Newton approves revised Northland project with fewer buildings, more housing units
By Grant Walker
Boston Business Journals
A long-planned mixed-use development in Newton Upper Falls has been approved for a new plan with fewer buildings and less overall space.
The reworked project was approved Monday by Newton’s City Council, whose members used the occasion of the vote to consider once more how the development could affect the city’s school district, traffic and tax revenue.
Northland Investment Corp. has sought to remake aspects of the 23-acre development to reflect dramatic changes in the real estate industry since it first proposed the project just before the pandemic.
The real estate developer, which is based in Newton, is now planning five fewer buildings and wants to convert an existing mill building on the edge of the site into residences instead of offices.
In all, the new iteration of the project includes 22 additional housing units for a new total of 822. There will be 100,000 square feet of retail and 5,000 square feet for medical offices.
An initial plan called for 180,000 square feet of office space. Slumping demand for office use was cited for the change.
The site, on a busy stretch of Needham Street near the Needham line, used to be a shopping plaza, with a Marshalls, CVS and others, as well as offices.
The city council voted to approve the amended plan, 19-4.
Councilors in favor said they would have preferred the initial plan for the site but wanted to see the new version go forward anyway. Others cited concerns about traffic and effects on the city’s school system with new residents. There were also voices raising concern over tax revenue from residential development rather than the preferred commercial.
“Clearly, we would have preferred the added revenue to the city that fully rented, or reasonably rentable, commercial space would bring,” Councilor Alan Lobovits said.
“But if the market for commercial space is not as positive as we would hope,” he added, “an empty and developed mill building might not be assessed at the full commercial rate.”