Oak Grove Mill, City Find Common Ground As Project Pushes Onward

MELROSE, MA — A development that would be home to possibly hundreds of Melrosians cleared a major hurdle this week, paving the way for a beloved former furniture store to become a mixed-used apartment building on the ever-evolving Lower Washington Street.

The Planning Board on Monday gave the green light to Oak Grove Mill, a 141-unit apartment building that would build on the bones of the Marty's Furniture building at 99 Washington St. The development still needs the approval of the Zoning Board of Appeals, which virtually meets April 15.

After a lengthy public process, Oak Grove Mill agreed to some sustainability measures and other amenities, including retail and gallery space on the first floor and enhance an outdoor landscape area.

The apartments will be a mix of studio and one- and two-bed units. Nineteen of the 141 units will be affordable and populated via lottery process of eligible applicant tenants.

As local development projects go, this appeared to be something of a win-win.

"The developer didn't have to make any concessions from the original plan," Ward 5 City Councilor Shawn MacMaster, who led the push for more neighborhood benefits, said. "But I think it shows the power of advocacy and of neighborhood response and cohesion to affect change and control our own destiny as a city."

>>>Read: Development Must Bring More To Melrose, Officials Say

City officials were pleased with the developer's malleability.

"We really appreciate that the Applicant and his team was responsive to the concerns expressed by the community and the Planning Board throughout the public hearing process, particularly as they relate to the desire for a mixed use component to the project, the interest in providing welcoming spaces for the community as part of the development, and the desire for enhanced sustainability measures," City Planner Denise Gaffey said.

Some of those measures include significantly more bike spaces than required, a bike-share station on-site and each new resident getting a one-month MBTA pass. There will also be two electric vehicle charging spaces and car-share parking spots.

The project would add a level on top of Marty's Furniture, which recently shut down shop. The building is designated as a Landmark Building, restricting what can be done architecturally, though Gaffey said it hasn't been an issue with the developer.

"The development will address a critical need for housing and affordable housing in a way that minimizes impacts on the community, preserves a landmark building with a storied history and enhances the surrounding area," she said.

The history behind the building runs deep. It was built in 1882 after the land was purchased by Elisha Converse, the first mayor of Malden. The building became the Boston Rubber Shoe Company Factory No. 2 (No. 1 was in Malden,) eventually becoming the largest employer in Melrose by the turn of the 20th century.

>>>See the plans for the project here