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Developer outlines 10‑story, 90‑unit Thornike Street proposal; board seeks more context on height and materials
Summary
Petitioner Kevin Murphy and engineer Matt Hammer presented plans for a 10‑story, 90‑unit market‑rate apartment at Thornike Street, citing city support and access improvements; board members asked for more sectional views, canal/bridge perspectives and material mockups to assess compatibility with the downtown historic district.
Kevin Murphy, representing the petitioner, presented a revised plan for 5.1 Thornike Street, saying the team has engaged a new architect and discussed the design with city staff. "We plan to build a 10‑story — a 90‑unit market rate apartment complex," Murphy said during the informational session.
Matt Hammer of Lamplex Engineering described site access from Middle Sex Place, proximity to a freight railroad and an underground parking garage beneath nine stories of residential units. "The building will be 111 ft in elevation in height," Hammer said, and showed elevations and perspectives intended to demonstrate how the new structure would fit beside nearby mill buildings.
Board members pressed the applicants for more precise visual comparisons and engineering detail. Several members raised concerns that the proposed height and massing did not clearly relate to the prevailing scale of the historic district and asked the team to provide sectional views comparing the proposal to the Western Avenue mill buildings and to add a vantage from the Thornike Street bridge over the canal. Members also asked for samples and mockups of key exterior materials, including proposed stonework, Hardy plank siding and the composite trim details.
On operational questions, the applicants said they have discussed emergency turnaround and roadway improvements with municipal departments and the fire department; they also noted proximity to downtown parking structures. When asked about parking counts one attendee cited "35" spaces, though the applicants noted MBTA regulations do not require on‑site parking and said they would rely in part on nearby public garages.
The board did not vote on the project at the session; members asked for renderings and sectional comparisons that show the building's relative height to adjacent mill buildings and requested material mockups on site to inform future design review.
