Construction has started on two major residential projects at Pattern District, a 23-acre mixed-use redevelopment in Newton Upper Falls that is planned as a walkable neighborhood with housing, retail, and community space.
Erland Construction, working with architecture and design firm CUBE 3, has begun the adaptive reuse of the 173,000-square-foot Saco Pettee Mill and the construction of a new mixed-use residential building known as Building 4. Together, the two projects add 220 apartment homes to the development.
The Saco Pettee Mill, a former textile mill, is slated to become 100 luxury apartments while preserving its distinctive brick-and-beam architecture. According to the project team, restoration work will follow National Park Service standards and includes masonry restoration, replacement of historic windows, structural reinforcement, roof replacement, and installation of modern mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and life safety systems.
For mason contractors, that scope is a reminder that preservation work is won and lost in the details. A job built around historic standards raises the bar for documentation, sequencing, and coordination with window replacement and structural reinforcement, all while keeping the building’s original character intact.
Alongside the mill restoration, Erland is building Building 4, a 240,000-square-foot mixed-use building with 120 apartments above future ground-floor retail space overlooking the community’s Village Green. The building is designed to achieve both Passive House and LEED certification, with high-performance building systems, energy-efficient mechanical equipment, advanced insulation, stormwater management, and other features aimed at long-term efficiency.
Pattern District is expected to ultimately include 822 rental apartments, including 145 affordable homes, along with retail space, green areas, and community amenities.
Read the full, original article from Boston Real Estate Times here.