By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Five and a half years after the idea of a major residential development at the head of the Lake was initially floated, the first residents are poised to move into the 440-unit complex now known as “The Basin” at 200-400 Quannapowitt Parkway.
Through local attorney Brian McGrail, developer Cabot Cabot & Forbes last week sought and received the blessing of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the issuance of a temporary Cerificate of Occupancy for “Building 1,” the first of the three buildings to be completed. Of the three buildings that comprise the project, Building 1 is one closest to North Avenue.
Joining McGrail at last week’s meeting was Marissa Gallo, Senior Project Manager at Cabot Cabot & Forbes. Gallo told the board that the first tenants are expected to move in on Aug. 1. To date, 23 leases have been executed and tours for prospective residents are ongoing. Building 1 includes 12 “affordable” units, Gallo said.
CCF is still looking for a restaurant tenant to occupy a portion of the ground floor of Building 1, Gallo added, noting that there has been a lot of interest in the commercial space.
Gallo also provided expected completion dates for the remainder of the project. Building 2, the one closest to the Lowell Street side of the site, will be completed in April 2026, she said. The largest of the buildings, Building 3, is in the center of the site and closest to Route 95. That building is expected to be ready for occupancy in two phases, Gallo explained. Phase 1 will be in November of this year, with the remainder of the building to be completed in April of 2026 according to the expected timetable.
The parking garage will be opened as part of phase 2, Gallo said. The first tenants will access Building 1 only from North Avenue. The sites of buildings 2 and 3 will continue to be fenced off during construction.
The ZBA authorized chairman Thomas Lucey to email Building Inspector Benjamin DeChristoforo informing him that the board was OK with issuing the temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
Cabot Cabot & Forbes officially filed its plans with the town to redevelop the property in March of 2021.
Prior to filing, an ealier concept floated informally by CCF called for a total of 600 residential units to be constructed on the site. But after feedback from the town officials, the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt and other stakeholders at informal meetings, the project was first reduced to 485 units and later dropped to 440 units.
The ZBA approved the final plan on July 13, 2022. Attached to that decision were a number of conditions, including several financial contributions to the town.
The first contribution was $1,750,000 for improvements to the Quannapowitt Parkway roadway. The condition would allow CC&F to either do the work itself or make a financial contribution to the town in that amount.
Another condition of the ZBA decision required CC&F to make a $600,000 contribution to the town toward future intersection/roadway mitigation to address the cumulative impacts associated with general growth in the area.
A third financial contribution was $1,300,000 from CC&F to the Town toward water quality improvements to Lake Quannapowitt through the so-called “Main Street Project” or other similar water quality enhancement projects identified by the town of Wakefield’s Clean Lake Committee and authorized by the town.
The “Main Street Project” was designed by the town’s Engineering Department to construct treatment systems for storm water runoff on Main Street aimed at reducing the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen entering the Lake. Those chemicals contribute to summertime algae blooms.
The final CC&F contribution was to the Inflow/Infiltration Fund of the town of Wakefield in the amount of $225,880. The fund is used to prevent groundwater from infiltrating the town’s sewer system.