NEEDHAM, MA–Needham is seeing a surge in transit-oriented development following the town’s adoption of zoning under the state’s MBTA Communities Act, with two major housing projects recently moving forward.
242 Hillside Ave.: A 14-Unit Apartment Project
As reported by the Needham Observer, local developer Matt Borrelli plans to replace a 1940s two-family home at 242 Hillside Ave., near the Center at the Heights, with a three-story, 14-unit apartment building. The property, sold in August 2024 for $1.825 million to Needham Enterprises, was presented to the town’s Design Review Board (DRB) on Nov. 17. The board provided largely positive feedback, with comments on landscaping and design, which architect Scott Melching said “fits in well with the neighborhood” while remaining environmentally friendly.
The 12,000-square-foot building would feature eight two-bedroom units ranging from 800–920 square feet, and six one-bedroom units between 540–670 square feet. Two units—one on the first floor and one on the third floor—would be designated as affordable housing. The building will be fully electric and comply with Massachusetts’ aggressive energy code. Parking will include 17 spaces, meeting the zoning requirement of one per unit.
Borrelli, a former town Select Board member, told the Observer that without MBTA zoning, the lot would have supported fewer than half of the proposed units, likely as luxury rentals. “Under this plan I am seeking 14 units that will be much smaller and marketed to commuters, people in the workforce and people looking to downsize with an affordable component,” he said.
This project marks the second in Needham under the new MBTA zoning. The first, a 189-unit plan at 100-110 West St., is slightly over a mile away and also in the Avery Square district.
100-110 West St.: A 189-Unit Transit-Oriented Development
As reported by the Boston Business Journal, the larger project at 100-110 West St. was recently approved by Needham’s Planning Board. Located across from the Needham Heights MBTA commuter rail station, this 189-unit housing development is planned by Greystar, the developer behind several Everett apartment projects including Anthem, Jade, Mason, Maxwell, and the under-construction Juniper.
The site, previously under consideration for a senior housing development, was acquired through a purchase agreement with Ohio-based real estate investment trust Welltower, which bought it for $14 million in 2002. Greystar plans to begin site work early next year.
The project reflects the goals of the MBTA Communities law, which encourages towns with MBTA stations to zone for higher-density residential development. Needham voters initially approved zoning last year that would have allowed 3,300 new units, but rejected it in a January referendum. A scaled-down plan passed in May, permitting up to 1,784 units, bringing the town into compliance with the law.
Impact on Needham Housing
Both projects signal a shift toward more diverse housing typologies in a town historically dominated by single-family homes. Melching told the Observer that the MBTA zoning “provides a different kind of living, a different housing typology… This will bring more types of folks to our town, which is really a good thing.”
The Hillside Ave. project and the West St. development illustrate how MBTA zoning is reshaping Needham’s housing landscape, offering options for commuters, downsizers, and workforce residents while encouraging sustainable, transit-oriented growth.
