Capano’s deal may help keep Lynnway Auto business in city

LYNN – The City Council agreed Tuesday to try and work out a license agreement that would keep Lynnway Auto on the Lynnway.In January the auto giant that employs more than 400 people on a weekly basis announced plans to move its operation to Billerica by the end of June. City Councilor Peter Capano, however, believes he has worked out a deal to keep the auction house on the 10-acre site at 732R Lynnway.”If we can work out this agreement they said they would be willing to stay, or at least keep a satellite lot,” he said.The agreement calls for the city to allow Lynnway Auto to utilize a portion of the Harding Street abandoned vehicle lot, which is what the owners of the auction wanted to do to begin with.Bob Brest, a partner in the company, noted earlier that the company had hoped to strike a deal with the city to expand to a municipal lot on Harding Street that borders the business but that never came to fruition. The lot is roughly 22,000 square feet and some felt even if the auto auction was given permission to take it, it wouldn’t have made a difference since the lot they zeroed in on in Billerica is 40 acres.Capano, however, feels it will make enough of a difference to keep at least a portion of the business intact in Lynn.”They needed better access,” he said. “This will give it to them.”Capano said even if the deal to take over the Harding Street lot goes through it doesn’t mean Brest and his partners, Jim Lamb, president of the company, and George Russo, vice president, will back out of Billerica. He said the Lynn site would likely become a satellite auction house with the core of the business heading northwest.When Brest announced the business would be moving, Councilor Daniel Cahill decried the loss and criticized his colleagues for not taking a more pro-business stance. He was, however, equally quick Tuesday to praise Capano.”You know how I felt about this,” he said. “I am deeply thankful. Councilor Capano really, really worked hard on this.”In January Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy expressed remorse at the lost of the business and subsequent jobs and said she would be willing to help if the owner were willing to stay. She will get the chance to act on her words since the order voted by the council asks that Kennedy execute the license on behalf of the city.