$6 Million Mt. Wayte Plaza Re-Development Project Gets Extra Time

Last August, the Framingham Planning Board unanimously approved a California developer’s plans to turn the almost empty Mt. Wayte Plaza in South Framingham into an “Uptown” mix of retailers, restaurants and office space at a cost of $6 million.

A year later, and the owner of the property has yet to start redeveloping the plaza.

Last night, the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals agreed to grant the owner of the plaza six more months to develop the plaza, as long as he complete a checklist of items, that includes improving the “eye sore” of a plaza.

The Zoning Board voted 3-0 to extend the variance to owner Sam Adams, who did not attend the meeting, as he was out of the country.

An associate member of the Board told Patch, Adams has 3 months to meet requirements placed on him including providing a marketing plan, removing the two signs on the property, and clean up the property.

Last August, the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals granted Adams a variance for landscaping and open space. The variance was good for only one year, thus the need for the vote at last night’s meeting.

Adams has yet to ink a contract with a tenant for the project.

Planners and neighbors have been enthusiastic about the redevelopment project, which Framingham Patch first reported about in December 2012.

Plaza owner Sam Adams first talked about the project in December 2012, but did not submit plans to the Town of Framingham until March 2014.

The redevelopment project would build two new two-story buildings on the corner of Franklin Street and Mount Wayte Avenue but also renovate the existing main building. The closed gas station and Fotomat kiosk would be demolished.

Earlier this year, Adams sued the Town of Framingham in Superior Land Court because Framingham allowed Dunkin Donuts to open at 430 Franklin Street, in front of the almost empty plaza, in the former 400 Restaurant location.

Dunkin Donuts’ was a former tenant in the plaza. The only tenant left in the plaza now is a barber shop.

In August 2014, Adams said construction could begin six months after the Planning Board gave the green light to the project, weather permitting.