Local builder eyes transformation of factory site

A new multi-family housing development could soon be in the works in Canton Center courtesy of a prominent local builder with a track record of downtown revitalization.

John Marini, a Canton-based developer, former zoning board member, and longtime champion of “smart growth” development principles, recently announced plans to purchase the former Emerson and Cuming factory site at 869 Washington Street with the goal of transforming it into a 53-unit residential complex consisting of a mix of townhouses and garden-style units. The idea, according to Marini, would be to revitalize and beautify the property while incorporating architectural elements and features that pay homage to the site’s industrial past.

Click to view CCTV coverage of the July 18 Planning Board hearing (1:53:00 mark)

The property’s previous owner, local builder Pat McKenna, had been exploring development options on his own — including a different 53-unit configuration as recently as this February — before ultimately deciding to sell to Marini a few months later. McKenna’s original plan for the project, which he had pitched with two other partners and received ZBA approval for in 2016, was to renovate the factory building and convert it into a mixed-use structure containing 58 condominiums and 8,000 square feet of commercial space. Plans had also called for a “green roof” on the building, a clock tower, and a new public park at the front of the property. However, the original partnership, JPM Development, dissolved shortly after approvals were granted and subsequent analysis found that it would be cost-prohibitive to save the building.

Marini, who was on the zoning board at the time that the original application was before the board, served as chairman on the case due to conflicts involving two other members. He subsequently stepped down from the board in March 2016 and moved on to other development projects in and around Canton.

At a hearing in April before the ZBA, Marini explained that the Emerson & Cuming project had not even been on his radar until his attorney, Paul Schneiders, suggested that he purchase the property and develop it himself. After reviewing McKenna’s latest plans, Marini said he became intrigued with the idea and decided to move forward with his own plan for the site — one that he said will minimize the amount of paved area and increase the amount of open space by an additional 12,200 square feet.

Marini said he would achieve this space savings by building townhouses with garages — 10 three-bedroom units and 13 two-bedroom units — in addition to a 30-unit building in the rear of the property with underground parking. He said the townhouses would be similar to the ones he recently built in Norwood Center, the 21-unit Lenox Village.

Since his initial meeting with the ZBA in April, Marini has had meetings with the Design Review Board and Historical Commission and most recently met with the Planning Board for the first time on July 18. At that meeting, Marini shared some additional details of the project, including his plan to reuse some of the granite from the factory building and to construct a kiosk at the front of the property featuring an original sign from Elijah Morse’s Rising Sun Stove Polish Company and details about the site’s industrial legacy.

Noting that it is still early in the review process, Planning Board members raised a few questions but were mostly measured in their responses. Town Planner Laura Smead requested that the developer provide more information about the historic preservation component, likening the significance of the property to that of the Revere Heritage Site and the Draper Mills. Smead also wanted to see more clarity on the developer’s density calculations and questioned whether any of the units would be designated as affordable housing. ZBA member Charles Armando had also identified affordable housing as a priority consideration, noting that the town wants to maintain its affordable percentage above the state-mandated 10 percent threshold.

At the July 18 Planning Board meeting, member David McCarthy said he would also like to see some renderings of what the project would look like from the street in order to better visualize what Marini is proposing. “This is a significant project … and you’re asking for a lot of waivers,” said McCarthy. “It is a significant chunk of land and a building that is of significance to the town that’s going to be removed, so there’s going to be a lot of conversation around it and I just want to know what we’re going to be looking at.”

Marini, in response, said the town should already have a pretty good indication of the type of work that he does given the number of projects he has completed in Canton, including more than a half dozen in Canton Center alone. These include Canton Commons, Washington Place, Grover Estates, and the Village at Forge Pond, which replaced an abandoned industrial site with a mixed-use development containing 39 housing units.

Schneiders, for one, is thrilled that his longtime client has gotten involved with this latest reclamation project and believes that the change in ownership is “good for the town.” He added that the area in question no longer makes sense as an industrial site and eventually he expects it to go to “all residential.”

“That’s not a good location for industrial,” Schneiders told the ZBA. “But I think [Marini] is going to be the first major player here to start this whole thing.”

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More Development News: Neighbors voice concerns over removal of a historic stone wall to accommodate a new subdivision on Indian Lane. The Planning Board approved the removal under the Scenic Way bylaw by a vote of 3-2. Click here to watch the hearing courtesy of CCTV.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Aug 4 2018. Filed under Business. Both comments and pings are currently closed.