Greystar seeks special permit for 390‑unit Whittington Mills redevelopment; peer review authorized, hearing continued

Greystar Development asked the municipal council for a special permit to redevelop the 42‑acre former Whittington Mills site at 437 Whittington Street into a 10‑building, 390‑unit mixed‑use complex with about 10,000 square feet of future retail space and a 1.6 parking‑spaces‑per‑unit initial ratio. The council authorized a third‑party peer review of site, stormwater and traffic plans — to be paid by the applicant — and continued the hearing to March 18, 2025.

The project team, including Ryan Soules (senior director, Greystar) and attorney Gregory Sampson, said the plan calls for primarily one‑bedroom apartments, about 1.5 acres of publicly accessible open space, a walking trail, a clubhouse with pool and resident amenities, and preservation of the mill smokestack as a site feature. Greystar said the redevelopment would require demolition and environmental remediation because the mill buildings are contaminated with volatile compounds, PCBs and asbestos; the company’s preliminary remediation and demolition estimate is about $10 million.

Greystar requested a waiver from the city’s…