Image courtesy of Cube 3
Northland Investment Corp. met with Newton residents more than 100 times before submitting plans in 2018 for its Upper Falls redevelopment project including 193,000 square feet of office space and 800 housing units.
But the Newton developer has more lobbying in store as it seeks to eliminate the office portion and increase the housing component at the Needham Street project.
Northland is seeking to amend its special permit after spending $73 million preparing the site for the development, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller notified residents this week.
The changes, expected to be submitted to the City Council this fall, would drop the 193,000 square feet of office space approved for the Saco-Pettee Mill building on Oak Street in favor of 100 residential units. The changes increase the total housing component from 800 to 822 units, while reducing daily traffic volume by more than 1,300 trips per day, according to a fact sheet prepared by Northland.
Following the council’s approval in December 2019, the project survived a 2020 referendum vote by a 58-to-42 percent margin.
The 23-acre site includes the historic mill building which was the Clarks’ shoe company headquarters, and a former strip mall property.
Northland opted not to pursue the office portion of the project because of the weak leasing environment, Fuller wrote to residents in a newsletter. The changes would reduce on-site parking from 1,350 to 1,050 spaces and add an acre of open space.
Proposed changes to the housing portion include elimination of five small residential buildings and a smaller footprint for two other buildings, according to Northland’s fact sheet. No changes are proposed for 100,000 square feet of retail space. Overall, the 1.1 million-square-foot project would be reduced by 160,000 square feet.
Northland also has sought to drop plans for a shuttle service to the MBTA’s Newton Highlands station.
The proposal will be the focus of “several public hearings” after Northland submits its special permit amendment, Fuller wrote.
