A Model for the Revitalization of Suburban America
The site consisted of a department store that had been vacant for years, a sports bar, and a single-family home that had the potential to become a suburban gem. Today, the 281 luxury apartments and 25,500 square feet of retail known as Cronin’s Landing is widely regarded as a watershed project that brought downtown Waltham back to life and began the area’s transformation into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.
The project, which sits atop a 350-car underground garage, fronts busy Moody Street and includes an elegant brick walkway along the Charles River in the rear. Construction included the preservation, restoration, and integration of the department store’s original 1928 Art Deco façade. The permitting required 3 special permits, 18 variances and an exception to the Massachusetts “River Bill.”
As a result, this landmark project has been widely featured in professional planning literature and is the subject of a Harvard Graduate School of Design case study focusing on suburban revitalization. The highly successful development was subsequently sold to the Archstone Smith REIT.
