Lots of development proposals in Natick

NATICK

A committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen will review the only proposal received by the town for a plan to redevelop and revitalize a municipal parking garage complex on Middlesex Avenue.

The proposal, submitted jointly by Genesis Planners of Waltham and Oaktree Development of Cambridge, would contain at least 330 public parking spaces for downtown shoppers, as well as apartments and retail space. If the committee recommends that the project go forward and the selectmen agree, town voters would be asked at the April Town Meeting to agree to enter into a $1 per year lease with the developers.

"The development costs and opportunities to generate income for the developer are limited; our objective is to get the garage and site redeveloped in a manner beneficial to the downtown," Town Administrator Martha White said. "We did not necessarily expect this to generate income for the town."

The Genesis offer was the only proposal received by the town after months of soliciting bids.

Officials are also considering the state's offer to build a new garage for MBTA commuters. Among the proposals is for a three-level, 494-car garage constructed over an existing 163-car lot that services the West Natick Commuter Rail station.

White said the MBTA and the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction are workign on the design for the site and will come back to the town for "further review and consideration."

-- Michele Morgan Bolton