Weymouth, MA The Landing, located where Braintree and Weymouth meet on Rte. 53, has enjoyed a recent renaissance with an injection of both private and public investment over the past few years. As a result a series of projects are surfacing at the same time.
One of the larger private projects on the Weymouth side is the Weston Park Apartments, developed by father and son, Paul and Joe Gratta. The site sits atop Weston Park, recipient of a recent $1.5 million facelift in the form of a new baseball field and resurfaced basketball courts. On the opposite side of the park is the construction site for the new Tufts Library, expected to open around the same time as the Grattas’ project.
Weston Park Apartments is a mixed-use building is comprised of 42 one-bedroom apartments ranging from 640 s/f to 1,000 s/f. It’s three stories of wood framed residences sitting on a steel and concrete pedestal. The foundation also makes up the underground and streel level parking for 60+ vehicles. The largest penthouse units feature private roof decks and multi-level loft style designs with spiral staircases. The interior styling of all units includes high end white cabinets, black granite countertops and matching vanities in the bathrooms. All bathrooms include a rainfall style shower with glass doors. All the appliances are stainless steel, American made and supplied by local Weymouth outlet, George Washington Toma.
Residential tenants will be able to enjoy 5,000 s/f of common roof deck overlooking the Landing and the park. The street level has 2,000 s/f of retail space leading to an outdoor deck with seating for 45 people overlooking the park. The owners are looking to acquire a tenant that would also be an amenity to the building’s residents. They are currently targeting coffee shops/cafes as potential options.
The modern approach to building design is intended to appeal to the young professional and millennial demographics. The intercom system features a camera at the entrance linked to an app that displays video on the tenant’s smart phone. The locking system for the residential units will utilize an app that can detect the tenant approaching their door and unlock automatically.
The Grattas are owners of Atlantic Mechanical so high efficiency, state of the art heating and air conditioning systems can be found in every unit. The team utilized dual head Daikin VRV-S systems, which can be controlled remotely or by voice command and have no duct work. The lack of duct work allows for taller ceilings and the system itself will run exceptionally quiet as compared to traditional air handlers.
The management of the construction process has been a combined effort of the Grattas and Bart Foley Custom Homes.
Foley has been integral in running the project and selecting high quality subcontractors, while Joe Gratta manages the finances and project requisitions. Joe Gratta, an attorney, worked with the town on zoning, permitting and an access easement to utilize the below grade parking garage. This site was essential because of the proximity to public transportation.
Only a five minute walk to the commuter rail makes this project appealing to commuters, and the recent additions of restaurants and bars from other developments has allowed the Landing to mature into its own community.
The project is expected to be completed by June 1st, and Gratta Property Management will start accepting applications for lease this month.
“This project has been a long time in the making, and as a Weymouth resident I’m particularly proud that we were able to contribute to the changing community here in The Landing,” said Joe Gratta.
