Council outlines next steps for 1 Westfield Place as litigation delays Lord & Taylor site project
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Summary
Council said an amended redevelopment plan has been approved and finance review is next; litigation by a local advocacy group has delayed construction on the Lord & Taylor site, shifting earliest construction into late 2026.
At the Jan. 7 Westfield reorganization meeting the mayor and council discussed the status of downtown redevelopment, saying an amended redevelopment plan for the Lord & Taylor site and the 1 Westfield Place project has received approval and that council action on related redevelopment agreements and financial documents will follow review by the finance policy committee.
The mayor said litigation by the Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development—whose initial claims were rejected by a judge—has continued with an appeal and a recently filed additional lawsuit challenging the amended and scaled‑down redevelopment plan. That litigation, the mayor said, is the primary cause of delay for starting construction on the seven‑acre Lord & Taylor parcel.
"With the recent approval of the amended redevelopment plan, the town council will vote to move on the amended redevelopment agreement and related financial documents once the finance policy committee has reviewed them," the mayor said. The administration said the planning board would then review site‑plan applications, with hopeful construction on the Lord & Taylor site now projected to begin in late 2026 if legal hurdles clear.
The council reiterated principles it will seek when negotiating affordable‑housing outcomes for redevelopment: locating new affordable units near transit to reduce traffic, designing to minimize school impacts, and steering age‑restricted units (the mayor cited 33 units planned at 1 Westfield Place for residents 55 and older) to limit school enrollment effects. The mayor also cited an American Legion redevelopment project expected to provide 22 affordable units for at‑risk veterans.
Council members and staff described the ongoing public‑process steps that remain: finance committee review of financial terms, a council vote to adopt redevelopment agreements, and a planning‑board review of detailed site plans. The administration did not provide ordinance numbers, financial terms or a construction contract timeline beyond the broad target of late 2026.
Ending: The council asked the finance policy committee to review financial documents before a vote and said the planning board will review site plans once council approvals are in place. Litigation remains the principal factor shaping the project's near‑term schedule.
