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Council grants special permit to convert three Maple Street buildings into market-rate housing
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing and debate over unit size and neighborhood impacts, the Springfield City Council approved a special permit to convert 110, 120 and 128 Maple Street from largely vacant medical/office use to market-rate residential units; the permit passed after a roll-call vote.
The Springfield City Council granted a special permit on March 24 to allow the reuse of 110, 120 and 128 Maple Street for residential use, approving the owner’s proposal to convert the largely vacant medical-office buildings into market-rate housing.
Property owner Praveen Navini (identified in the hearing) and property manager Jessica Michell told the council the three buildings have been vacant for years and that the plan is to renovate them into roughly 130–150 apartments. "We're really excited to get started, and we're hoping for all your support," Jessica Michell told the council during her presentation. The petitioner reported access to substantial parking behind the buildings and said there will be entry/egress from a rear access on Dale Street/Union Street.
The permit drew extended council discussion on unit size, affordability and neighborhood traffic. Several councilors questioned the proposed unit footprints (plans in the packet showed many units labeled at about 550 square feet). Councilor Kern flagged the distinction between studios and one-bedroom apartments and said, "a studio, this is these are represented as 1 bedroom, is somewhere around, 455 square feet," underscoring concerns that smaller units priced as one-bedrooms could affect the local rental market. Councilors asked whether utilities and laundry would be included; the petitioner said utilities (heat and hot water) will be included and that common laundry would be provided. The petitioner also said there is parking capacity in the vicinity and agreed to signage or other measures to discourage curbside idling and deliveries on Maple Street.
Councilors split on whether to continue the hearing to gather additional department-level input and to ask the developer to consider larger unit sizes. A motion to continue the hearing failed after a procedural vote; the council then proceeded to the final roll-call vote to grant the special permit. The clerk announced the permit was granted and advised of the 20-day appeal period.
Key details: the petitioner said the properties were acquired in early 2025 (purchase price reported during the hearing as approximately $2,025,000 and the seller named as John Rosenthal), and the owner indicated plans to begin construction work in late spring with a rough one-year timeline to substantial completion. The petitioner estimated the development would yield approximately 130–150 units and said about 500 parking spaces were available on the site parcel or associated lots. Estimated market rents discussed were roughly $1,200–$1,400 for one-bedroom units; the petitioner said utilities (heat and hot water) would be included.
The council’s approval grants the property owner the ability to convert the buildings to residential use under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A and the city’s special-permit process. The clerk announced a 20-day appeal period; the council did not attach a unit-size requirement to the permit, though multiple councilors requested the developer consider larger units or a mix of unit sizes during final design.
