Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- Construction has begun on One Greenway, a 362-unit mixed-income development that borders Boston's Chinatown and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The project is a joint venture of New Boston Fund and the Asian CDC and will consist of two buildings bookending a third of an acre of open space. The 312-unit North building will feature 217 market rate rentals and 95 affordable rental apartments while the South building will feature 50 affordable condominums.

NORTON --- In an effort to maintain the "country" look of its town, selectmen remain unhappy with a 188-unit, five-building 40B proposal that calls for some buildings to be over 50 feet high. The town initially got Thorndike Development and Campanelli Corp. to cut the height of its buildings back from 55 feet to 49 feet 10 inches but reporteldy remain upset with the town's Zoning Board of Appeals after learning that revised plans call for two buildings to be over 50 feet.

BOSTON --- The BRA recently approved the city's first parking-free condominium building consisting of 175 units located at Lovejoy Wharf near North Station. Typically, the city requires developers of residential buildings in downtown neighborhoods to supply at least one parking space for every two homes constructed.

WORCESTER --- With two tentants occupying 280,000 square feet of office space and a 500-car parking garage on the way, the redevelopment of the city's Galleria Mall is off to a good start, although officials worry that further progress on the 13.6 acre downtown site may be hindered by a weak finance market, low rental rates and a lack of nighttime foot traffic.

WORCESTER --- City Manager Michael O'Brien submitted his letter of resignation on Nov. 20 to take a job with WinnDevelopment, a Boston-based national real estate firm that specializes in affordable housing.

WILLIAMSTOWN --- In the town's ongoing efforts to create safer affordable housing after Hurricane Irene floodwaters destroyed much an affordable mobile home park, selectmen voted unanimously in November to commit $2.6 million to a proposed 40-unit affordable housing project that would be built on a four-acre site donated by Williams College.