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The city of Medford is gauging developers’ interest in building a large mixed-use project on up to 28 acres at Wellington Station on the MBTA’s Orange Line.
In a request for information issued today, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said the city will seek projects that include a “significant housing, commercial or mixed-use development” at the property near the Somerville and Everett lines. Submissions are due Oct. 31.
“The area around Wellington has been identified by the community as a place for higher density development, more employment and mixed-use opportunities and community amenities,” the RFI states.
Cushman & Wakefield has been named the city’s real estate advisor for the process.
Developers will be required to design projects that include a bus maintenance facility that the MBTA plans to relocate from the Fellsway to Wellington by 2029. The projects also should be designed to retain MBTA customer parking and a loss of income to the transit agency.
The site includes a large parking lot, train storage yard and maintenance facility.
In addition, projects will be sought that meet the goals of the city’s comprehensive plan, which is being prepared by Cambridge-based consultants Agency Landscape + Planning and will include recommended zoning changes.
Respondents are asked to include a statement of qualifications, experience with similar projects, and preliminary site plans for the air rights area.
The air rights for development above the tracks and other sections of the maintenance and storage yard are owned by the city of Medford under legislation dating back to the 1969.
National Development built the Station Landing mixed-use project on land next to the station starting in 2006, while Preotle, Lane & Assoc. developed the River’s Edge multifamily and office project on a 30-acre former brownfields site across Revere Beach Parkway in the past decade.
Attempts to develop air rights over transportation arteries have been focused primarily on parcels above the Massachusetts Turnpike in recent years, including Samuels & Associates’ current office-hotel project on parcel 12, Peebles Corp.’s proposed housing and life science project on parcel 13 and the Fenway Center life science project on Brookline Avenue by Meredith Management and IQHQ Inc. Apartment complexes also have been developed at MBTA station properties in Quincy Center and North Quincy.
