Housing Headlines

WATERTOWN --- The Town Council approved a hike in the town's inclusionary zoning bylaw, now requiring projects of 20 units or more to make 10 percent of its units affordable to households at 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and five percent at 65 percent AMI. The requirement for projects between six and 19 units will remain at 12.5 percent affordable.

BOSTON --- A 5.5 acre state parcel on the other side of the highway ramp from Chinatown's new One Greenway mixed-income housing development is requiring any developer who bids to develop the property to make 20 percent of the housing affordable, a figure determined by the city's 13 percent affordable requirement and an additional state requirement for workforce housing.

QUINCY --- With the City Council's OK of leasing air rights over the North Quincy MBTA Station, Hingham-based Atlantic Development and the Bozzuto Group of Washington, D.C. can now pursue permits from the city to build 600 apartments and 50,000 square feet of commercial space.

CAMBRIDGE --- While proponents hope that boosting the city's inclusionary zoning ordinance from 11.5 to 20 percent will reverse "the hollowing out" of the city's middle class, builders say the increase will make projects uneconomic and threaten to grind housing development to a halt.

WOBURN - The City Council's Special Permits Committee has voted to endorse a petition for a mixed use commercial/residential development at the Strand Theater block at 455-471 Main St. Damaged by fire in March, the city has been working with building owner Edward Hovsepian to rebuild the property and the Special Permits Committee has fast-tracked a plan that calls for 22 apartments, at least four ground-floor commercial spaces and 29 parking spaces, less than the city usually requires. Public hearings are next.

QUINCY --- LCB Partners of Boston has proposed to build either a hotel with 171 rooms or a mixed-use seven-story building with a similar number of apartments at 1500 Hancock St. LCB currently owns the building on this site, which wraps around Cottage Ave.