Melrose: Redevelopment Work Starting At Franklin Market Building Site

MELROSE, MA — The City of Melrose has announced that preparation work began this week ahead of the planned demolition of the Franklin Market building in the Melrose Highlands.

The building, at 463 Franklin St. adjacent to the Melrose Highlands Commuter Rail Station, is scheduled to be redeveloped into a mixed-use facility with approximately 2,000 square feet of retail space and 21 residential units. The completed building is expected to be finished by December 2024.

Officials said there is a chance a re-opened Franklin Market could occupy some of the retail space in the building.

"This project will allow for the redevelopment of the Franklin Market building, which is part of our already thriving Franklin Street corridor, with public transit access and a variety of amenities nearby," Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur said.

According to officials, the project will attract residents who will utilize public transportation, support neighborhood businesses and take advantage of the city's amenities. Plus, the added retail space will add to the vitality of the area's business district and provide services to the neighborhood.

The redevelopment of the site was approved by the Planning Board in June of 2022, and the project is being handled by Johnson Construction Management.

The building is expected to include several "green" features, including high-efficiency appliances, a high-performance building envelope and insulation, electric vehicle chargers and on-site bike storage.

According to city officials, the Franklin Market redevelopment will be the first building constructed using the city's recent zoning amendment that allows for increased density in exchange for benefits to the local neighborhood

The building also will be the first of the redevelopment sites in the city's Housing Production Plan, designed to increase housing production and affordability in Melrose over the coming years.