For Woburn Center it is now wait `n` see

WOBURN - The crucial Woburn Center area of the city is still in the eye of veteran and new city officials as change continues to be a signature description of this critical area.

The city’s Woburn Redevelopment Authority has again kept the area on its on-going agenda as they wait decisions from property owners and others on the direction for for this strategic section of the city.

The WRA at its late February meeting listened to changes and tried to monitor the future of the area but most new ideas were pushed off to the March 28th meeting as word comes forward for the old Woburn Five Cents Savings area, the CVS block, as well as the already announced changes like the Winchester Savings Bank renting the old Moore & Parker space in the heart of the city center.

Traffic routing - and re-routing - could also be part of the change up, as well as suggestions in the city’s Economic Recovery Plan.

And, the appointment of a new city of Woburn Economic Development Planner Casey Hagerty, who attended her second WRA meeting last week, could also mean a fresh look at several projects.

Woburn’s Mayor Scott Galvin, the WRA and others are all well aware of the re-development of the so-called Pocket Park on Main Street opposite Everett Avenue with Woburn DPW work well underway at the new site.

The entire spectrum of the Woburn Center area is also highly visible from “the corner office” at the office of Mayor Galvin in City Hall as many adjustments to the area through to Woburn Center get underway. Or, as the late, former mayor Thomas McLaughlin would often say of things like this that “there a are a dozen tennis balls in the air all at one time now!”

The WRA at its February meeting took a hard look at the old Woburn Five Cents Savings Bank building.There was little discussion but the interest by a medical firm for office space came to the forefront at one point but nothing has been formally announced and the “for lease” sign still exists.

Presently, the building is “a shell,” according to one WRA member, while the Santander Bank, the occupant of the entire first floor, for many years, has retreated to an attached structure to conduct their banking business.

In addition, the old CVS store at the corner of Walnut Street on Main Street, which is dead center in Woburn Center, has been shown some interest by a church group from East Woburn.

The name of the church group was not mentioned at the WRA meeting but WRA members were questioning just what permits would be necessary to use the site for religious purposes. The building before CVS was occupied by Gorins, a department store.

The WRA is also aware of a recent City Council approval of an apartment space on Everett Street facing Main Street. Cutting the city a $72,000 check for the use of municipal parking spaces, a Medford real-estate developer will convert the upper-floors of a Woburn Center property by the corner of Everett Street and Main Street into apartments.

The City Council has sanctioned the proposed mixed-use redevelopment of 433 Main St. by voting unanimously in favor of a special permit request to retrofit the top two floors of the structure to a residential use.

Only moderate discussion took place at the “zoomer” meeting by the WRA at the virtual meeting in recent days.