Project History

The West Newton Armory is a 100% affordable apartment community located at 1137 Washington Street. The site is home to a historic Armory building that was originally constructed in 1912 for use by the National Guard. After decades of service, the site was declared surplus property in 2021 and transferred from the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to the City of Newton.

Under the leadership of former Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, the City of Newton elected to receive the property at a discounted value of $1 with the condition that the site be used for affordable housing development. Following a competitive RFP process in 2021, the City selected Metro West Collaborative Development and Civico Development to redevelop the site.

As part of the redevelopment, the prominent front "headhouse" of the original Armory was preserved and restored. It now serves as the building's residential amenity space and the new headquarters for Metro West Collaborative Development. The larger fieldhouse portion of the structure was demolished and replaced with a four-story residential addition that houses all of the new apartments.

There are 43 apartments at the West Newton Armory including 15 one-bedroom, 21 two-bedroom, and 7 three-bedroom units, all of which are affordable to households earning 30% and 60% of Area Median Income. There are seven fully accessible units and one unit designed for individuals with sensory disabilities.

In addition to providing affordable and accessible housing opportunities, the West Newton Armory achieves a high standard for sustainable residential design. The building is all-electric and pursuing Passive House Certification, an international sustainability standard for highly energy-efficient buildings. There are several EV chargers on site and infrastructure to install additional chargers in the future. Rooftop solar photovoltaic panels are planned for installation in Spring of 2027.

The West Newton Armory received funding from the City of Newton, Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), First Citizens Bank, Red Stone Equity Partners, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), The Life Initiative, HUD, the WestMetro HOME Consortium, MassHousing, CEDAC, the MA Affordable Housing Trust, and MassSave.

Metro West Collaborative Development (Metro West CD), formerly known as Watertown Community Housing, is a private non-profit corporation founded in 1991 to address the shrinking supply of affordable housing in Watertown and now the Metro West region of Boston. The mission of Metro West CD is to collaborate with Metro West communities to expand housing opportunities by:

- Building and preserving affordable housing
- Helping families find and keep their homes
- Counseling community leaders to achieve their housing goals
- Advocating for supportive policy and investment

In addition to their role in developing the Armory, Metro West CD serves as the long-term owner and steward of the property.

Civico Development, LLC (Civico) is a community-focused real estate development group committed to quality design, historic preservation, and incremental neighborhood development. The mission of Civico is to develop high-quality buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods that significantly enhance the livability and sustainability of our communities. Civico integrates an innovative blend of contextual design and civic spirit in our work, which includes projects of all scales, focused on walkability and human-scale design.