Housing Headlines

HOLYOKE --- WinnDevelopment has entered into an agreement with the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority to redevelop the former Farr Alpaca Mill into 100 mixed-income rental apartments. The start of the project is contingent on the developer securing financing, including historic and low-income housing tax credits.

WOBURN --- City officials and the owner of an 23-acre East Woburn mall are discussing plans to rezone and redevelop the site into a mixed-use community that would include 400 housing units and 175,000 square feet of retail space.

SHREWSBURY --- With an agreement in place with Worcester to allow some water flow to pass through the city to Millbury, selectmen have signed an agreement to let Boston-based Route 20 Nominee Trust to redevelop the 75-acre Shrewsbury drive-in site into a mixed-use development that will feature a Market Basket grocery store and 250 housing units.

GREENFIELD --- Nine days after reporting on "several" homeless people living on the cty's Common, the Greenfield Recorder is now reporting that the number of homeless has jumped to 20, an issue that has public officials grappling about what to do as they balance complaints from residents with the fact that right of assembly is specifically allowed on the Common as long as they are not in violation of any ordinance or law, and that they remain clean and orderly.

HOPEDALE --- The $50 million urban renewal plan for the Draper Corporation site continues to be controersial, with town officials saying they did not leave a key property owner out of the talks while the property owner - Philip Shwachman - has hired Ted Carman, the development consultant who helped craft the 2007 Draper reuse study.

QUINCY --- Neighbors are looking for specifics about FoxRock Properties' plan to turn the former 14.9 acre Quincy Medical Center property into almost 600 units of housing. At a recent community meeting, FoxRock's Jason Ward said the company is talking with the city and hopes to file a master plan with the planning board by Labor Day.