According to an email from Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development has contacted Mark Development about the possible use of the former Hotel Indigo as a temporary shelter for homeless families. The hotel, part of the Riverside Development Project, had been slated for demolition, with the site becoming part of a new 128/95 highway off-ramp, with a new life sciences building and garage. According to Robert Korff, Mark Development CEO, the Riverside Project is paused because of current high interest rates and inflation in construction costs. About the building’s use as a temporary shelter, he said, “We are considering it and want to make it work.’ He also noted that the building had been gutted for demolition, which he regrets. While, Mr. Korff believes repurposing the building to accommodate 64 units as a temporary family shelter is ”the right thing to do,” Mark Development must consider the economic feasibility of the project, a decision likely to come in the next thirty days.
City Councilor Chris Markiewicz, Co-Chair of the Riverside Liaison Committee, which meets monthly with Mark Development executives, observed that the Riverside Project, which might include a possible commuter rail stop, is a seven-to-ten year project. “Don’t be surprised by changes. It’s only realistic over time,” he said. At February’s monthly Liaison meeting — attended by Committee members, Mark Development executives, and local residents — several people asked about how much the shelter would cost, what services would be provided and what the impact would be on local schools.
Damien Chaviano, a Mark Development principal, who has been in communication with DHCD, echoed Robert Korff’s belief that “it is the right thing to do,” but will only go forward if the finances work and the understanding that the project is temporary. “We recognize that many Massachusetts families are facing challenging economic times. As part of Mark Development’s commitment to supporting the community, particularly as it relates to housing, we are in conversations with the state to determine if the former Hotel Indigo could play a role as a short term solution.”
The Mayor said she has “alerted our Housing and Inspectional Services divisions, our Health and Human Services Department, the Newton Public Schools, and our Police and Fire personnel,” but there has not yet been any formal discussion with the City. “At this early time, there are a lot of unknowns. We will certainly want to know what support will be coming from the State, for example, for potential students and services that may be needed,” she explained. At the same time, Mayor Fuller reiterated the City’s commitment as a “welcoming community,” prepared to support Commonwealth efforts to meet the rapid increase in homeless immigrant families. John Campbell, a Lower Falls resident, expressed concern that homeless tenants need services and personnel to provide them, and asked that the City be engaged in conversation with the community, “not just giving us information.”
