Development

City Looking at How to Create Public-Private Partnership to Redevelop Watertown Square Parking Lots

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An illustration from the Watertown Square Area Plan with the municipal parking lot behind CVS outlined in red. The City Council is considering redeveloping that area. City Councilors will be wearing a second hat when it comes to the redevelopment of the parking lots behind CVS, the Watertown Library and perhaps others in Watertown Square. On Sept. 2, consultants from Innes Land Strategies Group spoke to the Council about their role as a Redevelopment Authority, and some of the options for making the projects a reality.

Development

Two Multistory Residential Projects Proposed in New Watertown Square Zoning

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An illustration of the proposed residential building at 108 Water St. (WSQ Development LLC)

Two residential projects have been proposed in Watertown, south of the Charles River and another in a vacant site on Mt. Auburn Street. The projects are among the first that would be built the new Watertown Square Zoning districts created so the City would comply with the MBTA Communities Law. The first project in the new zones was a five-unit residential building at 75 Spring St., which is located in the WSQ1 zoning, which allows 3+ story (four stories with a stepped back fourth story) projects.

Development

Planning Board Approves Master Plan for Watertown Mall Transformation

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The master plan for Alexandria Real Estate’s Watertown Mall Transformation was approved by the Planning Board. (Courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate)

The basic plan for remaking a large portion of Arsenal Street, including the Watertown Mall, has been approved by the Planning Board. Before the multiple lab buildings, residential units, retail, and garages can be built, however, developers will have to come back for approval of each building. Almost all of the project falls within Watertown’s Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD), which allows for additional height and density that most of the town but requires a master plan to be approved. On Nov.

Development

REMINDER: Hear About Proposed Project on Cannistraro Site in West Watertown

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Broder/CBTAn illustration of the potential designs for a project at Pleasant Street and Rosedale Avenue, which would include a life science building, a garage and retail space. The developers of the proposed project on the Cannistraro site on Rosedale Road will hold a community meeting on March 20. The project includes multiple life science lab buildings and a garage on the Westside property. Click here to see the documents submitted to the Planning Department (scroll down to Click Here for Applications, Reports, Plans, and other project documents). Dear Community Member:

Please join Broder (www.broder.com) for a presentation of its plans to redevelop the site at 275 & 313 Pleasant Street, 80 Rosedale Road, and 60 Acton Street.

104 Main Street

Developer Discusses Vision for Major Project on Main Street

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Icon ArchitectureA view of the proposed project at 104-126 Main St. from Main Street. The developers of the project proposed on Main Street in Watertown want to create a place where residents can live steps away from restaurants, stores, and public transportation available in Watertown Square. John O’Connor, senior vice president for acquisitions and development for O’Connor Capital Partners recently spoke with Watertown News about the proposal for the 104-126 Main St. The development would have 146 residential units in four stories above 5,450 sq.

Development

City Hosting Walks & Bikes with Staff to Get Input to Shape Watertown’s Future

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Residents can join City staff on walks and bike rides around Watertown to take a look at the City’s major business areas, and get input about what they should look like in the future. The information gathered will be used in the process to update Watertown’s Comprehensive Plan. The series covers a number of areas where development has and will continue to occur, including Watertown Square, Pleasant Street, Coolidge Square, and the bike path near Arsenal Street that runs through East Watertown to Fresh Pond. Assistant Director of Planning Gideon Schreiber said the tours provide another way for people to give input on the Comprehensive Plan. “I’ve been on the Live Well Watertown committee for 10 years, and we’ve done these walks and often times when I’m doing the walk with residents they have questions, they have ideas, they have thoughts, and we thought that it would be a good opportunity to mix it up and do something different,” Schreiber said.

Development

City Wants Input on Comprehensive Plan, Providing Multiple Opporunties

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City of WatertownA screenshot of the interactive map where people can leave ideas for what they would like to see in Watertown. It is part of the process for updating the Comprehensive Plan, the City’s key planning document. The process of updating Watertown’s key planning document, the Comprehensive Plan, has begun, and people who live and/or work in the City can give their input in a variety of ways. City officials held a community forum on Thursday, but those who were unable to attend can still give their opinions and ideas, said Watertown’s Assistant Director of Planning Gideon Schreiber. The City adopted the Comprehensive Plan in 2015, and now the document is being updated.