Business

City Manager, Council President Answer Questions About Watertown Square Garage

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A rendering of what could be built in and around the Municipal Parking lot in Watertown Square, including a garage and residential building on the parking lot. The image is from the City of Watertown’s virtual open house. One of the biggest topics of discussion around Watertown, these days, is the parking garage proposed to go on the lot behind CVS in Watertown Square. People ask how big, what will it look like, how much will it cost, who will pay for it? There is a key question that needs to be answered first, City Council President Mark Sideris and City Manager George Proakis said in a recent interview with Watertown News: Should the City build a garage?

Sports

Young Watertown Cancer Survivor Takes Part in World Cup Pre-Game Ceremony

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Watertown’s Graham Phillips and his father Jonathan in the stands for the June 13 World Cup game after Graham was a flag bearer in the pre-game ceremony. (Contributed Photo)

The eyes of soccer fans around the globe caught a glimpse of a 13-year-old boy from Watertown as he took part in the pre-game ceremony on June 13 before the Scotland-Haiti game in Foxborough. Graham Phillips served as an official Coca-Cola Youth Program flag bearer for the first FIFA World Cup 2026 game at Boston’s World Cup venue. He represented Boston Children’s Hospital as a former patient and cancer survivor. Graham Phillips held one of the Scottish flags in the closer line of flags.

Around Town

Inside the City’s 311 Service Center, Where Staff Fields the Public’s Questions, Requests & More

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311 Service Center staff — Constituant Service Director Laura Murray (left) and Constituent Services Representative Stephanie Owens — outside their office City Hall. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Inside a small office in the back corner of City Hall sits the heart of Watertown’s 311 Service Center. The two-woman operation fields calls, texts, emails, and other messages about potholes, people trying to reach a City employee, and occasionally to report something strange they have just witnessed. The system is called 311 because that is the number people can call from within the City limits. In late 2023, Laura Murray came in as Constituent Services Director to turn the old See-Click-Fix program into a one-stop customer services center for residents, businesses, and others.

Business

Coolidge Square Businesses Navigating Sidewalk Work During Mt. Auburn Street Project

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Caution tape blocks off an area of sidewalk under construction in Coolidge Square in early June 2026. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Last week, looking out the window of her business, Artemis Yoga owner Liz Padula saw orange cones, yellow caution tape, gravel, and signs saying “no parking” and “sidewalk closed.” The construction zone — in front of the studio and other businesses on the block between Arlington Street and Bigelow Avenue — is part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project. In an effort to keep clients coming in, she decided to make some social media.

Government

New Middle School Moves a Step Closer to Reality; Council Approves Funds for Parks Projects

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A vision of what a new Watertown Middle School could look like created by Ai3 Architects and presented to the School Committee in October 2025. The possibility of building a new Middle School in Watertown moved a step closer to becoming a reality at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The Council also approved funding for projects at City parks, the library, Police Station, and for Watertown’s Treaty Day celebration. On June 9, the Council approved a $3 million transfer of funds from the Middle School Stabilization Fund to pay for the design development of a possible Middle School. City Manager George Proakis stressed that the Council is still deciding whether or not to proceed with the project.

Government

City Council to Consider Changes to Noise Ordinance, Including New Allowed Hours for Lawn Work

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Watertown’s City Hall. Proposed changes to Watertown’s Noise Ordinance will soon be discussed by the City Council, including changes of hours for lawn and garden maintenance. In the latest in a series of efforts to update the City’s Noise Ordinance, the Council’s Committee on Rules and Ordinances held meetings in May and June to discuss changes. The Committee’s report was presented at the June 9 City Council Meeting by Councilor Nicole Gardner, chair of the Rules & Ordinances Committee. The Committee agreed to a statement of purpose for the Noise Ordinance, which said:

“Noise pollution is a serious hazard to public health, welfare, safety, and quality of life.

Around Town

Effort to Start Food Co-op Half Way There, Board Starting to Seek Sites

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The effort to bring a food co-op to the Watertown area reached a major milestone recently, and has gained momentum in its effort to open a retail store. The Charles River Food Co-op surpassed the 1,000 member mark, which is a “big deal,” said Sam Garwin, president of the Co-op’s Board of Directors. “Two-thousand represents the number of people where, if we had that many people who were on a regular basis shoppers at our store, that would bode very well for the long-term success of the store,” she said. “So 1,000 means we’re halfway there, which is amazing.” A co-op is a business that is 100% owned by its co-op shareholders.

Business

(UPDATED) WORLD CUP: Local Watch Parties & Festivities But Less Economic Impact Than Predicted

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(Updated June 15, 2026 at 9 a.m.)

Fans from around the globe will be coming to the United States for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off June 11, including for several games in the Boston area. There are plenty of ways to take in some of the atmosphere and the spirit of the world’s largest sporting event in and around Watertown. The 2022 World Cup was viewed by 5 billions people globally, according to FIFA (compared to about 115 million for the Super Bowl in the United States), and thousands of fans at the stadiums but it may not be as big an event for the local economy as once thought. The United States is a co-host, with Canada and Mexico, of the tournament featuring 48 teams and 104 games. The Americans will not play in Boston in the group phase, when the U.S. faces Paraguay (June 12), Australia (June 19) and Turkiye (June 25).