Developers submitted a 1.8-million-square-foot development plan for the former Atlantic Gelatin property bordering I-93 in Woburn.

Boston-based Leggat McCall Properties envisions a mixed-use development for the 107-acre parcel, including more than 700,000 square feet of office and/or lab space, Executive Vice President Bill Gause said. The development, known as Montvale Commons, would be the largest single development in the city’s history.

Along with the five office-lab buildings, Leggat McCall will propose a single-story research and development building, a 125-room hotel, 125 apartments, 75 townhomes and 100 age-restricted housing units. All of the development would take place on the 57-acre Woburn portion of the property.

The property contains a nearly 400,000-square-foot factory that produced food ingredients for Kraft General Foods’ Atlantic Gelatin division before being shuttered in late 2014 and placed on the market.

Leggat McCall bought the property for $1 million in February and agreed to assume responsibility for demolition and environmental cleanup.

Woburn city councilors approved a mixed-use overlay district for the property in 2016 but still have to approve special permits for the individual components.

The development would be served by two parking garages totaling 2,635 spaces and 696 surface spaces. The entrance to the site on Hill Street would be widened from two to five lanes.

The planning board will review a new technology and business mixed-use overlay district Tuesday night and a city council public hearing will resume June 17. At an initial presentation last week, most aldermen voiced support for the current proposal, the Daily Times Chronicle reported.

The property in the southeast corner of the city could become the second major development cluster in Woburn, along with the Commerce Way corridor. Woburn is seeking to maximize economic development and transit-oriented housing near the MBTA commuter rail Mishawum Station and Massport’s Anderson Regional Transportation Center, which includes MBTA commuter rail, bus, Amtrak and Logan Express service.

South Carolina developer Edens acquired the Woburn Mall property for $44 million and has indicated it plans to add hundreds of apartments on the rear parking lot, while National Development and Cabot, Cabot & Forbes are developing nearly 500 apartments at the northern end of the corridor.

1.8M SF Woburn Development Would Include Offices, Hotel

by Steve Adams time to read: 1 min
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