Revere police station razed

REVERE – Stephanie MacIsaac, who has sold real estate from her Broadway office for 20 years, calls parking on the street an occupational hazard.Her customers regularly receive parking tickets when they forget to refresh the meters lining the busy commercial thoroughfare. “When I get a ticket, I’m not real happy,” she said.Relief from parking aggravation is on the way for MacIsaac, owner of East Coast Real Estate, and other Broadway drivers. Miles Lang-Kennedy, aide to Mayor Daniel Rizzo, said a 50-space lot planned for the former police station’s Pleasant Street site is scheduled to open in four or five months.”It’s obviously good for business. I’m constantly worrying about where I’m going to park and where my customers are going to park,” MacIsaac said.Crews used a giant machine Thursday to grind up bricks left over from the former station’s demolition. MacIsaac said the lot will be one more step in the right direction for Broadway. She said a local police substation has made business owners, workers, shoppers and residents living along Broadway feel more comfortable walking and parking along the street after dark. She also likes the City Hall landscaping improvements she can see from her office window.City officials pledged in November 2013 to spend $3 million improving Broadway over the next two to three years. The fix-up list includes new sidewalks, safer crosswalks and construction projects, as well as housing.Lang-Kennedy said a $1.5 million state grant will help pay for the lot project with an additional $300,000 available to pay for Broadway revitalization work. The planned improvements span Broadway from Squire Road to the Chelsea line and include new street lighting.Revere Chamber of Commerce members worked closely with city officials on project planning, and a Broadway Advisory Group made up of people who shop, work and live on Broadway has also provided advice.Revere resident Cheryl Racca said the police station lot could better serve the city as a park – a place to attract families downtown and give them somewhere to spend outdoors.”I know there is a big picture, but we need land to thrive,” Racca said.But Linda DeAngelo of Revere said a parking lot behind City Hall is important because residents and business owners must go downtown and find parking before applying for licenses, permits, tax bills – and parking tickets.”You have to come here, but this will give us an opportunity to stop and spend time in the area,” DeAngelo said.