Newton City Council Moves Forward With Riverside Project

NEWTON, MA — The Newton City Council's Land Use Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a revised proposal to swap out the parking lot and redo the MBTA station at Riverside.

The revised plans for the 13 acres off Grove St. includes 362,000 square feet of office or laboratory space, 22,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, and 2,172 parking places.

The most significant change to Mark Development's previously approved plans is the replacement of the new hotel at the site of the former Hotel Indigo with a life science building. In addition, another planned office building would be repurposed into a life science laboratory and research facility.

Other changes include a decrease in the total number of housing units from 582 to 550 and an increase in permanently affordable housing units from 103 to 110, a reduction in anticipated traffic, an increased commitment to sustainability, and additional funding to support the community through neighborhood improvements.

Unchanged from the previous plans, the developer will build a new exit ramp from I-95 northbound, construct a new roundabout at the intersection of the exit ramp from I-95 southbound at Grove Street, add a lane to Recreation Road, and build a 10-foot, two-way protected bicycle track from Riverside across I-95 to the Lower Falls Community Center. Also unchanged is investment to upgrade the MBTA facilities.

The final phase of the Riverside project is currently scheduled to break ground by the end 0f 2022. The full City Council will vote on the most recent revised proposal at its meeting on Thursday, September 9.