Recent content by Smuttynose

Article is behind a paywall, but Lowell is selling the vacant Courthouse lot Downtown on Hurd Street to Heritage Properties to make way for a 200-unit market rate development -- Heritage Properties seals deal on 76m housing development in Lowell...

I think the problem is that Copley gets much more transient traffic than the big parks. It's not a destination picnic spot in the way The Esplanade or Public Garden is. It's mostly people on their 30 minute lunch breaks, or coffee breaks, or chilling for a few minutes after work making a call or...

It’s notable that while Boston gives developers a huge tax break for office-to-res conversions, it doesn’t give any relief from the inclusionary/affordable housing mandates requiring between 17-20% of units to be rented at below market rates. I’d rather see the City reduce the tax break - to...

7-1-2026

The Malden ZBA approved variances to allow a 7-story mixed-use building containing 73 condos in the heart of Downtown at 1 Salem Street. It would replace the infamous Downtown Malden hole that has existed at the crossroads of Ferry, Salem, and Main Streets since 2000 when a historic building was...

This is just dumb and greedy and risks spurring the kind of backlash which endangers the entire MF housing zoning overhaul. It’s a 7500 square-foot lot and they’re proposing a 6-story building that nearly goes up to the lot lines of the neighboring homes on Wyman. Build a nice 4-6 unit building...

The former Doyle’s Pub redevelopment on Washington Street (5/1/26) -

It's really not a bad idea. Even if it was just two stories of apartments it would be progress. The library is surrounded by buildings that are between 3.5 and 7 stories; it's really the odd one out in terms of height. The City should not make such a big deal then of how innovative it is...

Downtown redevelopment in Watertown Square --

Melrose has an impressive amount of residential projects, including several which are very transit-oriented, actively under construction - it's certainly putting Malden to shame -- 529 Franklin Street - 34 units Includes renovation of existing three story mixed-use structure with attached new...

According to the Lexington Planning Department's MBTA Communities Zoning tracker, this application has been in front of the Historic District Commission on September 4, October 9, and December 4 in 2025, and February 5, March 5, April 2, and if you want to provide input will be back again on May...

According to the MBTA's original estimates at the time the bid was awarded, this project was projected to take approximately 17 months to complete and wrap up construction in Late 2022. Now the project is approaching 3.5 years behind schedule - the amount of delay is equal to more than 2x the...

The number of units in this development has radically decreased from 322 units originally to 164 proposed today (a reduction of 49%) and the parking has vastly increased. In 2019, as part of the reviews, the Neighborhood Group actually requested that density be brought down to 166 units (see...

Dover Riverfront Development Update (1-16-2025) Small building in the foreground I believe will be a community boathouse the City is paying for —

12-20-2025 from the Esplanade —