Transforming 61-63 Summer Street

ABOUT THE PROJECT 

The Town of Maynard is pursuing a reuse analysis of the former Fowler School, located at 61-63 Summer Street. The Maynard Select Board appointed an advisory committee of Maynard residents to determine potential uses for the property and propose options for disposing the site. The disposition of the site will advance the goals of the Maynard Master Plan (2020) and Housing Production Plan (2021). Considering the need for more affordable housing in Maynard and the need to address the spatial needs of art and culture communities, the disposition plans will likely include housing and cultural components. 

The Town is also partnering with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for Greater Boston, to launch a community-driven reuse analysis for the site. This process will engage the community in confirming and updating the priorities established through previous plans and weighing options for redevelopment. Ultimately this effort will shape the way the Town asks for proposals from developers, with the goal of attracting new development that benefits and enhances the community.

At the end of the process, the Advisory Committee will present up to five options to the Maynard Select Board for the re-use of 61-63 Summer Street. The final report will describe options for the site and focus on the following: 

• Site context: Policy, regulatory, and market contexts. 
• Development principles: How each scenario meets the Maynard Community Development Principles.
• Planning Goals: How each development scenario could achieve specific goals in the Maynard Master Plan (2020) and Maynard Housing Production Plan (2021).
• Tradeoffs: The benefits and tradeoffs associated with each scenario. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Town of Maynard and MAPC will host community engagement events throughout the planning process. Special attention will be given to engaging with artists, lower-income households, and historically marginalized communities. Specific engagement activities will include:

• A series of focus groups throughout the fall and winter of 2023 to better understand the site and surrounding area. The project team will gather public input on the priorities for the site. The focus groups will include residents in need of Affordable Housing and groups who support them; local and regional developers; and art and cultural stakeholders.
• Town-wide engagement events to establish a vision for the site and to give participants the opportunity to learn about potential redevelopment scenarios and share their thoughts on priorities and tradeoffs.

RESOURCES

Background Information 

White Paper on Zoning Considerations for 61-63 Summer Street (Jan, 2023)

Appraisal Report for 61-63 Summer Street (Feb, 2022) 

Process

• Project Kick-Off (August 2023) A planning process for 61-63 Summer Street begins! Information gathering and existing conditions analysis have started and will inform the redevelopment of the site.
• Context Analysis (August – October 2023) The Town and MAPC will analyze the context of the site, relevant policies, and regulations. Focus group interviews with local and regional developers will be undertaken to understand the fiscal reality of the site redevelopment.
• Visions and Tradeoffs (September – November 2023) The first public forum will be hosted, where attendees can learn about the potential redevelopment scenarios and provide input. The project team will conduct focus group interviews with community groups to better understand the community’s needs.
• Development Scenarios (October – December 2023) The second public forum will be held, where the project team will present tradeoffs associated with development, and attendees will give feedback.
• Final Report(December – January 2024) Based on the inputs gathered throughout the process, the project team will prepare a final report summarizing the Committee’s work, including associated engagement efforts, and offering up to five redevelopment scenarios.

Current committee members: 

• Brion Humphrey Berghaus, Co-Chair
• Khadijah Brown, Co-Chair
• Ellen Duggan
• Lisa Dunn
• Linde Ghere
• Andy Moerlein