FRAMINGHAM, MA-A Boston developer has reduced the scale of a proposed apartment complex near the Framingham Commuter Rail station, following community feedback and planning board concerns, according to a report by the Worcester Business Journal.
City Realty, which acquired the one-acre site at 1 Howard St. for $2.8 million in January 2023, originally proposed more than 130 residential units for the downtown property. The latest plan, presented to the Framingham Planning Board on April 17, scales the project down to 89 units, WBJ reported.
The revised proposal includes a six-story building featuring a ground-floor parking garage with residential units above. Planned amenities include a green roof, elevated courtyard, and a pedestrian path providing direct access to the adjacent MBTA Commuter Rail station. The development site currently serves as a parking lot next to the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators.
According to WBJ, the design adjustments were made in response to concerns from Planning Board member Mitchell Matorin, who raised issues about the building’s potential impact on the downtown area’s visual character.
Located within Framingham’s Central Business District, the project aligns with local zoning efforts to encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use development. It also supports the goals of the MBTA Communities Act, a 2021 state law designed to promote housing growth near transit infrastructure. Framingham is currently listed as conditionally compliant with the legislation, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
The Planning Board voted 5-0 to close the public hearing and will continue deliberations on the project on May 1, when a final vote is expected.
(This article is based on reporting by the Worcester Business Journal. To read WBJ article, please clcik here.)
