Mark Development Trims Riverside Proposal

NEWTON, MA — The development planned for the 15 acre piece of land next to the Riverside MBTA station just got a little smaller. Following concerted pushback by some residents Mark Development scaled back plans for its project Friday, reducing the overall footage of its proposal by 209,000 square feet.

The new project would be 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial and rather than be 1,234,000 sq. ft., it would be 1,025,000 sq. ft., according to the proposal. It would also establish maximum heights and minimum setbacks along the Grove Street corridor.

"Over the past several months, Mark Development has been engaged in extended discussions with representatives of the Lower Falls Improvement Association ('LFIA') in an effort to craft amendments which will be reasonably acceptable both to the developer and to the LFIA," Stephen Buchbinder said in a letter to the city council. "The developer is submitting the revised proposed text amendments today in order to have the same considered by the Zoning and Planning Committee at its meeting this coming Monday evening."

The Riverside Development Project is a proposal to incorporate a mix of housing, office, hotel and retail with parking for both the Riverside MBTA station and the new uses. In the works since 2012, the development will sit on a portion of the Riverside MBTA land. The MBTA will maintain ownership of the land, but that the developer would have an 85-year lease with in order to create a development, according to the city.

The project would develop 15 acres of a 25 acre total site that includes the MBTA tracks and service area, near the intersection of routes 90 and 95 and the end of the MBTA green line.

City officials say they've long been looking for a place to develop for housing, and the large parking lot area wedged between the highway and the T station has long been identified as an ideal spot.

Mark Development originally planned to bring in 675 apartment units via a 1.5 million-square-foot complex on the 15-acre parcel.

Those opposed to the project say the development will forever change the face of Newton and fear the leafy corner of Newton will become too citified, complaining of noise issues, too tall of buildings and traffic.

The Lower Falls Improvement Association's group "Right Size Riverside," which is against the proposal, points out there are 499 housing units in all of Newton Lower Falls.

Following pushback over the summer, the developer trimmed those plans to more than 1.2 million square feet with 524 housing units making it 11 buildings, including a garage.

The project would also include a replacing the Hotel Indigo, office space and retail and more than 2,000 parking spaces.

This comes as a number of developments are proposed across the city, including an 800 unit development in Newton Upper Falls, which is the largest of its kind the city has seen in recent memory. It also comes amid a rezoning of the city.

From the letter:

There's more:

• Riverside Development Proposal In Newton Gets More ... (June)
• Developers to Present Design Plans for Riverside ... (2018)

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).