Department of Planning & Community Development

• “The State of the City Address,” Revere Journal (February 15, 2019)
• “Revere’s Economic Development on Track for 2019,” Revere Journal (January 20, 2019)

• “HYM Outlines Suffolk Downs Development; Demolition of Horse Barns to Begin in July,” Revere Journal (February 15, 2019)
• “Revere’s mayor is still looking to land its big fish,” Boston Globe (December 3, 2018)
• “Council Approves Suffolk Downs Redevelopment,” Revere Journal (November 29, 2018)
• “Amazon Project Goes South: Officials Announce Arlington, VA and New York City to Be East Coast Locations; Walsh, and O’Brien Promise to Move Ahead with Suffolk Downs Project,” East Boston Times (November 18, 2018)
• “Revere is on the Move,” Revere Journal (November 18, 2018)
• “Suffolk Downs Developers Mull Future Options,” WBUR (November 14, 2018)
• “Suffolk Downs developer: Big first phase poised to start near Beachmont T stop,” Curbed Boston (November 14, 2018)
• “Mayor of Revere: Amazon Experience ‘Gave Us an Opportunity to Showcase Our Great City to the Nation,” Daily Item (November 13, 2018)
• “What’s next for the Suffolk Downs redevelopment site,” Boston Business Journal (November 13, 2018)

• “Revere’s One Beachmont opening with studios starting at $1,800 a month,” Revere Journal (January 2, 2019)
• “A New Restaurant Is Slated for the Revere Waterfront,” Itemlive.com (December 7, 2018)

• “Capacity Crowd Attends Kickoff Event for Revere’s Master Plan,” Revere Journal (January 20, 2019)
• “New Master Plan Discussion, Jan. 15,” Revere Journal (January 11, 2019)
• “Arrigo Launches ‘Next Stop, Revere,’: City’s First Comprehensive Master Plan in Over 40 Years,” Revere Journal (December 6, 2018)
• "Mayor Arrigo Launches Next Stop Revere," Mayor's Office (December 4, 2018)

• “Gibson Park Upgrades Are Close to Completion Community Playground Build Event Set for May 17-19,” Revere Journal (February 22, 2019)
• “Revere Public Schools Clears First Hurdle to Building a New High School,” Revere Journal (December 22, 2018)
• “City Receives $5 million MVP Grant,” Revere Journal (April 21, 2018)
• “Revere Will Unveil Open Space Survey Results on April 17,” Itemlive.com (April 9, 2018)

• “State to Fund Redesign of Route 1 in Preparation for New Casino Traffic,” Itemlive.com (February 21, 2019)
• “MBTA subway ridership is dropping...except on the Blue Line,” Boston Globe (November 28, 2018)

• “Revere Receives Shannon Grant for 2019,” Revere Journal (February 15, 2019)
• “Reverecares Mini-grants 2019 Recipients Announced,” Revere Journal (February 8, 2019)

The Office of  Planning & Development works to promote the City as an attractive location for new businesses, retain and stimulate the expansion of our valued existing businesses, and increase and diversify our tax base. We provide planning support, technical assistance, coordination, and advisory services to City officials, boards, committees, and all residents on issues involving land use planning, zoning, economic development, open space land preservation, smart growth, and historic preservation. The office can be reached via phone at (781) 286-8181, or refer to the contact list above for professional assistance specific to your concern. Additionally, you can seek out help in-person at the Office of Planning & Development in City Hall, located on the Mezzanine level.

The City offers a comprehensive guide and dedicated staff to help you start and operate your business in Revere. Further details about this can be found on the Starting a Business page on this website or contact John Festa at (781) 286-8194.

Revere offers a location adjacent to Boston and Logan airport, robust transportation options, a prosperous economic future to be delivered by the present development boom, and a close partnership with the City that offers various programs, subsidies, and services to help support and expand your business. For further details and advantages that Revere offers, please see the Starting a Business page.

Yes, the City offers several business assistance programs that may be applicable to your enterprise as you select a site or work to improve your existing location, including the Storefront Improvement Program and the Small Business Loan Program. For further information, please see the Starting a Business page on this website or contact John Festa at (781) 286-8194.

To find out about the stock of available commercial property or for assistance in selecting the right property, please contact Robert O’Brien at (617) 461-6730.

Yes, the City is currently in the process of finishing its Next Stop Revere: Master Plan project, which will lay out the City’s vision for the coming years. For further information, please see the Next Stop Revere page.

Revere’s top industries by employment are educational services, health care, and social assistance (20.2%); arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (16.2%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (12.3%); and retail trade (10.4%). Historically, tourism and entertainment were Revere’s most important industries. However, the loss of Suffolk Downs, the Wonderland Greyhound Park, and the Necco factory heavily reduced Revere’s traditional industry base. The re-tenanting of Necco and the new developments of Suffolk Downs, Caddy Farms, and Wonderland are all pieces of Revere’s comprehensive plan to rebuild its industry base.

Opportunity Zones are designated geographic areas in which individuals can gain favorable tax treatment on their capital gains by investing those funds (via a privately created Opportunity Fund) into economic activities in the area. The federal program, which aims to provide incentives for investment in low income communities throughout the country, was established as part of the U.S. Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. Revere has two such opportunity zones: Wonderland and Shirley Avenue. For more information on Revere’s Opportunity Zones, please contact the Office of Planning & Development.

Please see the dedicated page for Zoning and Permitting on Revere’s website.

Yes, the Mayor and City officials regularly participate in events important to its local businesses and residents as their schedule allows. For further information or requests, please contact the Mayor’s Office at (781) 286-8111.

Yes, Revere Beach—the first public beach in the United States. There may be unique restrictions if you are looking to develop or improve a property within a historic district. Please contact the Office of Planning & Development for further information.

The Office of Planning & Development is committed to doing everything it can to help you with your project or business. For further assistance, please contact John Festa at (781) 286-8194.

Some improvements to residential and commercial space require additional permits, documentation, or notices. For example, any new construction project over 1,000 gross square feet of building area requires Site Plan Review approval, new planned uses deviant from the existing zoning of the property need a variance, additional space needs to be compliant with building codes, and certain signage and awning projects must be formally approved. For more information or guidance, please contact Frank Stringi at (781) 286-8183.

While the City is responsible for the oversight of many of the streets and public places within its borders, there are some which fall outside of its jurisdiction. For example, Revere Beach is maintained by the State’s Department of Conservation & Recreation, and certain streets linked to the state highway system are under the purview of the Department of Transportation. For more information on which places fall under certain jurisdictions, please contact the Office of Planning & Development.