Developer scales back proposed Framingham housing project near rail station
Rendering | Courtesy of Framingham Planning Board via Khalsa Design
City Realty of Boston has been working to gain approvals for a proposed apartment building next to Framingham's commuter rail station since 2023.
Developers behind a proposed 89-unit apartment building in Framingham adjacent to the city’s Commuter Rail station, first proposed in 2023, presented the latest version of their plans during an April 17 Framingham Planning Board meeting.
Representatives from City Realty of Boston pitched the latest version of their plan to construct a six-story residential building at 1 Howard St., the current site of a parking lot next to the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators.
The proposed structure would contain a first-floor parking garage, with residences above. Amenities at the site would include a green roof, elevated courtyard, and a walking path connecting the property to the adjacent MBTA Commuter Rail station.
The project has been scaled back from the original proposal of over 130 units in order to meet concerns from Framingham Planning Board member Mitchell Matorin, who has previously expressed concerns of the building’s impact on the downtown area’s scenery, according to The Frame.
The proposed building is located in the city’s Central Business District, which is meant to encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use developments, according to the City of Framingham’s website.
Framingham is conditionally compliant with the state’s MBTA Communities Act, legislation passed in 2021 with the intention of spurring more housing production in communities served by the commuter rail, according to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities’ website.
City Realty bought the one-acre parcel in January 2023 for $2.8 million.
The Framingham Planning Board voted 5-0 to close the public hearing and continue deliberations on May 1, when the board expects to vote on the proposal.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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