October 16, 2007
By Robin Kaminski/ The Daily Item

Cisco Meneses has a vision. In fact, he has lots of them.

Perhaps the most grandiose vision of them all, is a proposal to construct a replica of the Christmas Tree Shops plaza in Lynnfield and position it in front of the Central Square MBTA station to completely disguise the tracks.

Meneses said he purchased 15 "tubes" otherwise known as the archways located underneath the railroad that crosses Central Square in 2001, with the intention of revamping the 32,000 square foot area.

Roughly six years later however, he has yet to make his vision a reality.

"When I bought the property, I had the idea to hide the bridge behind a fake façade because it's such an ugly eyesore," he said. "I figured I could basically create an illusion that something is going on in there to make it look better."

By duplicating the façade of the Christmas Tree Shops plaza, Meneses said the new look would replace an existing 10-foot fence that is currently located next to the train tracks.

Envisioning a livelier downtown, Meneses said he hopes a mixture of restaurants, businesses, and nightclubs would inhabit the empty spaces and draw more people to the city.

A mini South Station transporting people to and from Foxwoods Resort Casino and other nearby attractions via shuttle bus was also proposed by Meneses.

"Years ago, the spaces used to be private properties with businesses, but the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) took the property to remodel it, and it never happened," he said. "Then they sold it for peanuts years later to a private entity and then I bought them after that."

While Meneses said he has yet to approach the city with his plan, he was approved for a special permit to house a drive through and a car detail shop on the premise in 2003.

"Can you just imagine a café with outdoor seating, or a club that would play rock and roll under the bridge?" he asked. "They could make all the noise they wanted to and it would be a place for all of the new residents of the city to go to."

In addition, Meneses said he was told the city was interested in building a park, estimated to cost $500,000, on the site.

"This is all brand new and just a concept, so let's see who wants to grab the idea," he said.

James Cowdell, executive director of Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC), denied the creation of a park on the site, and said the special permits that Meneses obtained in 2003 have probably expired.

"It's been frustrating that nothing new has happened in four years," he said. "There has just been proposal, after proposal after proposal, and I would strongly suggest to him (Meneses) that he work with the city in developing the site."

In addition, Cowdell said he would strongly oppose a new nightclub in the city.

"I am 1,000 percent opposed to that idea," he said.

City Council President Timothy Phelan said he would like to check out Meneses' plans before making a comment.

"If he (Meneses) is looking to develop Lynn for the long haul, that would be great, but we aren't looking for a band aid or a cover-up," he said.

Still, Meneses, who also owns Fire Escape Services, a business specializing in inspections, certifications, repairs and replacements of fire escapes, said he hopes to attract the attention of an investor to make his dream a reality.

"I would like to sell it as a complete package because I can't drive two boats with my other business as well, but I only own 15 of the 25 tubes," he said. "I installed all new water and sewer systems, and the walls and doors are up in the storefronts. There has to be someone out there who wants to invest in this."

Meneses said he listed the property with Coldwell Banker to get the project rolling.

"If I can't sell the property as a whole, then I would sell it as individualized condominiums," he said. "The property would probably sell for $2 to 3 million as is, and $3-4 million for the main street design, but I could get more for the condos."

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