Condo project at Natick Mall proceeds

Buoyed by a victory at Town Meeting, the owners of the Natick Mall are seeking a special permit for a project to add 220 luxury condominiums at the mall. They hope to break ground early next year.

''We have to go right back in to the Planning Board," said Jim Grant, vice president of development for General Growth Properties Inc., the mall owners. ''But we've been working with the board for months, so I can't envision there would be new issues."

The first Planning Board hearing on the permit is Nov. 16.

Zoning changes necessary for the project to proceed were approved at a recent Town Meeting.

That rezoning may have been crucial, but the special permit process is where town officials can make specific demands of developers, Planning Board member Julian Munnich said.

''You can't get into details with the zoning," he said. ''That's the special permit process -- and this is where we'll scrutinize the details."

Specifically, the board will look at the impact the project will have on the town and how General Growth can offset that. For example, a consultant has estimated that public safety costs associated with the mall expansion could reach nearly $1 million.

Munnich said the special permit will spell out payments the owners must make to the town and detail an agreement by General Growth to build affordable housing, he said.

While the retail portion of an expansion project at the mall is already underway, the residential portion has been debated by town officials and residents for months now, so Munnich said he doesn't expect any surprises.

In order to move forward with the condo phase, General Growth needed approval from Town Meeting to rezone the land at the former Wonder Bread factory on Speen Street for the condos.

Town Meeting members agreed to the rezoning a week ago after two nights of debate.

''It's a huge hurdle to have that behind us," Grant said. ''We were always very confident, but you never know."

If all goes according to plan, the retail expansion will be done by September 2007, the condos ready for tenants by September 2008. Mall officials said this summer that some of the condo units could cost in the millions, and local middle-aged empty-nesters had shown interest.

The retail expansion will add 100 new stores to the mall's existing 150. The stores will be upscale and will include Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Others may include Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.