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By Matthew McLaughlin
City Council President

I received a lot of feedback on the proposed Public Safety Building (PSB) at 90 Washington Street. Here are a few quick points before I go into more detail:

• The design phase of the project is on hold to facilitate more community input
• That means any proposed designs or cost projections are speculative
• Any vote on the PSB may be years down the road
• All meetings are public and recorded and stored on the city’s website here

I consistently advocated to address this long blighted property since 2014, when Corcoran Jennison and Mullens, the owners of Cobble Hill, planned to build a mixed use development. I supported that development and the developers were given permission from the city to build. Mullens then sued Corcoran and Jennison, which stalled the project for years. They still made time to evict all of the businesses at Cobble Hill, depriving seniors and the community of food and a social outlet. No one would have ever cared about their legal battles if they didn’t evict the businesses and leave the lot to ruin. 

I advocated to seize the long abandoned property by eminent domain for the purposes of building affordable housing, open space and a new food market for seniors. I created this video here to outline every time I’ve spoken about 90 Washington Street. A written timeline of all my orders going back to 2014 can also be found here as well as a letter I wrote to all Cobble Hill residents here.  

The city took 90 Washington Street by eminent domain in 2019, five years after the site was abandoned, for the purpose of building a new Public Safety Building. I led the city council in advocating for more uses than a simple PSB such as affordable housing, open space and a new food market. I also advocated with the council to ensure a public/private partnership that will offset the costs of any PSB and ensure other community needs are met.  All of this can be seen in the video and every meeting documented on the subject.  

Residents are now receiving fliers advocating to do all the things I’ve advocated for instead of a PSB, as opposed to the current plan to do it with a PSB.  I believe the goal of this misinformation campaign, which is led by Corcoran Jennison’s director of development, is to force another costly lawsuit, the third for this site, and obstruct any development of the site. If that happens there will be no PSB, nor will there be affordable housing, open space, a food market, a YMCA or any of the community benefits people are asking for. It will also mean an empty lot for an indefinite period of time. It is unclear to me if the people fliering the neighborhood with this misinformation are aware that they are being used as pawns for developers, but Corcoran Jennison certainly know what they’re doing. 

Corcoran Jennison already sued the city twice and they and Mullens have sued each other for decades.  A judge in the lower court ruling between Corcoran Jennison and Mullens on 90 Washington Street, found here, stated in 2017 that “the principal business of these individuals and their related businesses has been to sue one another.” Even after this ruling the Corcoran Jennison and Mullens could have negotiated a compromise that would have benefited them and the community, but they spent two more years in litigation, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court, who refused to hear their case. Given their track record I’m certain they will have no issue holding this property hostage in court if given the opportunity.  I asked Corcoran directly at a recent meeting if they would sue us for a third time if we don’t build a PSB and instead build affordable housing, open space, a YMCA and a public market. He refused to answer the question. 

There are many concerns with the proposed PSB that are legitimate, such as the size and cost of the building, cutting down trees, parking, noise and more. I have consistently and publicly addressed them, as my reference links can attest to. There is an assumption among some that I am a guaranteed vote in favor of the PSB. I am not and my lengthy record backs that up. I do think a PSB is an essential city function that needs to happen. This side of the city in particular needs a fire station to respond to emergencies in a timely manner. Fire fighters at the current PSB live out of trailers. The building is in poor shape and is subject to flooding and black mold breakouts. Our first responders deserve better. If a PSB doesn’t happen at 90 Washington Street it could cost the city millions of dollars and years of effort to find another location. This decision is not as simple as yes or no. It will require scrutiny and advocacy, which I’ve consistently provided for a decade. 

I will continue to use my position as Ward 1 Councilor to ensure the best deal for Ward 1 residents. I am open to many possibilities for the land and am committed to a through community process. The one thing I am not open to is acquiescing to bad faith actors who are not concerned about the community and our needs or the consequences of their own actions.  Something must be done with this land. I would prefer it be used for the good of the community.