Developer seeks overlay district in Marlborough to pave way for 180 new condominiums

MARLBOROUGH — A Southborough developer is seeking to convert a vacant office building on Lizotte Drive into a 180-unit condominium complex.

Ferris Development Group purchased the building, which sits on 12 acres over two parcels, at 130 Lizotte Drive, a dead-end road off Forest Street. The developer is seeking to create an overlay district that would allow for construction of residential properties at the site.

"This is an office building that has had some significant challenges post-COVID and pre-COVID," Ferris Development Group owner David Ferris said during an April 22, City Council meeting. "It has been vacant for about a decade, and what we are proposing with the city is to get a zoning overlay that would allow us to improve the property with about 180 for-sale units."

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Ferris also told the council his plan would be to repurpose the current existing office building into a 75-unit building, than build two more structures on the parcel to bring the total to 180 units on the site.

Ferris said his company recently purchased the property for $4.5 million.

"It could potentially be a very positive community development, given its location and proximity to ballparks and a potential partnership where we could provide some parking, and we could provide some relief of the city around some strategic initiatives such as the fire station," he said.

Ferris said that if the zoning overlay is granted, his group would then submit a proposal for 180 condominium units that would be owner-occupied, with 15% of them classified as affordable.

Neighbors largely wary of redeveloping Lizotte Drive site

Karen Paquette, a resident of Clover Hill Street, which is across from Lizotte Drive, expressed concern that development at the site would disrupt wildlife living in the area.

"We have turtles, we have swans, we have ducks, we have the Mill Brook there," she said. "I want to know what environmental concerns have been considered."

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Ferris said the redevelopment would take place on the large existing parking lot, and would not disturb any green space. He added that previous plans for an even larger project have since been downscaled due to nearby wetlands.

"We shrunk the size of this building and disregarded plans for a fourth building, so that we wouldn't be encroaching on any of this natural space," Ferris said.

Emily Welton, of 250 Williams St., said she did not support redevelopment at the site, citing the major change the proposal would have on the property and thet potential impact it would have on the school population.

"Everything just changes so fast, I was never contacted about this, I had no idea this meeting was happening until my neighbors told me about it," Welton said. "As a teacher in the schools, our schools are so overcrowded. We don't have the staff to support the populations that we have and we're going to add more?"

Resident says property has become hub for illegal activity

Fernando Severo, of 43 Forest St., said he would support converting the current office building, which he described as run-down and a hub for illegal activities, with a residential development.

"I agree 100% with the residential project," he said. "I think it would be great, seeing that building go downhill, seeing people driving down the street at night and using that building for drugs and everything, and I think being kind of developed for the right reasons."

The public hearing will continue, as will a separate hearing run by the Planning Board. The City Council must approve the overlay district first, which will then lead to a second set of public hearings and a decision over a special permit for the complex to be redeveloped.

Ferris, who has been involved in numerous commercial and residential projects in the area, said he believes this proposal is potentially the start of a trend, as office space becomes less popular following the COVID-19 pandemic and demand for housing remains high.

"I think you're going to see more of these conversion plays, given the challenges of the office space community after the pandemic," he said. "This could be a real signature product for your community and our firm."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Developer seeks to convert Marlborough office building to condominiums