"They are gearing up to submitting the environmental impact report," Greg Watson, Malden's city planner, tells GlobeSt.com. "All the other local permits are in hand but additional work is dependent on a new alignment on Route 1."

The quarry is owned by Rowe's Contracting Company, which is shutting it down after nearly a century. Rowe is developing the site--which is located here and across the border into Revere--with New Jersey-based Roseland Property Co. The project is being built in phases beginning with a residential complex of 700 units. No decision has been made on the second phase. According to Watson, the area had to be rezoned for the development. Watson says that the plan is to have more residential units as well as a mix of other uses--such as hotels, commercial and retail space--depending upon "what the market can bear." About six to ten acres will be left as open space.

Rowe would provide the land to create the new interchange into the quarry but Mass Highway has to build it. But, says Watson, Mass Highway "had one vision" about the traffic changes and the developer had a different one. The idea is to increase the land width on Route 1, reduce the length of the curve going into the quarry, eliminate the existing interchange and create a "diamond" interchange. "They just have different plans for getting it done," notes Watson.