Waltham, MA Northland Investment Corp.’s new mixed-use residential development, The Merc, blends history and convenience into an evolving neighborhood.  Erland Construction recently completed construction of the project at Moody and Main Sts., which is named after the historic mercantile building that once stood on the same corner.  The project is built with materials to replicate the façade of the original structure, with similar masonry details and large windows. 

The Merc contains 269 apartments, a two-story parking garage – with 300 spaces available underground - and 92 spots above and retail space on the first floors of two of the buildings.  The Merc also includes a wellness/fitness center and sky deck. Bringing 436,000 s/f of space to life, at a 4.5-acre site in the center of the city, is no small accomplishment.

During construction, Erland also performed work while two banks were operating on site; Erland   successfully moved the businesses to The Merc’s Building A, the first completed in 2015.  

In addition to Northland Investment Corp. and Erland, Stantec was the architect who completed the team for this project.

This complex, comprised of three five-story buildings, embraces the city’s heritage while also providing new opportunities for residents to live in downtown Waltham and easily access retail, restaurants and transportation. 

“Constructing several large buildings, between two busy roads and at a tight site with limited laydown area, was a unique challenge.  An example of this is when the parking garage was just a hole in the ground, 30 feet below-grade, it took up more than half the site, which did not leave us room for equipment, materials, or make it easy to maneuver,” said Alan Scott, Erland’s project manager.  “Building The Merc required not only a vision, but collaboration and skill.  It’s because of our partnership and our joint skills that we were able to overcome these challenges and our teams worked extremely well together.”

“We are proud to be a part of this transformation in the community,” said Jeff Ellowitz, residential group manager, Erland. “Currently, the apartments are fully leased, and most of the retail space is leased as well.  Anchoring that retail space will be Brothers Marketplace, an affiliate of Roche Bros. Supermarkets, planning to open in the spring of 2018.  People can also take advantage of the close walking distance to the train station for an easy commute to Boston or the suburbs.”