Opposition coalesces against Route 9 Office Park redevelopment plan
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Local officials and neighborhood leaders are contesting City Realty’s proposal for three mixed‑use buildings on Route 9 (1280–1330 Boylston St.), arguing the community process was insufficient even as town staff and administrators point to an estimated $5 million a year in new commercial tax revenue.
Sam Mintz, editor of brookline.news, and guest Jessica Smizer discussed growing political resistance to a proposed redevelopment of the Route 9 Office Park in Chestnut Hill West. The property, at 1280–1330 Boylston Street, was bought by City Realty in 2024; the firm has proposed three mixed‑use buildings of 14, 12 and 7 stories that would include a hotel, retail, medical office space and apartments and condominiums.
The proposal has drawn support from town officials who argue it would generate significant new commercial tax revenue. Mintz said the project is currently estimated to bring about $5,000,000 a year in new commercial tax receipts once built. Town administrator Chaz Carey, quoted in recent coverage, described Chestnut Hill West as “a huge opportunity” for the town.
But that projection and the planning process have prompted pushback. Mintz recounted that Select Board member Paul Warren has publicly said he cannot support the current proposal and questioned whether the process properly centered neighborhood input. Mintz also reported that 42 Town Meeting members from South Brookline have registered opposition, creating a significant headwind: zoning changes for the site would require a two‑thirds vote at Town Meeting.
Jessica Smizer and Mintz described competing claims about whether the process was driven by town staff or the developer. Smizer noted that former Select Board member Michael Salmon, who led the study committee, told reporters “the neighborhood was listened to very carefully,” a claim some neighbors dispute.
The hosts said the dispute leaves the project’s path to Town Meeting uncertain. Mintz suggested Warren’s opposition could jeopardize a May Town Meeting vote and that the coming months would be politically consequential. No formal votes or actions were taken on the proposal during the conversation; the segment summarized reporting, public statements and officials’ positions.
Next steps: coverage will track statements from the Select Board, Town Meeting filings, and any revisions City Realty submits ahead of the zoning vote.