Riverside Station Project Takes Another Step

A potential mixed-use project at the Riverside MBTA station took another step last week as aldermen from Ward 4 docketed an item to establish a new zoning district for the proposed project. 

According to the email and the group's website, the Ward 4 Aldermen met with the developer earlier this month to discuss the project. 

In an email sent Sunday, the Riverside Station Neighborhood Coalition Steering Committee explains that adding the item to the Board of Aldermen docket is "an important milestone" in a process that started four years ago. 

The item on the docket, which was proposed by Ald. Lenny Gentile, Amy Sangiolo and Jay Harney, calls for the establishment of a Business 5/Riverside Zone at the Grove Street station. The zone will allow (with a special permit) "a single commercial office building not to exceed 225,000 square feet with a maximum height of nine stories, two residential buildings not to exceed 290 housing units in total, retail space not to exceed 20,000 square feet, along with a multi-use community center."

These zoning requirements differ slightly from the last plan presented by developer BH Normandy. the developer presented plans for 364,000 square feet in office space including two office buildings.

However, according to the steering committee's email, BH Normandy is expected to present a new proposal that reduces the office space from 364,000 square feet to 225,000 square feet and reduce the office buildings from two to one. 

BH Normandy's October plan, which totaled around 1.5 million square feet, also included another 330,000 square feet in retail and community space as well as 791,789 square feet in parking.

To balance the reduction in office space, the Riverside Station Neighborhood Coalition (RSNC) website explains that the new plan will include 290 residential units; 245 units were proposed at the October meeting and 295 proposed at . 

The steering committee's email indicates that the reduced density of the project will likely lower the site's impact on traffic in nearby neighborhoods. However, the RSNC acknowledges there is still "much work to be done as there are major outstanding issues."

At the October public meeting, much of the concern from residents surrounded potential traffic brought in by the project, as the site will likely compound traffic issues already created by nearby Route 128. 

Residents at that meeting also expressed concern about a potential influx of new students to an already overcrowded district, as some of the proposed residential space includes two- and three-bedroom units.