On December 9, the Community Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend a $600,000 grant to the Suzuki School of Music toward building an accessible rear addition at 1615 Beacon Street. Approval depends on votes by the Zoning and Planning and Finance Committees and the full City Council in 2026. “When…
Posts published in “Preservation”
Just over two years after Bigelow Cleaners closed its doors following 90 years of operation in Newton Centre, the iconic neon sign that graced the building’s facade since 1957 is slated for removal as part of a major renovation project at the corner of Langley Road and Sumner Street. The…
On July 3, 2025, Middlesex Superior Court issued a summary judgement in favor of The Trustees of Boston College (BC) in its ongoing litigation against the City of Newton, and subsequently the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, related to the Year 2019 City of Newton appropriation of a significant portion of Webster…
In what looks increasingly like it will achieve a “Hollywood ending,” the nonprofit West Newton Cinema Foundation announced it has raised sufficient funds to purchase and save the West Newton Cinema, in preparation for its restoration as “a hub of enjoyment and community, where mainstream, classic, independent, and otherwise unconventional…
The Knotty Pine restaurant in Auburndale has applied for a Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). According to NTHP, fifty grant recipients nationwide — “that contribute to their neighborhood’s unique history and identity” — will each receive $50,000 “to help them…
The Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation and Recreation will hold a virtual public meeting on November 28, 6PM-7:30PM concerning the design of the Ellis Stone Storehouse at Hemlock Gorge Reservation in Newton Upper Falls. Register here. The project team will present the preliminary design plans forthe restoration of the storehouse, which…
Last night, the Newton Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT) received approval for its second application for Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds (see CPC agenda). When NAHT was established in 2021 for the purpose of creating and preserving affordable housing throughout the City of Newton, the CPC decided not only support the…
I am a retail development consultant with 30+ years’ experience. I worry about the impact the proposed new zoning code would have on our Village Centers and its retail shopping environment. The proposal reflects outdated mid-20th century thinking instead of 21st century retail realities. The fact is the current generations…
West Newton Cinema Foundation will host an in-person Community Information Meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 7PM-8:30PM at the Cinema (1296 Washington Street, West Newton). It’s free and open to the public. Register here. For more information, email [email protected].
Ty Gupta, owner and developer of the historic Gershom Hyde House at 29 Greenwood Road has filed suit this week in Middlesex County Court against the City of Newton as well as individual City staff members, Historic Commission members, and the Mayor over their handling of the project. The developer bought…
On a snowy Monday, Rep. Ruth Balser’s colleagues and environmental allies gathered in the State House Library to celebrate her success in passing the Public Lands Preservation Act, after leading the effort for nearly quarter of a century. Former Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill into law on November 17.…
In October, the Newton Cemetery & Arboretum (NC&A) sent a letter to the City Council’s Programs & Services Committee requesting exemption from Newton’s Tree Preservation Ordinance (TPO) – both in the current form of the ordinance and under either of two proposed revisions to it (one by the City Council…