Holy Cross names Quincy developer for Southbridge site
Mixed-use project to total 100,000 sq. ft.
BY MATTHEW L. BROWN
Quincy developer John J. Stewart of Lighthouse Realty & Development Inc. has been chosen to undertake the long-delayed retail, hotel and office project proposed by the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.
Despite the fact that Holy Cross owns the property, the school's development project at the corner of College and Southbridge Streets has continually been put off.
The college has report upon report "assessing the situation." Yet, for all the time it's taken, the college now says "we're all on the same page," and it expects to get the development underway quickly.
Approval time
But the project still has to pass muster with neighborhood residents and a zone change for the site has to be approved by the city's land use department before any work begins.
According to Ellen Ryder, a Holy Cross spokesman, part of the school's newfound zeal for the project comes from Stewart.
"We have to figure out exactly what the neighborhood wants and complement it," Stewart said. So far, "they seem to be supportive. We've had some pretty good feedback."
Once the challenging, sloped site is cleared and a handful of homes owned by Holy Cross along the west side of Caro Street are razed, Stewart said he envisions just under 100,000 square feet of development.
He said his current plans include an "extended stay" inn, a restaurant to compliment the inn, and "retail to complement the neighborhood and the school."
Likely candidates for the retail part of the project include a pharmacy, a coffee shop, and other "lighter retail, nothing heavy-duty," Stewart said.
Before tenants can be lined up, Stewart has to usher the plan through city zoning, and gain city council approval, all of which he said is likely to take about a year.
"It's hard to go to a potential tenant" without knowing exactly how things will shake out with the zoning commission, he said.
But Stewart doesn't expect a hard time in zoning. He said, "it went pretty smoothly" for his development of the Walgreen's on Grafton Street.
Radical failures
Unsuccessful plans for the Holy Cross site have included some pretty radical ideas, he said, like multiple levels of underground parking.
The project's advisory committee "looked at a number of possibilities, and was very impressed with [Stewart's] knowledge of the process, and he's worked in Worcester before," Ryder said.
The advisory committee is heavy on city employees and city council members, but also includes school faculty, students, neighborhood business owners and residents.
The committee has only met once, on March 14, and is scheduled to meet again April 18. Those meetings were not open to the public.
Architectural renderings of the project are expected at the April meeting, Ryder said. Meetings after April 18 will be open to the public, she added.
So far, the project has no budget, and hasn't begun the city zoning process, Ryder said. She also said the school doesn't know whether it will ask the city or state for public money to help finance the project.
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