Dormant Nahatan Street Land Primed for Major Public and Private Housing Construction-August 22, 1975

Vacant land surrounding Nahatan Street and West Border Road in Norwood is poised to transform into a bustling hub of residential construction as developers of both public and private housing lay groundwork for major expansions. The anticipated building boom encompasses multiple contiguous parcels, though private development remains temporarily shadowed by pending litigation.

On the public housing front, plans are advancing for a 104-unit addition directly abutting the Norwood Housing Authority’s (NHA)Nahatan Village complex for the elderly. Housing Authority Chairman Frank Walsh announced that construction on the public expansion is tentatively slated to begin around September 8. Eager to secure future growth, the authority is also eyeing a second adjacent 74,000-square-foot parcel owned by developers Vincent O. Watson and John R. Boulger, who have entered an agreement granting the NHA first option to purchase the land.

Meanwhile, private development plans are moving forward on another adjacent parcel sold three months ago to Franchi Brothers Construction Co. of Newton. The firm has designed a 138-unit apartment building for the site and secured town building permits in July. However, speaking about the timeline, Anthony Franchi noted that the builders were taking “one last look” at the plans and would decide within a month whether to break ground immediately. Furthermore, the private project’s timeline is contingent on the outcome of a lawsuit filed by local abutters seeking to overturn the Norwood appeals board’s approval of necessary parking and lot size variances; that suit is scheduled for a hearing in Norfolk County Superior Court.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger