Two developers will pitch affordable housing proposals for sites along Newton's Washington Street corridor at a public meeting Tuesday, July 21, offering residents an early look at both projects.
Beacon Communities plans to present its vision for 1314 Washington St., and ARX Urban will outline a proposal for 1186 Walnut St. Both presentations are scheduled at the Newton Affordable Housing Trust meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. in City Hall, Room 204.
What's on the table
Beacon Communities, a Boston-based firm led by President Josh Cohen, has previously described the 1314 Washington St. project as approximately 50 new apartments built in the rear parking lot of the Santander Bank building, with adaptive reuse of the bank building into roughly 30,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space, according to Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership minutes from October 2025. Those details may have evolved since then.
Beacon has developed more than 20,000 mostly affordable homes across 11 states in its 45-year history, per the same partnership minutes. The firm is already active in Newton with a separate 56-unit, 100% affordable project at 793–821 Washington St.
ARX Urban, a Newton-based firm led by Benjamin Moll and Daniel Moll, has not released public details about its 1186 Walnut St. proposal. The firm's recent track record includes a $44.8 million, 47-unit mixed-income project at 247 Hancock St. in Dorchester, with 35 affordable units and an expected early 2027 completion.
Why it matters
Newton has just 2,075 affordable homes, only 6.2% of the city's total housing stock, according to a May 2026 Newton for Everyone report drawing on Housing Priorities Task Force findings. The average two-bedroom apartment rents for $3,500 a month, and 42% of Newton renters are cost-burdened. Another 302 affordable units risk losing their deed restrictions over the next decade.
Referring to Beacon's separate 793–821 Washington St. project, Trust Chair Ann Houston praised the work at the October 2025 partnership meeting as "the first VCOD project of a significant size in Newton," according to the meeting minutes. The Village Center Overlay District, passed in late 2023, has produced approvals for more than 65 affordable homes citywide.
How to attend
The Tuesday, July 21 meeting runs from 4 to 6 p.m. It is hybrid: residents can attend in person at Newton City Hall, Room 204, 1000 Commonwealth Ave. The phone-in number is 301-715-8592, meeting ID 89472067482.
The Trust's next scheduled meeting is Monday, September 15, 2026.
