Developer Unveils Plan for N-Squared Village on Needham Street

NEWTON, MA – Northland Development Corporation unveiled its concept Wednesday to overhaul 27 acres of Needham Street in the burgeoning N-Squared Innovation District.

The developers' vision includes 950 apartments above 100,000-square-feet of retail. It also integrates the historic mill complex that sits on the property, which would house the bulk of the development's commercial office space.

"Northland’s vision promises to add a critical missing piece needed to fulfill our efforts to establish an inner suburban innovation district along the I-95 and the Charles River," Newton-Needham Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman said in a statement. "It provides the desperately-needed homes and amenities for the entrepreneurs and employees of the many innovation economy businesses that are looking to grow here."

The development would incorporate the Upper Falls Greenway bike and pedestrian way, connecting it to the Green Line and the Newton Nexus project. Northland's design is the latest in ongoing and proposed construction projects in the area, including the I-95 Add-A-Lane project and the renovation of the Highland Avenue Bridge, aimed at supporting an innovation hub.

"We are very excited about what Northland’s concept brings to Needham Street and the Upper Falls community," said Newton Mayor Setti Warren in an announcement. "The combination of residential, retail, and open space has the potential to enhance the area by creating a space inclusive of what people love most about Newton’s villages: a community concept, green space, and access to amenities. The concept also fits within our vision for the N2 Innovation District and our recently released housing strategy and could meet the needs of residents in the decades to come by providing diverse housing, access to the innovation economy, shops, and recreational space."

Chuck Tanowitz, acting director of the N-Squared District, said a collaborative workspace is crucial to the district's growth, which he hopes Northland includes in its plans.

"Innovation depends on bringing people together and giving the places to gather, both formally and informally. That’s exactly the kind of interaction that Northland has incorporated into this concept," Tanowitz said in a statement. "The outdoor spaces proposed by Northland get at this beautifully. We need those collision spaces to create opportunities for people to meet both formally and informally."

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