Marist Fathers look for new buyers after hospital withdraws Framingham plan
The Marist Fathers of Boston and Walden Behavioral Care of Waltham have agreed to part ways after more than a year of efforts to develop an inpatient treatment center for patients with eating disorders at the former Marist Retreat Center in Framingham.
Walden is moving on from those plans, which received significant opposition from neighbors, in order to respect the wishes of the Marist Fathers, CEO Stuart Komen said in a statement last week. Walden had signed a purchase and sale agreement on the property in May 2013 with the Marist Fathers, an order of Catholic priests.
The site required a special permit to build a treatment center in the residential neighborhood, which required unanimous approval from the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals.
The ZBA voted 2-1 to approve the project, prompting Walden to pursue its project through a separate non-profit entity under the Dover Amendment, which exempts educational uses from local zoning laws. A group of neighbors filed suit in land court to block that attempt.
“We believe we would have ultimately prevailed in both court cases and would have been an important asset for the town,” Koman said. “We end our efforts to locate in Framingham with regret, but we will continue to provide treatment services for the Framingham community through our Waltham facility and continue our outreach on eating disorders education to Framingham schools.”
ZBA approval of Walden’s planned 80-bed facility would have put the Marist property on the tax rolls for the first time, and was expected to create up to 50 new jobs in town. Marist Father John Harhager said in a statement that the project has seemed like a good match for the vacant building’s “original mission of spiritual renewal.”
“It is a pity the community will lose having this world-class healthcare facility in its midst, together with the additional jobs and tax revenue,” Harhager said. “The project would have delivered these benefits while preserving historic buildings, open space and natural features, and minimizing traffic and other community impacts, to a degree that may not be possible for a different purchaser of the Retreat Center.”
The Marist Fathers will re-market the property to a range of potential buyers, and proceeds from the transaction will be used to support the well-being of retired members of the Marist Order, according to Walden.
(CLARIFICATION: This updated version clarifies that the Marist Fathers' property would have been put on the tax rolls had it received ZBA approval.)
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