A residential high-rise development wave has hit Revere Beach and the prosperity generated by new construction and tax revenue is sure to roll inland and benefit Revere. Development dollars are a long sought-after commodity in Revere where today’s beachfront projects were just dreams and artists’ renditions 14 years ago when an Ocean Avenue development concept dubbed Eurovest was unveiled to the City Council.
But here’s hoping waterfront prosperity won’t come at the expense of Revere Beach’s character and history. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation and local historians have done a great job preserving the sandy stretch that is one of Revere’s greatest assets.
Top state officials, even governors, have made the drive north out of Boston to commemorate the beach bandstand’s renovation and to celebrate America’s oldest public beach.
But longtime businesses and homes also define the character of Revere Beach. The ice cream and pizza places, watering holes and restaurants are the last bridge spanning the beach’s contemporary character and its history as an amusement park playground and affordable place for city dwellers to spend a fun, sun-filled day.
The beach’s residents are a mix of newcomers and veteran homeowners and tenants. They both share a love for the beach’s panoramic views of the ocean and the Boston skyline. The newcomers like the convenience of rolling into Boston on the Blue Line. Longtime residents take pride in holding onto their place on the beach in the face of ocean storms, summertime traffic and occasional hot weather trouble.
It’s hard to argue against the proposition that Revere Beach Boulevard is overdue for an influx of new development. The beachfront has everything a developer could want: An unparalleled view, access within minutes to Boston by vehicle or slightly longer by train and a receptive city government interested in the tax dollars and spending by residents generated by a major development.
New construction along the beach also ties in with Revere’s grand visions for the Wonderland Greyhound Park site, Wonderland station and Suffolk Downs. All three properties straddle rapid transit providing a perfect potential merger between an explosion in commercial activity along Lee Burbank Highway and North Shore Road and residential construction along the beach.
But the same voices who have sustained a chorus of support for Revere Beach as a natural resource also need to speak up when it comes to preserving longtime businesses and homes dotting the beachfront. Those merchants and homeowners love Revere Beach — not just for its views and the summertime dollars — but because the beach is part of Revere’s heritage.