Retrofit Atlas

Office parks · Massachusetts

Bay Colony office complex

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedRetrofit proposedWaltham, MA

Proposed housing redevelopment approved for 1,200 homes in Waltham, part of active cluster; housing market strong but construction status unknown. · summary, model-written

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Site profile8 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Finance and pipeline
Retrofit in the pipelineThis site: …proposed record · all sites with this
Place
3+ other atlas sites within 10 kmThis site: 8 within 10 km computed · all sites with this
County lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012This site: -10% census-cbp · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 2,440 units, Middlesex County census-bps · all sites with this
County typical rent $2,000+This site: $3,069/mo zillow · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: …about 1,200 new homes record · all sites with this
New use
HousingThis site: …new_use field newtypes-extraction · all sites with this
Mixed useThis site: …new_use field newtypes-extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusRetrofit proposedWikipedia no source
StrategyRedevelopment, proposedWikipedia no source
New useshousing, mixedWikipedia no source
What is there nowabout 1,200 new homesnewtypes-extraction reported

Planning

Zoning changespecial zoning districtsnewtypes-extraction reported
Planning notesApproved by Waltham City Council.Wikipedia no source

Site context

Housing permits, Middlesex County (MA), 20242,440 units in 5+ unit buildings, 166 in 2–4, 889 single-family; 2023: 2,902 in 5+Census BPS
Other atlas sites nearby8 within 10 km, 27 within 25 km: Bay Colony (0.0 km); Jones Road (0.0 km); Former Polaroid campus (2.2 km); Arsenal Mall (6.5 km); Cambridge Discovery Park (7.6 km)computed
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)68,958 jobs in 4,328 establishments; average annual pay $47,577; employment location quotient 0.77; employment -2.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20223,519 jobs; 595 in retail trade, 181 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 25017368800)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 47th income percentile as adults; 0.2% incarcerated at the 2010 count (340 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 8.9%; median family income $83,050; 169 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsWaltham School District (PK-12); 4 public schools within 1 mile: Henry Whittemore Elementary School; John W. McDevitt Middle School; Thomas R Plympton Elementary School; Waltham Public Schools Dual Language ProgramNCES EDGE
Elevation64 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025469 county-logged events: 301 thunderstorm wind, 97 flood, 32 flash flood, 23 hail; $4,288,150 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 02453, 2026-09median list price $836,950 (-4.6% on the year); 39 active listings; median 28 days on market; 26% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20234,650 establishments (-10%); 79,115 jobs (-5%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $804,837 (+2% 1 yr, +22% 5 yr); typical rent $3,069/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)24,558 vehicles a day (principal arterial, 2 lanes); 1,326 trucks; 20 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Bay Colony office complex (Waltham, MA) is proposed for redevelopment from commercial office use to housing/mixed use, with plans for ~1,200 new homes. Waltham City Council approved special zoning districts for the project in June 2026, though a 2026 veto attempt by the mayor sought to block redevelopment. The project is part of a cluster of 8 proposed developments within 10km, including two other Waltham sites (Bay Colony and Jones Road) at 0km distance. Housing market data shows a ZHVI of $804,837 (2026-09) with 22.4% 5-year growth. Residential permits in Middlesex County show 2,440+ units for 5+ units in 2024. The project is marked as 'already in play' (approved, under construction, or sold to developer with housing plans) per the record. Unknown: current construction status, specific developer, and resolution of the veto attempt.

Why. The assessment strictly uses the provided record: status (proposed/approved), housing output (1,200 homes), zoning approval, cluster context, housing market data, permit activity, and the 'already in play' status. No external knowledge added; missing details (e.g., veto outcome, construction start) are noted as unknown.

Where it stands. Proposed, zoning approved, but construction status unknown. Housing market and permit data indicate active residential development in the area.

For a planner

  • Zoning approved for housing conversion
  • Part of 8 proposed projects within 10km
  • Waltham Council approved special zoning districts

For a developer

  • ZHVI $804,837 (2026-09)
  • 2,440+ residential units permitted in Middlesex County (2024)
  • Project marked 'already in play' per record

What we do not know yet

  • Veto attempt by mayor (2026) not resolved in record
  • No current construction timeline
  • No developer name or project timeline provided

Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • City Realty development on Route 9, Chestnut Hill, MA · Office parks · same strategy: redevelop; also in MA; 8 km away
  • Elmwood Park, Hopkinton, MA · Office parks · same strategy: redevelop; also in MA; 28 km away
  • Wells Avenue Park, Newton, MA · Office parks · same strategy: redevelop; also in MA; 10 km away
  • Bay Colony, Waltham, MA · Office parks · same strategy: redevelop; also in MA; 0 km away

Elsewhere on the web

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Multifamily screen

  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • median rent $2,126
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

AnchorsAstraZeneca, Boston Dynamics
CountyMiddlesex County
Census division1 · New England
NotesDraft from bostonglobe.com, model-extracted, unreviewed: The Bay Colony office complex in Waltham, currently an underutilized office park, is proposed to be redeveloped into about 1,200 new housing units.

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, year opened, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Timeline

  1. 2026 Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy vetoed a measure that would clear the way to redevelop the largest of the three office parks
  2. 2026 In June, the council unanimously approved the three new zoning districts

Sources

  • Plan to convert office park to housing in Waltham faces veto
    3 quoted sentences
    Bay Colony office complex
    But earlier in July, Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy vetoed a measure that would clear the way to redevelop the largest of the three office parks, citing concerns about density, and observed the fact that the project would be “conveniently placed next to a residential neighborhood.”
    In June, the council unanimously approved the three new zoning districts, which provide a framework for what the projects could look like.

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