RE: Davis Enterprise office closing

[beckmann.livejournal.com]

Hi Friends,
Does anyone know an update on this? Are there plans for a new business, etc? It has been empty and I've heard nothing about it. Anyone?

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/677860.html

[beckmann.livejournal.com]

I did read through all of that. I was looking for an update - new businesses, etc.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Just an update on the closing of Enterprise. The spot is owned by a local developer who is difficult to deal with to say the least. My understanding is he doubled their rent and that's why they left. It's also why Out of the Blue and the Comics Collectible store on Highland moved - he owns that building also and has been doubling their rents, too. He also owns the too-dense and very contentious development going up at the corner of Willow and Morrison. He ignores the law, the Planning Board, and the neighbors wherever he appears. I'm not sure if he owns any other property right in Davis Square, but he does own another piece of property he's trying to develop (badly) along the bike path toward Cedar Street.

Re: Enterprise Rent-a-Car

[beckmann.livejournal.com]

Wow - what a guy!
Is this all word of mouth? How did you get such a good inside scoop?

Re: Enterprise Rent-a-Car

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

http://somervillenews.typepad.com/ and the Somerville Community News print edition (their offices are near the T-Stop on College Ave) are excellent sources for this sort of thing.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

He's been trying to develop property in my neighborhood. He's a scumbag who doesn't give a hoot about the neighborhood or the city. Just his own bottom line.

Re: Enterprise Rent-a-Car

[ron_newman]

Somerville News, not Community News.

(Not as nit-picky as it may sound. The Somerville Community News was a competing paper to both the Somerville Journal and the Somerville News, until about eight years ago. I used to write for it.)

[ron_newman]

What's his name?

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

So what's contentious about the place on the corner of Willow/Morrison? I'm just curious....have no idea who this guy is. The building going up looks much better than the abandoned auto-garage that was there before. And it will have 18 underground parking spaces now, so it shouldn't cause problems with parking. And didn't they clean up toxic waste when constructing the foundation?

Enterprise

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

I used to rent cars from this Enterprise pretty regularly for work. The lady who drove me home from there one day talked to me about this. They had a bunch of challenges that led to their moving.

There are apparently giant empty fuel tanks underneath the parking lot. The parking lot was a total disaster. The pavement was in unsafe shape with alot of tripping hazards like potholes and cracks, etc. They were told by someone that it couldn't be repaired without dealing with the tanks. They were also not allowed to use the garage that's on the property. So, they had nowhere to wash cars. Washing cars elsewhere was taking a lot of staff time and manuvering.

She said that they had tried to work with the landlord to no avail. I have no idea what that means in light of the above comments, but there you have it.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

I know that when the building started at Willow and Morrision they had problems with groundwater. They were told to remove it and chose to set up a hose and direct it into the street. This was contaminated groundwater, not clean rain water! This is how the owner conducts business.
I wouldn't be comfortable giving his name. Slander and all that....but ask anyone at 'Out of The Blue' about their experiences and why they moved!

[ron_newman]

if it's true it's not slander. Also, the landlord can always decide to reply here if he thinks he's getting a bad rap.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Do you seriously think the buildings' owner is reading this web site? I'll tell you this, he hails from Greece originally. Again, next time you're in Out of the Blue ask around.....you'll get an earful!

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

I don't know much about his other business dealings, but it sounds like you are talking about Chris, who used to own and run Gas With A Smile on Mass Ave until he retired, and sold the station to Hess. I know he also owned the garage on the corner of Willow and Mass Ave.

My only dealings with him are from Gas With a Smile, but patrons loved that place. The gas was some of the cheapest around, the employees were super friendly, the mechanics did a great job. I got the impression that Chris ran a very tight ship, but his employees seemed happy and loyal.

He lives in a modest home on Willow Ave, and I see him having a yard sale almost every weekend in nice weather since he sold Gas With A Smile.

I do think he is probably a very astute business man, but what has he done that makes him a scumbag? I'm just asking because I don't know.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

I know he also owned the garage on the corner of Willow and Mass Ave.

I meant Willow and Morrison.

[ron_newman]

We've had other business owners show up here after their names have arisen in discussions -- Out of the Blue, Boloco, and Gus Rancatore all come to mind.