LYNN — Mayoral candidate and City Council President Darren Cyr hosted a meet-and-greet fundraiser Wednesday night at the Brickyard Bar and Grill where he presented a campaign focused on supporting local businesses, upgrading the schools and continuing development in the city.
As he announced his run for mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cyr said there was a lot of uncertainty as to what was going to happen in the city in the months ahead, but there was one thing he knew for certain: that small businesses would continue to struggle.
Thanking the crew at the Brickyard for putting together his fundraiser on such a hot night, Cyr emphasized that helping small businesses has been a priority for him throughout his brief campaign.
To that end, he has been hosting campaign fundraisers at small businesses throughout the city. On Wednesday, he said he was “all about” business in the city, development and building new schools.
In regard to schools, Cyr said about half of the 25 public schools in the city are more than 100 years old and most are in need of upgrades, an issue that he said has yet to be addressed.
“If we don’t put a real, comprehensive plan together, we’re going to be building schools for the next 50 years and the city just cannot do that,” Cyr said. “It’s unacceptable that our kids are going into 100-plus-year-old schools when we can build state-of-the-art schools for our kids.” Better schools, Cyr said, would bring more families into the community and make the city more viable.
In terms of affordable housing, Cyr said he is not opposed to it — but that it doesn’t make sense to bring affordable housing to the downtown area. What needs to be done, he said, is bringing people with disposable income to the downtown area so they will visit the businesses two to three times a week, rather than a couple times a month.
“When we talk about affordable housing, we don’t want to give something to someone, but give them a hand up,” Cyr said. “What I’m talking about is creating generational mortgages.”
Rather than a 30-year mortgage, Cyr said this idea will coincide with a 40- to 60-year mortgage that a family member can eventually take over.
“That makes that family feel like they are invested in the city and that’s what we need to do,” Cyr said. “We have to stop becoming a transient city when people are moving here only because they can afford to move here because the rents are lower than they are in Boston, Chelsea and Somerville.”
Cyr also touted his record on development in the city, saying that during his 15 years on the council, he’s worked to make it easier for developers to come to Lynn.
With about half a billion dollars of development currently happening around the city, Cyr said he is talking almost every day with developers to continue that trend.
“We are on the cusp,” Cyr said. “It took us a long time to get to where we are.”
It was the City Council who worked to negotiate tax incentives for those developments, Cyr said, noting that many of those properties were vacant before — and therefore bringing in little to no taxes.
According to Cyr, the new Caldwell highrise apartment building on Munroe Street — which was previously the site of a community garden — was going to bring in $3,000 annually in tax revenue for the city. But now, Cyr said the new development, which benefited from a tax break, will bring in $7 million worth of tax revenue to the city over the next seven years.
“It’s unbelievable,” Cyr said. “I know for a fact that if I’m elected mayor, you’ll see within two years a hotel built on the Lynnway.”
Former Ward 2 Councilor William Trahant introduced Cyr, with whom he served on the City Council and is endorsing for mayor. He said Cyr was the “best candidate,” crediting him for helping to improve Lynn’s financial state over the past several years.
Trahant said the money that has come into the city over the past few years has been “phenomenal.” He credited Cyr and the City Council for pushing for the development funds.
Trahant also referenced a recent Boston Globe article that described Cyr as being “hotheaded,” saying that if “Darren is a hothead, then we need all hotheads on the City Council, because they’re moving the city forward.”
Cyr touched upon this topic as well, saying “I am a hothead — that’s how I get things done.”
He said he has calluses on his hands, works 16 hours a day, built his own home and works hard like everyone else in Lynn.
“I provide for my family, and I want to provide for you,” Cyr said. “I want to provide for the Lynners, because that is where my heart is.”
Cyr is currently the Ward 3 councilor. Two candidates, Coco Alinsug and George Meimeteas — the latter of whom has endorsed Cyr — are vying to fill the seat this fall.
Cyr will face School Committee members Jared Nicholson and Michael Satterwhite in the Sept. 14 preliminary election. The two candidates with the highest vote count will move on to the November election.
