Cambridge City Commissioner Brett Summers (left) addresses Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN) while association president Chuck McFadden listens. The Cambridge Spy reports Cambridge City Commissioner representing Ward 1 Brett Summers says a set of new tools now under consideration could help reverse years of neglect and vacancy in the city’s neighborhoods and business district.
Summers, a real estate developer himself who owns multiple downtown properties, pointed to proposed new taxes on vacant storefronts and undeveloped properties, a city-funded land bank, and the creation of a tenants’ rights advocate as part of a comprehensive effort to clean up and restore the town’s appearance and vitality.