School project makes first cut in MSBA process
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will visit Needham on Oct. 4 to conduct a senior study on the town’s application for state funding for major capital improvements at Pollard Middle School.
Needham applied to the MSBA in April for funding to improve both Pollard and Mitchell Elementary School, listing Pollard as the higher priority in its statement of intent (SOI) on the requests.
At a meeting this past Tuesday, the Permanent Public Building Committee (PPBC) said the MSBA received applications from some 60 communities and plans to visit half of them.
The MSBA team will include architects and engineers with school facility and educational programming experience. They will tour the Pollard campus along with town officials. The visit is part of MSBA’s due diligence phase and does not signal approval of a project.
The MSBA program is described as a “non-entitlement competitive grant program.” Grants are distributed based on need and urgency “as expressed by the community and validated by the MSBA.”
MSBA is expected to make up to $2.5 billion available for school construction and renovation projects over the next five years. The PPBC indicated this would likely cover eight to 10 projects statewide.
Planning Board to hold hearing on Highland Ave. project
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. on a permit request from a Newton developer. Boston Development Group is seeking to construct a two-story, 50,000-square-foot medical office building along the stretch of Highland Avenue between the former Three Squares restaurant and Cross Street.
The developer intends to demolish the five existing buildings they have owned since 2000 at 629-661 Highland Ave. The site is slightly more than two acres and is located in the industrial zoning district.
The medical office building use is allowed by right, but Boston Development is applying for a special permit due to its scale of more than 10,000 square feet.
The buildings are mostly vacant, and Boston Development is assisting its remaining two tenants with their relocation efforts.
Save as PDF