every resident of Revere, because the tax revenues the city collects will help fund key community objectives, such as:
• Resiliency Projects in Beachmont, Riverside, and Oak Island
• Ensuring safer neighborhoods and streets throughout our community
• Preserving historic landmarks such as the Rumney Marsh Burial Ground
• Revitalizing Gibson Park
“And, perhaps the most exciting, reviving and restoring the beloved McMackin Field to its former glory – a project that residents have requested for years,” Keefe said. “This all-purpose recreational complex will be the jewel of our neighborhood parks.”
Keefe spoke about the efforts of the city and his administration to build new housing, including affordable housing, in Revere.
“I pledge to you that we will meet the needs of those who want to live and stay here,” Keefe said. “As our city flourishes, we confront increasing demands on our public service. Revere has met— and will continue to meet — those demands.”
To the delight of many in the audience, particularly the firefighters, Keefe said the sitting will soon open the new Alden A. Mills Point of Pines Fire Station.
After years of wishing, planning, and unavoidable construction delays, we will unlock the doors, turn on the lights, drive in the new Engine 2 fire truck — and finally open the new Alden A. Mills Point of Pines Fire Station.
“When we open the fire station, we also will christen a community room in dedication to the man whose voice, passion, and persistence championed the project from Day One, former Ward Five Councilor John Powers,” said Keefe.
The mayor said the progress the city has made extends to the police department.
“This year, adding five new officers, several of whom are bilingual, and an additional five new officers begin their police academy training this month,” Keefe said. “With adequate staffing, our police department can focus on specific areas of need in addition to responding to the over 20,000 calls for service they receive every year.”
To complement regular police duties, the mayor said the city has also developed its harm reduction team and reinvested in its Behavioral Health Unit to work proactively to prevent crime and funnel at-risk residents into programming and services that suit their complex needs.
“We have also deployed our BHU and our Student Resource officers to work as mentors and role models to our student population to ensure we maintain a healthy learning environment,” said Keefe. “This has bolstered the creation of one of Revere’s most cherished after school programs run by our very own Officer Joe Singer. Revere Boxing outreach serves our at-risk population with mentorship, physical and emotional wellness and a sense of community.”
The Revere Boxing students in attendance at the State of the City received applause from the audience that even eclipsed the fire department.
“While we quickly think of our Police and Fire Departments when we mention public safety, keeping our residents safe encompasses a much broader spectrum of municipal government,” Keefe said. “Our Department of Public Health works with genuine care and compassion to provide safeguards to our residents, promoting optimal health through a wide-ranging spectrum of initiatives. Perhaps most important, our Department of Public Health is at the forefront to combat two of the greatest dangers to the public: substance use disorder and homelessness.”
In 2024, Keefe said the city opened the Robert J. Haas Health and Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art fitness center that offers a wide range of fitness classes and programs that welcomes residents to strive toward their health and wellness goals.
“The Haas Center is a crowning achievement of our robust Parks and Recreation Department, one that already hosts dozens of recreational, educational, and cultural programs that benefit the quality of life for residents of all ages,” he said.
The mayor also praised the level of variety of services offered by the Revere Public Library and at the Rossetti-Cowan Senior Center.
“Some of Revere’s progress is not so flashy: In fact, a lot of progress happens underground,” said Keefe. “Take, for example, the rehabilitation of the water main infrastructure in Oak Island, where our DPW and Engineering Department successfully replaced water and sewer lines running under the commuter rail tracks, some 900 feet of protected pipe that delivers increased water volume and enhanced fire protection to the neighborhood. This project had been in the works for over a decade and we only had four-day window, with effective coordination between the City and the MBTA, the project was completed with minimal disruption to the surrounding neighborhood.”
Keefe said the dedication and skills of the Department of Public Works means that Revere is doing more of the work in-house, saving money and tackling long-standing initiatives, pointing to the newly constructed pump station on Dunn Road.
“Underground infrastructure, smoothly-paved streets, new sidewalks, better flood control, efficient management — This is the current state of our Department of Public Works,” Keefe said.
Keefe also revealed upgrades to the city’s 311 system and its ability to both give out and receive information from residents.
“Tonight, I am proud and privileged to announce that, as of right now,
everyone will be able to reach 311 through our new chatbot, PIPER,” said the mayor. “Powered by artificial intelligence, PIPER will provide solutions through a convenient text conversation directly through your mobile phone. PIPER is also fluent in 75 different languages, opening the door to increased connection between residents and city hall.”
In the past 12 months, Keefe said the city has successfully negotiated every public union contract in Revere.
“The essential services of our city government function because of our collective leadership,” said Keefe. “And, while we have traveled a great distance, much more lies ahead, I know we will encounter headwinds and rough seas, but we will maintain a steady hand as we navigate our course. We… are Revere, I am confident that our ship is seaworthy.
“And I encourage everyone to climb aboard and be part of our crew, whether through existing programs or by introducing new ideas that will make our city a better place to live, work and prosper.”
Keefe noted the development over the past years that has turned the city into a desirable place to live and work, both along Revere Beach and beyond.
“My friends, we have all the ingredients, all the resources, all the ingenuity to build Revere a future that is greater than our present,” Keefe said. “So, let’s look at where we are, let’s gather our talents, and let’s continue to move Revere forward. I am proud and eager to lead the way, and I welcome every one of you to join the project of Revere’s future, our future of promise, our future of progress.”
