Image | Courtesy of Google Earth
The proposed site of Rossi Development's latest Canal District mixed-use building
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Developer behind Table Talk Lofts pitches new five-story building in Canal District
Photo | Courtesy of Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals
Rossi Development is proposing a five-story building for the Canal District, featuring 46 studios and commercial space.
Rossi Development, the Newton-based development firm already working to convert a former Table Talk Pie building into a mixed-use building with 53 affordable apartments in Worcester, has proposed another mixed-use project for an adjacent site in the Canal District.
Plans for the newly announced project call for the construction of a five-story building, featuring 46 studio apartments and about 1,500 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, according to a presentation given during the Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals meeting held on Monday.
The building is proposed for a small site directly south of the former Smokestack Urban BBQ restaurant at 139 Green St., which is in the process of being converted to a Chinese restaurant. The site is in between Green Street and a larger area of land which is being eyed by Watertown-based SMC Management Corp. for a 185-unit building.
The new Rossi project was in front of the ZBA to receive a variance from the City of Worcester’s minimum front yard setback requirement, as current plans call for the inclusion of two ground-floor units, triggering the need for a setback.
No parking is proposed along with this project, as zoning requirements for the parcel do not involve minimum parking requirements. The project will need a site plan review and approval from the Worcester Planning Board.
The project received a lukewarm reception from the ZBA, with some members taking issue with various aspects of the proposal.
Nathan Sabo, an associate member of the ZBA, said the design calls for windows along the northern face of the proposed building, which he said would encroach on the ability for abutting areas, particularly 139 Green St., to be redeveloped in the future. Sabo said the project lacked enough detail for him to be able to vote in favor of the variance.
After a straw poll to determine how ZBA members felt about the variance, it became clear the proposal lacked the support to be approved, with the concerns about the windows overlooking 139 Green St. being a prominent area of concern.
George Cortes, a regular member of the ZBA, took issue with the fact the proposal does not include any affordable units. Passed in 2023, Worcester’s inclusionary zoning rules require developments of 12 or more residential units to either designate a certain amount of units as affordable or pay 3% of the total construction value to the City’s affordable housing trust.
Mark Borenstein, an attorney from Worcester law firm Prince Lobel Tye, is representing Rossi Development for this project. He requested a continuation of the hearing to the board’s Jan. 6 meeting, which was approved by the ZBA.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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