Development

Watertown Could Get 15 More Liquor Licenses for Restaurants

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In hopes of attracting more restaurants and commercial or mixed-use developments, Town Councilors have been exploring how to add up up to 15 liquor licenses in town, but they still must figure out where to put them. Watertown has 32 liquor licenses given to the town by the state through a quota system based on the town’s population. Communities can ask for more through a special act of the State Legislature, which is what the Town Council plans to do. A joint group Council subcommittee – Rules & Ordinances, Economic Development & Planning, and Public Safety – met Tuesday to discuss the issue. The group looked at adding 15 to accommodate recently approved projects with restaurants, projects coming down the line with restaurants and some of additional projects.

Around Town

New Spot Opening Where People Can Learn to Create

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The Watertown Free Public Library’s latest endeavor will provide residents with a place to learn how to use equipment and technology to create their own crafts and other projects. Dubbed HATCH, the WPFL’s makerspace will open in the Arsenal Project in October, said Assistant Library Director Caitlin Browne. “It will be an exploratory space where people can play with (equipment), and other’s will have the opportunity to learn from people who have experience using it,” Browne said. Equipment will be added over time, but HATCH will begin with a 3-D printer, sewing machines, a screen printing press, a variety of electronics to experiment with, and a variety of crafting supplies. One of the items that will be available will be Arduino, which are small microprocessors that can be programed to do different things.

Business

Arsenal Project Seeks to Create a Buzz Before Major Changes Made to Mall

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It has a new name, a new look and some new features, but the big changes are yet to come at the Arsenal Project. Since buying the Arsenal Mall and changing the name to the Arsenal Project, the owners – Boyston Properties and The Wilder Cos. – said they have plans to add stores, restaurants and other features to the site. Arsenal Project General Manager Allyson Reed said nothing has been set in stone, but she expects they will have something to announce in the next few months. The mall has reached out to the public through social media to find out what kind of things they want to see in the upgraded mall.

Business

Details Announced About New Hotel in Watertown

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The new hotel proposed for Arsenal Street in Watertown will be run by Marriott and will be six stories tall and have nearly 150 rooms, developers announced Thursday night. The hotel would be an extended stay hotel, and cater to businesses in and around Watertown, said Bill McQuillan, principle of Boylston Properties, the developer of the hotel and new owner of the Arsenal Mall – now known as the Arsenal Project. The hotel would be replace the former Saab dealership. “We expect to draw from three to five miles away – businesses, international visitors to Perkins (School), universities and colleges in the area,” McQuillan said. “Harvard, for sure, and BU, BC and Bentley will all have customers here.”

Business

Three Groups Pledge Money for Community Path Extension

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The extension of Watertown’s Community Path could soon become a reality thanks to a pledge from three local businesses. The owners of the Arsenal Project (formerly the Arsenal Mall), athenahealth and Tufts Health Plan have teamed up to offer $25,000 to go toward designing the new section of path from Arlington Street in Watertown to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, said Bill McQuillan, principal with Boylston Properties – which bought the Arsenal Mall last year. The money will cover half the cost, with the Department of Conservation and Recreation covering the rest. “If there are funds for projects like the Community Path they need to be shovel ready – they need to have plans drawn up,” McQuillan said Thursday night. “The DCR doesn’t have the money, so we co-funded the project.”