METRONORTH
DIGGING UP THE REGION'S MOST CHALLENGING PROJECTS

What development firm would dare aspire to make one of area's most challenging sites into a national model for Brownfields development?

That's exactly what happened in Woburn, Massachusetts, as National Development took on a federally designated Superfund site and turned it into one of the region's most successful, mixed-use developments. Many developers shied away from involvement with the 75-acre property. Though the property is adjacent to land that was subject to a major environmental cleanup, it enjoys a prime location near the intersection of two major highways.

National Development worked with the Environmental Protection Agency on a creative legal structure that allowed the development to proceed without legal recourse for past issues. The project involved construction of a new major interchange on Interstate 93 and a regional public transportation center adjacent to the property.

So what did National Development do to develop this formerly blighted property? A master plan was created for a 1.3 million-square-foot office, hotel, and retail development that would bring new life to the area. MetroNorth Corporate Center includes a Marriott Residence Inn hotel; a major retail center anchored by Target; several office buildings, including a 435,000-square-foot building leased to Raytheon; and a Boston Sports Club. Add to this the 25 acres of nearby industrial property National Development has assembled in order to create MetroNorth Business Center, which serves as home to industrial and service companies in the area.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded National Development the National Phoenix Award for Excellence in Brownfields Redevelopment for developing the MetroNorth project. Today, the site is a thriving, mixed-use business area and a model for Brownfields development.