Category: Government
-
Tenant Organizer Ferrante Enters Foundry Row Council Race Against Bettencourt
Tenant organizer Marisol Ferrante is challenging Council Member Luis Bettencourt in Foundry Row, centering her campaign on his ties to developer Millrace Development Partners and an ongoing ethics board review.
-
Muhammad Pushes to Take Foundry Row’s Affordability Rules Citywide
Council Member Aisha Muhammad wants to extend affordable-housing requirements from the transit corridor and Foundry Row towers to every new residential project citywide, a proposal that split colleagues and drew warnings from developers.
-
Whitfield Moves to Quash Retirement Speculation at City Hall
City Manager Marcus Whitfield denied rumors of an imminent retirement, saying he intends to stay through the completion of the transit corridor and this year’s budget commitments.
-
Vale Avenue Landlords Push Back on Proposed Vacancy Tax
Council Member Patricia Yoon’s proposed vacancy-tax ordinance for empty Vale Avenue storefronts drew both merchant support and landlord opposition at a packed City Hall hearing, with a final vote still weeks away.
-
Ibarra, Citing Biotech Turnaround, Says She Isn’t Done Yet
Mayor Renata Ibarra announced a bid for a third term Wednesday, pointing to falling unemployment and biotech-sector growth even as some council members say the recovery has bypassed Lowertown and Cedar Hollow.
-
Ibarra Casts Biotech Boom as Proof of a City Turning a Corner
Mayor Renata Ibarra’s State of the City address highlighted Foundry Row’s biotech-driven revenue growth, drawing praise from business leaders and criticism from council members who say Lowertown and other districts have yet to see the benefits.
-
Council Passes Vacancy-Tax Ordinance for Vale Avenue Storefronts
The city council voted 6-1 to adopt a vacancy fee for long-empty Vale Avenue storefronts, adding protections against landlords passing the cost on to future tenants after weeks of debate.
-
Chief Simms Reports Gains From Community Policing Push in Lowertown
Police Chief Roberta Simms told the council that Lowertown’s community policing push has cut violent crime 19 percent over two years, though staffing shortages are limiting its expansion into Cedar Hollow.
-
Boudreaux Pitches Dedicated Reinvestment Fund for Lowertown
Council Member Terrence Boudreaux wants to create a dedicated Lowertown reinvestment fund capturing rising Foundry Row property values, arguing the neighborhood deserves a guaranteed share of growth happening next door.
-
City Commissions Cedar Hollow Transit Feasibility Study
The city has commissioned a $450,000 feasibility study on extending rapid-bus service into Cedar Hollow, funded largely through a state grant Council Member Gary Petrowski pushed to secure.