Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/104-main-street/)
The building that house the Watertown Main Post Office was torn down on Sept. 24, 2024. (Photo by Chuck Dickinson)
The building that housed the Watertown Main Post Office for many years is no more. The structure was torn down on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to make way for a new project.
Crown CafeDiners enjoy a meal at Crown Cafe on Main Street. The restaurant will soon close after getting a notice to vacate to make way for a new development on Main Street. Over the past couple of weeks, the section of Main Street near Watertown Square has gone through more changes than it has for many years, with the Post Office closing — at least temporarily — restaurants opening and closing, and a new development starting construction soon. On Jan. 26, the Main Street Post Office closed for at least two years.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
On September 21st there was a very important meeting to vote on the WatertownComprehensive Plan, a document that is meant to guide the City’s decisions for the next few years. I guess with a meeting this important and long time coming, I don’t understand why there was any confusion on how it should be conducted. God knows, we’ve had enough time to sort that out. The public was told that they would have time to speak in the beginning and then at the end, after hearing the remarks by the City Councilors and the Planning Board members and before the vote was taken. Because of this, many of us were waiting to hear what was said before we responded.
The City of Watertown will have to get permission from residents along Mt. Auburn Street to temporarily gain access to a portion of their property during the upcoming construction project. Also this week, the Zoning Board of Appeals will meet, but some anticipated projects will not be heard. City Council
Tuesday night, the City Council will vote on taking of easements to be able to construct the Mt. Auburn Street renovation.
(The author has responded to some of the comments from the original Op-Ed posted on Feb. 8, 2023, see them after the letter:)
First, I want to thank the watertownmanews and the Historical Society of Watertown and Joyce Kelly, in particular, for this Saturday’s trip into Watertown’s past. It seems sometimes that the City of Watertown is engaged in such a head spinning rush to blandness and “anytown-ness” that in the words of Joni Mitchell, “We won’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone.”
In June 2022, Clyde Younger and I presented a proposal that would require a study of old buildings on Main Street, and one in particular (104-106 Main), to see if a local historic district was appropriate. The City Council, without much discussion, unanimously voted down our proposal for a study, one councillor even remarking that there are no old buildings on Main Street. Having been turned down for a historic study of one of the oldest and most historic cities and on one of the oldest and most historic streets in North America, I decided that I would do a study myself.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall
An effort to create a historic district in the area of Main Street near City Hall and the Library ended Tuesday night when the City Council voted down the proposal in the citizen-submitted petition. The effort was started as a way to prevent a proposed project in the area. The Council was not convinced that the area, which also includes a block of commercial buildings across the street, has historic significance. The decision was unanimous. Had the vote been favorable, the City would have started the process to create a historic district, which could have taken up to two years, and would require a study by the Historic District Commission as well as hearings by the Planning Board and City Council.
Local Communities in Square Miles
Boston 89.63Newton 18.16Waltham 13.76Cambridge 7.1Belmont 4.7Watertown 4.12
Watertown. It’s small. It requires thought. In a small area like ours, every decision that’s made makes a profound difference. Many of us have raised concerns about losing the essence of our community, what made us unique and desirable … small but big; bustling and densely populated and diverse, but with a real home town, neighborly feel.
Icon ArchitectureA view of the proposed project at 104-126 Main St. from Main Street. The developers of the project proposed on Main Street in Watertown want to create a place where residents can live steps away from restaurants, stores, and public transportation available in Watertown Square. John O’Connor, senior vice president for acquisitions and development for O’Connor Capital Partners recently spoke with Watertown News about the proposal for the 104-126 Main St. The development would have 146 residential units in four stories above 5,450 sq.