Worcester senior housing proposition of 168+ systems up for approval

Dan DiRoberto talks Worcester housing

An organized senior housing development with at least 168 units and 153 parking areas will go to the Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday for approval. The project, which is being proposed by Goddard/Homestead, Inc., a not-for-profit which presently operates two other senior living campuses in Worcester, lies at the site of the previous Saint Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School at 781-783 Grove St., which closed in 2020. The property, which consists of 23.7 acres, is presently inhabited by a three-story structure, a two-story and a one-story domestic structure, 254 parking spaces and athletic fields.

” The Project will allow Goddard to establish a new (continuing care retirement home) school … to provide essential senior housing and a constellation of services to its citizens,” the proponents wrote in a statement of support for the project. “The Project will enable Goddard to expand its impact within the neighborhood by supplying more housing and care to elders in the Worcester neighborhood.”

Goddard composed that its services will consist of dining, activities and group trips, transportation, hairdresser services, laundry, banking, housekeeping and mail services, in addition to assistance staff. There will likewise be units specifically dedicated to memory care. According to documents filed with the ZBA, Goddard prepares to demolish the three-story building and develop a brand-new three-story building including around 156,257 square feet with 168 to 170 independent living and memory care systems. The proposition likewise provides for 153 parking spaces as well as various site enhancements.

An initial plan previously authorized by the ZBA in June 2021 included 145 housing units and 136 parking areas. The new proposal is the exact same height as the original and covers the exact same footprint as the existing building. According to a traffic study commissioned by the job supporters, the job would lead to around 40% less traffic than the initial school use of the property. In addition, the proposed 153 parking spaces, while less than the 170 required by zoning regulations, surpasses the assistance of the Institute of Transportation Engineers for senior housing. Goddard owns a 14-passenger van which supplies transportation for its existing residents, a number of whom do not own a vehicle.

READ MORE:   What role do social media, including dating sites witch naughty girl, play in the general election?

Goddard presently runs Goddard House at 1199 Main St., which offers independent senior living, and Homestead Hall at 10 Homestead Ave., which offers rest home-level care. The two campuses house a total of approximately 60 elders. If approved, the brand-new development is anticipated to open in late 2024, according to the organization’s website.