Property redevelopment discussions develop

Despite a sluggish economy, city officials, developers, and community groups are coming together to discuss proposed commercial and residential property development projects in several locations around the city.

At tonight’s meeting of the Real Property Reuse Committee, which “reviews the sale or lease of city-owned property,” Aldermen Danberg, Merrill, Linsky, Salvucci, Gentile, Baker, and Fischman will discuss two proposals:

First, in Newton Centre, the group will examine a proposal to redevelop a triangle of city property located at Willow, Centre and Lyman Streets, where the Fire Department headquarters and Station #3 sit.

Newton Centre neighbors have raised concerns about school enrollments, parking, and traffic. They’ve also requested better communication from the city about this proposal.

If you are interested in learning more, please see the planning department’s memo of June 2009. The developer’s proposal has been updated since then, so some portions of the memo may be dated.

Second, in Newtonville, the committee will examine the potential redevelopment of the Austin Street municipal parking lot in Newtonville for mixed-use development, including affordable housing.

According to planning studies last year, the lot is underutilized. A November 2009 committee memo found: “the lot contains 159 parking spaces, of which 129 are available to the public, and a Goodwill trailer. Recent parking studies show that on average 81-90 spaces are occupied daily.”

In that memo, two possible development ideas were identified:

1. “A modest sketch shows a 4-story building above one below-grade level and containing about 18,000 sf of business floor area, 18 housing units, and sufficient parking for both the new uses and replacement spaces for the ones displaced from the parking lot.”
2. “A more aggressive sketch shows approximately 24,000 sf of business floor area, all retail, and 30 housing units, plus required parking for the new uses and replacement spaces.”

The committee’s meeting will be held at 7:45pm Tuesday in Room 202 at City Hall.