Town Eyes Industrial Area for Mixed-Use Project

MILTON, MA- When the H.P. Hood Warehouse burnt down here nearly a year and a half ago, no one in this largely residential town about 20 miles outside of Boston was happy. But since then, town planners have come to realize that the event is one of the few chances they would get to revitalize this old industrial area that sits on the Neponset river.

“When the ice cream warehouse burnt down, it provided us with an opportunity to put something golden there,” Paul Kanter, Milton’s town engineer and planning director, tells GlobeSt.com. This area abuts Dorchester where many of the old mills have been converted into upscale condominiums. But planners in this town want more for their lower mills area.

The town is looking to develop a mixed-use project on this site with restaurants, shops, housing and perhaps a riverfront park. In addition to putting new life into this area, town planners also want to increase the tax revenue in this community. “The plan could triple the amount of taxes we get from this area,” points out Kanter.