Image courtesy of The Architectural Team

Lexington’s MBTA Communities rezoning prompted another major multifamily development proposal, replacing a trio of office buildings near the town center with a 319-unit apartment complex.

Cambridge-based SGL Development, which owns a pair of parcels in the Militia Drive office park, plans to acquire neighboring properties at 4 and 5 Militia Drive from local non-denominational church Grace Chapel, including two buildings used for its ministry and outside tenants. The combined development site totals 4.5 acres, according to an application submitted to the Lexington Planning Board.

In April 2023, Lexington became one of the first Boston suburbs to enact new zoning complying with the MBTA Communities act, which requires 177 cities and towns to allow multifamily development by-right in areas near transit service. The changes now have been adopted by 75 communities.

Lexington’s “Village Overlay” district encourages redevelopment of properties in 12 districts that span 227 acres.

The SGL Development proposal would include 47 permanently affordable units, representing 15 percent of the total.

The project would demolish the commercial buildings and replace them with two residential buildings including nearly 20,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and a 6-story parking garage totaling 472 spaces.

Developers offered a “premium price” of $6.9 million for the Chapel’s property, and are seeking to sign a purchase-and-sale agreement in December and close on the acquisition in February, according to a statement posted on the chapel’s website.

In another major multifamily proposal currently under review in Lexington, developer BXP is proposing to replace a small office-lab building at 17 Hartwell Ave. with a 312-unit apartment complex. The site is located within a 260-acre commercial district rezoned in 2021 to attract mixed-use development.