Woburn Council Waives Affordable Housing Guidelines For Developer

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council voted 6-3 earlier this month to exempt a 100-unit elderly housing complex from the city's affordable housing guidelines. Boston-based Legatt McCall is building the housing as part of its remake of the former Kraft Foods site. Ward 1 Alderman Joanne Gonsalves, Ward 5 Alderman Darlene Mercer-Bruen, and Ward 7 Alderman Lindsay Higgins opposed the exemption to the rules, which require 15 percent of units be affordably priced for any new housing development of 10 or more units.

The ambitious redevelopment of the 61-acre site is being called The Vale and includes plans for a 135-room hotel, 834,000 square feet of office space and 83,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The development also calls for 300 housing units and a 105-unit assisted living and Alzheimer's care facility, as well as two garages with a total of 2,875 parking spaces. Legatt McCall said the completed development will generate between $5 million and $6 million in annual property taxes for Woburn and create thousands of jobs.