The Gardner City Council on July 14 approved an amended and restated development plan for the Grand Street Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) that replaces a planned assisted‑living apartment building with additional senior townhomes and keeps the district's incentive cap at $6,600,000.

City consultant Tom Kaliko of Baker Tilly reviewed an updated feasibility analysis during the council's public hearing, saying the revised forecast “is a conservative projection” and that, with some developer contribution, revenues are expected to “be sufficient … to fund the $6,600,000 in public infrastructure.” Kaliko said the RHID is a pay‑as‑you‑go incentive and that the developer bears the risk if the project does not generate the anticipated increment: “if the increment isn't generated, the developer just doesn't receive the reimbursement.”

Why it matters: the RHID provides tax‑increment‑style financing for residential development by capturing new tax revenue on increased assessed value and redirecting that increment to eligible public infrastructure costs. The amended plan reduces the total number of housing units and shifts product types in a district planned near Grand Street and the railroad tracks across from the school.

Key facts and figures: the consultant recapped that the RHID footprint covers about 44 acres (27 of which are to be subdivided into single‑family lots), and that the base assessed valuation for the district was established in February 2023. Under the amendment, senior townhomes rise from 110 to 152 units; the previously proposed senior assisted‑living multifamily portion was eliminated; total living units in the RHID were described in the hearing as changing from 419 to 371. Kaliko said the updated forecast conservatively projects roughly $6,000,000 in supported increment, with any shortfall to be made up by developer contribution; the incentive cap remains at $6,600,000 and the RHID term originally set at 16 years has 13 years remaining.

Developer Mike Brock told the council he and his team contacted multiple assisted‑living operators over the last three years and were repeatedly told the market and price points “weren't ready” for a project in Gardner. Brock said: “we reached out to at least 10 different, retirement assisted living companies, and they all came back with the same answer that Gardner wasn't ready for a project like this.” Brock said strong phone and email interest in townhomes led the developer to reconfigure the product mix and that townhome pricing was now expected to start “in the high 300s” and more likely move into the $400,000s given current costs.

Council discussion centered on tradeoffs between preserving assisted‑living capacity and ensuring the project remains financially viable. Several council members urged caution about losing assisted‑living options in town; others argued that approving the amendment would deliver senior housing and community amenities now rather than risking no development. Councilmember Casey summarized a common view: “Definitely want the assisted living, but I want the senior housing more. And if I have to pick one or the other, I'm gonna pick the senior housing.”

Legal and process notes: staff clarified that the RHID development plan is a financial plan distinct from the city's planning and zoning preliminary development plan, which will be reconsidered by the Planning Commission as part of the zoning review. The council was also told an amended and restated development agreement would return to the council in August.

Final action: the council adopted Ordinance No. 2,845 approving the amended and restated Grand Street RHID development plan. The ordinance passed on the recorded council vote.

What remains open: multiple council members and the developer said they want to continue pursuing an assisted‑living option if market conditions later permit it. The developer indicated he would attempt to incorporate assisted‑living uses into a future building phase if feasible; staff and council discussed requiring or encouraging future consideration but did not impose a contractual obligation in the RHID ordinance.

Ending: the council's approval preserves the RHID financing cap and advances a mixed‑age residential project in southeast Gardner while leaving open future opportunities to reintroduce assisted‑living uses if providers and market economics change.