Housing Headlines

The North of Boston Media Group, which publishes the Salem News, the Lawrence Eagle Tribune and several other publications, has run an editorial calling on local leaders to address the shortage of affordable housing in their communities before "a new generation of young professionals and new families" are priced out of the region.

NEWTON --- The city is not responding to a settlement offer from a developer who is suing Newton and its Zoning Board of Appeals over the right to build a 334-unit workforce/affordable housing project in the Wells Avenue office park, the developer said.

BEVERLY --- With Mayor Michael Cahill mentioning the possibility in his state of the city address, the nonprofit Harborlight Community Partners is optimistic about its plans to build 61 apartments on an empty Sohier Road parcel, even though it knows it make take years to get the permitting and put the financing together.

BOSTON --- At a March 1 meeting with the city's design commission, Feldco Development and Elma Lewis Partners unveiled revised plans for Tremont Crossing, this time proposing a 26-story residential tower, a 31-story residential tower, and a 12-story office tower, a hotel, a museum for the National Center of Afro-American Artists, a mix of destination and neighborhood retail and an open-air pedestrian plaza. The proposal differs substantially from a 2012 plan for the 7.5 acre site, which stretches from the Ruggles Station Orange Line stop east to the Madison Park High football field.

CAMBRIDGE --- Four of the five developments worth watching in Cambridge including substantial amounts of housing, according to a recent list in Curbed Boston.

BOSTON --- Natick developer Ronald Simons wants to convert the former Church of the Immaculate Conception at 771 Harrison Ave., the attached Link Building and an internal courtyard into 63 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, according to plans filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority.