The city of Revere is reviewing a major redevelopment proposal that would significantly expand its housing stock through a mix of affordable and market-rate units. The initiative, brought forward by the Revere Housing Authority (RHA), calls for approximately 1,700 new homes on a 40-acre property along Cooledge Street, located near the city’s main street and commercial district about five miles northeast of downtown Boston.
To move forward, the RHA has asked the Revere City Council to approve a zoning change that would enable the planned residential density on the site. The request and accompanying concept were presented to the council last week, according to reporting from the Revere Journal. The zoning decision will be a key factor in determining whether the multifamily redevelopment can proceed as envisioned.
The plan outlines a phased redevelopment of the existing public housing property, which currently contains 431 units that are roughly 70 years old. Over multiple stages, those aging residences would be replaced with approximately 790 new public housing units, more than offsetting the current inventory on the site. The proposal specifies that 570 of the public housing units would be family-oriented, while 220 units would serve seniors and people with disabilities.
In addition to the public housing component, the RHA’s concept includes about 910 market-rate apartments. Together, the affordable and market-rate units would total roughly 1,700 homes, creating a large-scale, mixed-income residential community. The plans also call for community amenities and public open spaces integrated into the site, though specific features have not yet been detailed in the reporting.
Resident relocation logistics are central to the phased construction strategy. Under the current plan, households living in the existing buildings would be relocated on-site during redevelopment, moving into new units as they are delivered rather than being displaced off the property. This approach is intended to maintain continuity for current residents while the older structures are systematically replaced.
The proposal would establish Revere’s third Smart Growth district, using a planning framework created under the state’s Smart Growth Zoning and Housing Production Act. That statute is designed to encourage communities to adopt zoning that supports housing affordability and mixed-use development patterns. By aligning the redevelopment with this program, the RHA aims to pair increased density with long-term affordability commitments and a broader mix of housing types in the city.
While the project remains subject to local approvals and further planning work, the concept under consideration illustrates how Revere is evaluating higher-density, mixed-income housing near its commercial core as part of a Smart Growth strategy. If advanced, the redevelopment would reshape a sizable public housing site and materially expand the city’s overall housing supply.
