Jay Ash, Chelsea's former city manager and now president and CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, told a Chelsea Cable TV audience that targeted redevelopment and firm planning helped transform the city from receivership into a hub of housing, retail and hotels. "Sometimes what you say no to is as important as what you say yes to," Ash said, describing how the city rejected low-value proposals and fought for a retail-focused Market Basket development that became a regional draw.

Ash, who served as Chelsea city manager from 2000 to 2014, recounted assembling parcels through negotiation and urban renewal tools to replace junkyards and deteriorating buildings along the highway corridor with hotels, residential units and the FBI headquarters site. He said those visible projects, coupled with new parks and commercial space, attracted private investment and jobs and helped raise the city's credit ratings.

The interview included several redevelopment examples: the former Mystic Mall site, where Ash and city leaders resisted conversion to a self-storage facility and ultimately secured a large Market Basket with supporting retail; the highway corridor where the city used urban renewal powers and negotiated acquisitions to build hotels and the FBI site; and the 1 North housing project and other multifamily developments near the Chelsea'Everett line.

Ash framed the city's strategy as a mix of vision and discipline: identify strategic parcels, push for high-value uses, coordinate permitting and offer modest incentives, and require developers to deliver community benefits. He cited partnerships with regional institutions, including Massport and its executives, as essential to attracting and delivering projects quickly.

The former city manager also emphasized civic pride and leadership. Recalling a rainy hotel groundbreaking that drew 250 residents who "couldn't believe" a first-class hotel was happening in Chelsea, Ash said such milestones build community support for further renewal. "We're lucky to have had the responsibility of helping the city to continue to grow," he said.

The program closed with Ash urging continued collaboration among local boards, city leadership and community organizations to sustain gains and prepare for future challenges.