State Grants Liquor Licenses For Woburn Village Businesses

Press release from the Offices of Representatives Haggerty and Ciccolo:

BOSTON – Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) and Representative Michelle L. Ciccolo (D-Lexington) are pleased to announce the passage of legislation allowing for the granting of additional liquor licenses in the City of Woburn.

The licenses are an integral part of the ongoing Woburn Village redevelopment project at the former Woburn Mall site, granting restaurants and other businesses located there the ability to apply for alcohol beverage licenses to serve their customers.

“Providing economic opportunity in our city is an important component to moving our city into this next decade, said Representative Haggerty. “These liquor licenses are a key part of the redevelopment of the Woburn Mall site and the continued improvement to our downtown area. I thank Mayor Galvin, members of the City Council and License Commission for their commitment to expanding business opportunity in our community.”

“As we take steps to safely and cautiously reopen the Massachusetts economy following the COVID-19 pandemic, these licenses will be critical to the success of the Woburn Village project,” said Representative Ciccolo. “I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for their support of this effort, and I look forward to seeing the project come together.”

House Bill 4338 began as a Home Rule Petition passed the Woburn City Council and signed by Mayor Scott Galvin. The bill was filed on Beacon Hill by the Woburn House Delegation and Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), being signed into law on May 21st as Chapter 86 of the Acts of 2020. With its passing, the City of Woburn License Commission may now grant up to 7 additional licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages and up to 4 additional licenses for the sale of wines and malt beverages to be drunk on the premises.

“The adoption of this Home Rule Petition exemplifies a working partnership between municipal and state government and further insures the redevelopment and future success of the Woburn Mall site,” said City Council President Michael Anderson. “I am truly impressed and gratified to see that the same type of teamwork that the City Council, Planning Director, City Solicitor, Building Commissioner and Mayor Galvin exhibited in creating the district exhibited itself in the legislative process in the state house. In short, this law help ensure that the bold move to adopt a smart growth overlay district, with a blend of restaurants, retail, and residential uses with access to public transportation, at the Woburn Mall site, will succeed. We are very fortunate to have two state representatives, Representatives Haggerty and Ciccolo, who have been personally engaged in the redevelopment of the Woburn Mall site from the very beginning and we thank them both for sponsoring the Home Rule Petition as well as their colleagues and Governor Baker for their support.”

The Woburn Mall redevelopment, now named Woburn Village, will include several new dining and lunch experiences, a new 10 screen movie cinema, updated facades, 350 housing units and other amenities.

Additionally, the bill allows the City to support the growth of 428 Main Street and Fortunato’s Restaurant as well as their planned redevelopment by granting the business an additional license for all alcoholic beverages.

This press release was produced by the Offices of Representatives Haggerty and Ciccolo. The views expressed are the authors' own.