Housing Headlines

DORCHESTER --- Center Court Partners, which owns several key Morrissey Boulevard sites near the JFK-UMass Red Line stop, has proposed to build two 20-plus story towers on the former Channel 56 television property just north of the former Boston Globe plant. Developer and architect David Raftery revealed plans for 750 apartments at a Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association meeting, stating that the developers are "trying to stay within the spirit" of the 2011 city master plan.

CHELSEA --- The bid by The Neighborhood Developers and Traggorth Development to build housing at 1005 Broadway will be coming back for local review as the Suffolk County Land Court remanded the case back to the zoning board of appeals with a revised plan. Last year, the ZBA denied the project saying it was more interested in homeownership but it will now review a revised plan that does not include a commercial component and a reduction in rental apartments from 42 to 38, all of which will be affordable.

MEDFORD --- Following communities like Somerville, the Medford City Council has passed a zoning change requiring large new housing developments to include affordable housing. The measure, which needs to be OK'd by Mayor Stephanie Burke - would only apply to developments that add at least 10 new housing units. The percentage of units that are required to be affordable varies based on project size, ranging from 10-percent affordable for 10-unit developments to 15-percent affordable for developments of 50 units or more.

CHELSEA --- The city's planning board has unanimously recommended that the city council OK a smart growth zoning district that is a key piece of the plan to redevelop the Innes public housing property. The plan involves Corcoran Development partnering with the Chelsea Housing Authority to renovate the existing 96 public housing units while adding 40 middle-income units and 194 market rate units.

FOXBORO --- The Town of Foxboro has announced that four developers have showed interest in redeveloping the downtown fire station and an adjacent funeral home into a mixed-use development that may include some affordable housing. Among the bidders were experienced housing developer Doug King of Easton and a development team that includes Traggorth Companies of Boston.

WELLESLEY --- A state review has found that the Wellesley and Needham housing authorities - who have a management sharing agreement - have been lax in screening tenants, with files missing such things as eligibility forms, background checks and rent determinations. The state also found that in at least one occasion, tenants were housed who were not at the top of the waiting list and some tenants were paying zero rent without having any income or asset verification done.