Norwood commission votes to back developer’s rehabilitation tax-credit application for Nordcrest parcel

The Norwood Historical Commission voted to send a letter supporting a developer’s application for historic rehabilitation tax credits for 932 Washington Street and asked that the Board of Selectmen send a matching letter.

The commission took the vote after hearing from Rahul Mootha and Poona Mootha of Auris, the software company that purchased 932 Washington Street in March 2025 and said it intends to restore the building’s exterior and interior elements "to its original style." Rahul Mootha said the owners are seeking a town letter of support as the first step in a state and federal tax-credit application process and to help list the building on the historic register.

The request prompted commissioners to ask for more documentation and clarification on scope. The commission’s packet included a memorandum from Joe Collins in his role as economic development director, and representatives from the property provided a template letter that commission staff said could be used to draft the commission’s endorsement. The developers told the commission they purchased 932 Washington Street and are restoring that portion of the complex (about 65,000 square feet) and are negotiating separately to acquire 930 Washington Street, which they said may be purchased within about six months.

Commissioners praised the owners for approaching the commission first and for their intention to preserve the brick facade and other historic features. "It shows great respect for the property," a commissioner said, and another recommended consulting the New-York Historical Society archives for photographs and background material that could support the nomination.

At a motion by Commissioner Cheryl Doyle — amended to request the commission also forward a letter to the Board of Selectmen — the commission voted to compose a letter of support conditioned on the applicants providing written documentation on letterhead and the supporting materials noted in the commission’s packet. The amended motion was seconded and approved; the transcript records multiple "aye" votes and the chair voting "aye." The transcript does not provide a roll-call tally with exact counts.

Developers and staff described the next steps: the owners will submit an application to the Massachusetts Historical Commission and pursue federal tax credits where applicable. The commission and staff noted that listing a property on the National Register (the transcript referenced the "National Register for historic preservation") typically takes about two years from application to listing, and that state and federal approvals would be required for the tax-credit process.

The developers invited the commission to review archival photographs and other records and said they would provide a formal written request and materials on letterhead for the commission’s files. The commission’s memorandum and the developer-provided template were identified in the packet as supporting material that could be used to draft the endorsement.

The commission’s endorsement is advisory and does not itself grant tax credits or change local property-tax status; commissioners and staff discussed that the tax-credit benefits are a state and federal process and would not alter the town’s taxation of the property. The commission said it will prepare the letter using the template and supporting materials once the developers supply the requested documentation.

The commission then invited the developers to share progress photos and archives in person at a future meeting.