By GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — City Council members said long-term plans are coming to fruition in the upcoming year and cited collaboration among each other as a component for their success, among them a new restaurant on Lewis Street.
Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr said the next five years are going to be “unbelievable” and said projects that have been in the works are starting to “come to fruition.” Cyr cited the opening of the new Thurgood Marshall Middle School in April as one of them.
“It will make families want to move into the city of Lynn when they see that school,” Cyr said.
Cyr also spoke of funding being approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the new Pickering Middle School. Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre said the latter school is in its feasibility phase.
LaPierre and Ward 2 Councilor William Trahant Jr. said Market Basket is another opening the city is looking forward to, which they said is set to be ready before the end of the year.
Going forward, Trahant said he would like to see some of the land on the Lynnway get developed.
“(That’s) going to be a priority for me going forward,” Trahant said.
Councilor-at-Large Buzzy Barton said his goals going forward revolved around public safety, police and fire. Cyr added that a grant was recently passed to get the Community Liaison Team (CLT) out on the streets in the city.
LaPierre said another priority of the City Council is to keep Union Hospital open, and said “unanimously, we do not want to lose our full service hospital.” Trahant also cited the hospital’s importance, adding that a third of the city’s population is over the age of 65.
Trahant and Cyr spoke about Lynn Auditorium as something that continues to be an attraction in Lynn. Cyr said the entertainment at Lynn Auditorium is 10 times better than what someone would see in Boston for 10 times less expensive.
On Saturday, Cyr said Get the Led Out, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, will be performing. He said that band is one of the best tribute bands in the world.
“You’re going to see every age group there dancing in the aisles of City Hall,” Cyr said.
Cyr cited collaboration between city councilors as key to getting work done in the city. He said councilors are constantly on the phone with each other when certain problems arise.
Trahant said the city seems to be happy with council members, as each city councilor who ran for re-election retained their seat in November.
Keeping with economic development, a new restaurant was approved Tuesday night. The restaurant, which would serve alcoholic beverages, would be under the ownership of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and would be located at 45 Lewis St.
Attorney Samuel Vitali, who represented the Neighborhood Restaurant Group at the meeting, said the 45 Lewis St. building has housed many businesses, including other restaurants over the years, but said the new restaurant would use the entire building instead of sharing the space.
Vitali said the group has other successful restaurants in their franchise, including the Biltmore Bar and Grille in Newton, Biltmore and Main in Reading, and Local 149 in South Boston.
“The communities surrounding our restaurants are our lifeblood,” a Neighborhood Restaurant Group document provided by Vitali reads. “Our neighbors are our guests, our friends and our extended families.”
Cyr said he’s visited some of the Neighborhood restaurants. He said the council has been working to bring new business to the city and he is 100 percent in favor of the new restaurant.
“They’re going to bring an unbelievable restaurant to the area,” Cyr said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected].