WESTBOROUGH – An effort to increase the town’s housing stock could mean significant improvements to the Westborough Shopping Center located on Lyman Street.
Colangelo Massachusetts Real Estate LLC., the plaza’s owner, has applied for a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals to reconstruct a portion of the property to add 132 dwelling units.
With the goal of providing much needed housing with minimal impact on school enrollment, 75% of the new rental units would be studio or one-bedroom floor plans, with the remainder being two-bedroom. The proposal calls for 20% of the units to be affordable.
Additionally, the developer plans to apply for local workforce preference status. If granted, this designation will provide access to the affordable units for town employees in professions such as teaching, fire and police and DPW, keeping with the town’s goal of encouraging local residency for town staff. The designation would also include access to local veterans.
“I’m proud to say that a great deal of planning has gone into providing the housing Westborough urgently needs while minimizing the impact on school enrollment and traffic,” said Eugene Colangelo, principal of Colangelo Massachusetts Real Estate LLC. “We have been evolving the Westborough Shopping Center now for over 50 years to make sure we meet the needs of the town we call home.”
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Under the proposal, two buildings, currently the site of the former HomeGoods and an adjacent retail space, would be demolished to make way for a four-story structure. The building would have two ground-floor retail spaces totaling 39,477 square feet and a total of 111 residential units, complete with underground parking.
Another existing building, known as J&N Professional Building, would be modified to accommodate 21 additional units to the second floor.
“The addition of a residential use to a successful retail, office and restaurant plaza is precisely the type of infill development that is being encouraged throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is wholly consistent with the Westborough Master Plan,” said Mark L. Donahue, the attorney representing the developer. “The creation of a mixed-use will encourage and foster the retail and restaurant establishments within the plaza by providing a ready source of convenient shopping and dining opportunities to the residents.”
The proposed use will also require a special permit from the Westborough Planning Board at a later date.
