Revere, MA has a few claims to fame. There is Revere Beach, the first public beach in the country, for starters. The original Kelly’s Roast Beef stand, which purports to have invented to roast beef sandwich, is a well-known Revere institution. But two other Revere mainstays – Wonderland race track and the Necco candy factory – may be in transition.
Necco, the candy conglomerate that cranks out its signature conversation hearts every Valentine’s Day, runs a factory in Revere. But Necco appears to be moving onto new pastures. Its Revere lease expires in August 2018. A couple of developers, Atlantic Management and VMD, purchased the property for nearly $55 million. The imminent end to Necco’s lease, together with new owners, make the fate of the 50-acre property unclear.
If the developers were to eventually construct new housing at the site of the factory, they would have some transit issues to solve. The long-empty Wonderland Greyhound Park, along with a railroad track, stand between the Necco property and the closest T stop. So, it is a difficult walk from the candy factory to the blue line.
But, there is already buzz about solving that problem. The Wonderland building is set to come down this summer. And although there are no buyers, and no solidified plans for the property, Revere officials told the Boston Globe’s Jon Chesto in May that they “dream of a new commuter rail station” to “connect the two properties.” If Atlantic Management and VMD do move ahead with a housing project at the Necco site, a new blue line stop would certainly sweeten the deal for would-be commuters.
For their part, Necco has declined to divulge many details. According to the Globe, the company’s chief executive Michael McGee would not comment on what Necco has planned for August 2018, once its lease is up. He did say that its revenue has increased steadily in the past few years – between 5 and 10 percent. But he also acknowledged that the candy company uses less of its warehouse space in Revere than it used to.
For now, it is all speculation. Although a large part of Revere’s appeal is its strong sense of history, cities and infrastructure must change with the times. And few people would argue that a stagnant former dog race track is doing the community any favors. Joseph Zink, the CEO of Atlantic Management, shows a promising attitude. He is starting with improvements to the factory building, and says he hopes for a “real working partnership” with the community and Revere officials as he moves forward with any project.
Will Revere relinquish the Necco factory, one of its many institutions, to make way for new housing and commerce space? Will the site of the Wonderland Greyhound Park finally be put to good use by improving public transit? Time will tell.
