[ad_1]
The promise of cannabis shops has left the Wok ’n Roll restaurant empty in Porter Square for more than three years, threatened to shut down Stereo Jack’s Records near Harvard Square and now could end a new business and community space almost before it gets started in The Port.
The 286broadway shop – that’s the address, as well – grew out of the short-lived Lucky Jungle arts space, switching over July 5 with a similar focus on plants, art, thrift and jewelry.
But the address is wanted by a recreational cannabis shop, and approvals from a community and permitting process would displace 286broadway, which owners describe as being focused on supporting community and building generational wealth for lower-income residents.
A community meeting hosted by the cannabis business is planned for 5 p.m. Monday at Workbar, 45 Prospect St., Central Square.
But Santos Carrasquillo, of 286broadway, hopes people will attend that meeting to support the current use – “a black-owned small business [where] the team is lifelong Cambridge low-income residents,” 286broadway said on social media.
“We want to figure out how we all can move forward without any displacement and get a win-win for everyone where no party is left behind or neglected or displaced. So we will look into working with them,” Carrasquillo said Friday, referring to the cannabis sellers.
Looking for a win-win
Too often “big business comes in to eat small business” in a way that’s especially painful “in our poor neighborhood, which is already affected by the housing boom,” he said. “How does a big business come in and create community benefit and impact without displacement – without cannibalism? It definitely seems like there’s an opportunity here.”
An example of a win-win could be something like what Revolutionary Clinics has done in Central Square, where the medicinal marijuana dispensary has given a retail space at the front of its dispensary to Lola’s, a vintage boutique. Carrasquillo also wondered if pushing closer to Kendall Square wouldn’t be a smarter move for a cannabis business.
“There’s plenty of vacant storefronts around the city, especially after the pandemic. There’s plenty of space for them,” he said. “For people like us, it’s what can we afford? It’s very similar to our affordable housing issues.”
Cannabis seller
The cannabis business could be known as Sugarloaf – owner Flavia Hungaro, of Belmont, has a limited liability company called Sugarloaf Cambridge Cannabis as well as a host community agreement signed in January to open a Sugarloaf in Maynard. But she has a January agreement completed in Taunton for a cannabis shop identified as LMCC, the name of another limited liability company that Hungaro is using in Cambridge.
Attempts were made Friday to reach Hungaro at an employer and through her attorney in Taunton.
The Wok ’n Roll storefront has been empty since June 2018 (and the neighboring Rod Dee Thai restaurant space since April 2019) with interest from a cannabis seller identified as Porter Square Remedies. The attempted takeover of the Stereo Jack’s site by a cannabis seller known as Budega ended when city inspectors determined the location was inadequate for the use, a manager said Friday.
This post was updated Aug. 28, 2021, to correct that the person in the photo is not Salina Crosby despite information provided by 286broadway.
A BETTER
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
[ad_2]
Source link