A large-scale redevelopment of an aging public housing complex is moving forward in Revere.
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The Revere Housing Authority filed a proposal with the city to create the Cooledge Street Smart Growth Overlay District across a roughly 39-acre site, paving the way for a 1,700-unit project, according to a Sept. 30 memorandum from RHA. The housing authority presented the proposal to the Revere City Council last week, the Revere Journal first reported.
The redevelopment would replace the 431 public housing units on the site with 790 new public housing units — plus 910 market-rate units.
Of the new public housing units, 570 would be family units and 220 would be set aside for seniors and the disabled. The project would also have public open space and community amenities.
The proposed district has Cooledge Street running through its center and is bounded by Cushman Avenue, Gordon Road, Proctor Avenue and Broadway. It is down the street from Revere's main business district on Broadway.
Earlier this year, RHA completed its comprehensive master planning process, in which it identified a long-term vision for the community through a mixed-income neighborhood redevelopment. The redevelopment is planned to take place in phases over the next five to 25 years.
The city established similar smart growth districts in other neighborhoods on Green Street and Shirley Avenue in 2023.
These smart growth districts fall under the state's Chapter 40R program, which was enacted in 2004 to encourage housing production near transportation, commercial areas and existing infrastructure to promote affordability and mixed-use development. The overlay would allow property owners to either utilize the underlying zoning or the new smart growth zoning.
RHA says the district could allow Revere to receive zoning incentives and density bonus payments.
The housing agency hasn't said whether it will bring on a private developer to build the market-rate housing.
Similar projects are underway in Boston, where the Boston Housing Authority has partnered with private developers to build mixed-income projects on public housing properties.
WinnCos. in June 2025 broke ground on the first residential building as part of the $1B Mary Ellen McCormack housing redevelopment in Boston. In total, the development would replace all 1,016 public housing units and build an additional 2,284 rental units.
In April, Leggat McCall landed a $122M loan for the second building in its $1.4B Bunker Hill Housing redevelopment. In total, the project will deliver close to 2,700 housing units, including the replacement of 1,010 deeply affordable housing units.
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