Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- The BRA recently approved the city's first parking-free condominium building consisting of 175 units located at Lovejoy Wharf near North Station. Typically, the city requires developers of residential buildings in downtown neighborhoods to supply at least one parking space for every two homes constructed.

WORCESTER --- With two tentants occupying 280,000 square feet of office space and a 500-car parking garage on the way, the redevelopment of the city's Galleria Mall is off to a good start, although officials worry that further progress on the 13.6 acre downtown site may be hindered by a weak finance market, low rental rates and a lack of nighttime foot traffic.

WORCESTER --- City Manager Michael O'Brien submitted his letter of resignation on Nov. 20 to take a job with WinnDevelopment, a Boston-based national real estate firm that specializes in affordable housing.

WILLIAMSTOWN --- In the town's ongoing efforts to create safer affordable housing after Hurricane Irene floodwaters destroyed much an affordable mobile home park, selectmen voted unanimously in November to commit $2.6 million to a proposed 40-unit affordable housing project that would be built on a four-acre site donated by Williams College.

LOWELL --- A Westford Street building that once housed Paige Pharmacy has been transformed by the Caleb Group into 10 affordable one-bedroom apartments for young men transitioning out of the state's foster care program.

DEVENS -- A development team from Lexington could soon begin drafting plans to turn 35 acres at the former Fort Devens military base into 120 new housing units. MassDevelopment, the state agency that controls the Devens redevelopment, voted recently to negotiate an agreement with Evergreen Village Collaborative, a Lexington-based team that includes developers, builders and designers. The group has proposed to build a "walkable neighborhood" project with 40 large and small single-family homes, 40 duplex and townhome units and 40 rental apartments,