Housing Headlines

LAWRENCE --- Trinity Financial has begun work on transforming the long-abandoned Van Brodie Mill into 102 apartments in a development plan that also includes the developer buying and renovating three empty triple deckers in the city. This was an agreement Trinity reached with Mayor Dan Rivera who has said the city should renovate the dilapidated houses that checker the city's neighborhoods before building housing in the former mills.

WAYLAND --- In an effort to use local, state and federal funds more effectively, the Town of Wayland is the eighth town to join the Regional Housing Services Office. The office helps communities better utilize federal HOME funds, local funds like the Community Preservation Act and also helps with program administration, project development, resident assistance and compliance with Fair Housing, . Other towns in RHS are Acton, Bedford, Burlington, Concord, Lexington, Sudbury and Weston. www.rhsohousing.org.

WORCESTER --- A downtown revitalization area that has seen the recent permitting of over 1,000 housing units is looking to expand its boundaries south and east away from its center in what's believed to be part of an ongoing effort to build a stadium and bring the Pawtucket Red Sox to Worcester. Michael Traynor, the city's chief development officer, has informed the Worcester Redevelopment Authority board that he will have appraisals done for properties near the Wyman-Gordon property and other properties near Madison and Lamartine streets. Ultimately, any change in the revitalization footprint would require public hearings, favorable votes by the WRA board and City Council, and an OK from the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Following a similar request made by Gov. Charlie Baker and the mayors of the state's largest cities, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey have sent a letter asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to extend emergency shelter benefits for hurricane evacuees until March 20.

QUINCY ---- Less than a year after the zoning board of appeals rejected an application by the Boncaldo family to build apartments with a Ch. 40B land use permit, the developer is back with another proposal, this time for 36 apartments. This would be the third attempt to develop the site on Warren Avenue as neighbors filed suit to stop a market-rate plan two years ago and the ZBA denied a 32-unit 40B application last June. The Boncaldo family has filed an appeal with the state, but their attorney told the Ledger the developer and city are in talks to resolve the issue.

NEWBURYPORT --- One year after the city approved the idea of creating multifamily housing near the commuter rail, MassDot is planning a public hearing on a developer's proposal to build 76 apartments on the site and the city's plans to allow it with its first-ever Ch. 40R smart growth overlay district.