Revere Housing Authority Proposes 1,700-Unit Mixed-Income Redevelopment
The Revere Housing Authority has submitted plans to the city to transform a 39-acre public housing site into a 1,700-unit mixed-income community. According to reporting from Bisnow, the proposal involves creating a special smart growth overlay district on Cooledge Street to facilitate a phased redevelopment that could span up to 25 years.
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Context from Industry Pulse
The Revere Housing Authority's proposal aligns with a broader regional trend of leveraging market-rate residential development to fund the modernization of aging public housing stock. In Boston, similar public-private partnerships are already underway. For instance, the Mary Ellen McCormack redevelopment is a $1 billion project aimed at replacing over 1,000 units while adding 2,284 market-rate rentals. Additionally, the Bunker Hill Housing redevelopment is a $1.4 billion effort slated to deliver nearly 2,700 units. These projects rely on Massachusetts' Chapter 40R program, which provides a regulatory framework for increasing density near commercial centers and transit, helping municipalities secure state incentives while addressing deep affordability needs through mixed-income housing models.
The Revere Housing Authority is moving forward with a massive overhaul of its aging residential inventory on Cooledge Street. As Bisnow reports, the agency filed a formal proposal on September 30 to establish the Cooledge Street Smart Growth Overlay District. This zoning change would encompass a 39-acre site currently home to 431 public housing units, paving the way for a significantly denser residential footprint near the city’s primary business district on Broadway.
The proposed master plan calls for 790 new public housing units, more than doubling the current affordable capacity on the site. These new units would include 570 apartments designated for families and 220 units reserved for seniors and residents with disabilities. To create a mixed-income environment, the plan also integrates 910 market-rate units alongside community amenities and public open spaces.
This initiative follows the successful completion of a comprehensive master planning process earlier this year. According to Bisnow, the project is expected to be executed in various phases over a timeline ranging from five to 25 years. While the housing authority has not yet confirmed if it will engage a private development partner for the market-rate portion of the build, the strategy mirrors several ongoing large-scale public housing redevelopments in nearby Boston.
The zoning request utilizes the state’s Chapter 40R program, which encourages high-density housing near existing infrastructure and transit hubs. By adopting this overlay, the city of Revere could become eligible for specific zoning incentives and density bonus payments. This approach follows similar smart growth designations established by the city in 2023 for neighborhoods on Shirley Avenue and Green Street.
The Industry Pulse Bottom Line
Revere is utilizing state smart-growth incentives to revitalize aging infrastructure. If approved, the Cooledge Street project will more than double the site’s public housing capacity by integrating substantial market-rate density.