Village at Grafton Woods nears final approval from town
The Village at Grafton Woods, a transit-oriented, mixed-use development touted as a game-changer for Grafton, has taken a giant step forward to final approval.
The Planning Board on Monday closed the 8 Pine Street project’s three month long public hearing, with plans to meet in two weeks to approve its final draft decision.
“This is the first project we’ve reviewed under this kind of process,” Planning Board Chair David Robbins said.
The project, located across the street from the commuter rail station on former Grafton State Hospital land, will have 317 apartment units in a 325,190 square-foot four-story building and a 11,340 square foot footprint, two-story retail village. Developers have said they hope to bring in locally owned restaurants and shops that would meet the needs of commuters, as well as national chains.
Twenty-five percent of the housing units, or a total of 79 units, will be restricted as affordable housing for income-eligible tenants. Housing units will include 50 studio units, 151 one-bedroom units and 115 two-bedroom units.
There will be a five-story parking deck for residents and an elevated parking deck and lower level surface lot — enough to take care of overflow parking from the Grafton commuter rail station across the street.
The process has lasted almost two years. Back in August 2019, Grafton entered a sales partnership with the state, which was selling off small parcels of land for development. With a key location beside the commuter rail station, down the street from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and just off Rte. 30, 8 Pine Street was identified as a perfect location for apartment housing with a retail component.
In June 2020, the Select Board awarded the 8-acre property, formerly part of Grafton State Hospital, to GSX Ventures for $1,725,000. GSX is now partnered with the O’Donnell Development Group.
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