On May 20, Northland celebrated the topping-off of the first new residential building in its 23-acre development at the intersection of Needham and Oak streets in Newton Upper Falls — and unveiled the new name of the community to arise there, anchored by the historic Saco Pettee Mill: the Pattern District.
The name of the Pattern District was inspired by patterns derived from historic uses of the Saco Pettee Mill in textiles and early use of punch-cards.
The first phase of development, consisting of the rehabilitation of the Saco Pettee Mill and two new buildings, is scheduled to be completed by late 2027 and will include 315 apartments (of which 55 will be deemed affordable) and 32,000 square feet of retail space centered on a 1.5-acre village green. When all phases are completed, the nine buildings of the Pattern District will include 822 apartments (of which 145 will be deemed affordable) and 96,000 square feet of retail space.
When completed, the Pattern District will be the largest privately funded development in the country built to Passive House standards. Northland notes the development will have spaces for 1,070 vehicles (80% underground) and over 1,100 bicycles, as well as a bike-share program and last-mile shuttle bus service to the Newton Highlands MBTA Green Line station.
Northland’s work to assemble the properties of the Pattern District began with its development of Marshall’s Plaza in 1978. The original master plan of the current site was presented in 2016 and was approved by the City Council in 2019, after amendments guided by over 300 public meetings. That approval was ratified by an 18-point margin in a referendum the following year. The plan was substantially revised in 2024 in response to lower demand for commercial space, and the revised plan was approved by the City Council in 2025.
To date, Northland has paid $4.43 million of the $8.35 million promised to the City for roadway and sewer improvements and a contribution toward the construction of the new Countryside School.
At the topping-off event, speakers included Northland SVP of Development Peter Standish, Northland Chairman and Founder Lawrence Gottesdiener, Charles River Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman, Mayor Marc Laredo, and Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Several speakers highlighted and thanked current and former officials for their work through the almost 11 years from initial presentation of the project to approval, including former Mayors Setti Warren and Ruthanne Fuller, former Councilor Deb Crossley, and Marc Laredo for his role as President of the City Council. Others acknowledged included community philanthropist and original Northland founder Bob Danziger, real estate entrepreneur Todd Ruderman, attorney Alan Schlesinger, the Urban Design Commission, Northland Community Liaison Committee, Engine Six, and the Newton Interfaith Clergy.
Deputy Secretary Maddox praised the contribution of the project toward the state’s goal of creating 220,000 more homes, and she noted that the project will be fully electric and add 750 trees. She said, “This is not just housing. This is a new community being built in real time, [with] a lot of time, effort, and energy put into every detail of this project.”