West Newton, MA Mark Development has engaged Elkus Manfredi Architects to design and build a transformative new housing project at a high profile Washington St. location. The development will be known as Dunstan East and will add 292 housing units to, and improve the public realm for, the community.

Dunstan East will transform an uneven stretch of Washington St. into an attractive urban boulevard and bring new housing, ground floor vitality, and a pedestrian friendly public realm to West Newton Sq. The project is comprised of three mixed-use buildings ranging from three to six stories on two blocks.

“Elkus Manfredi has been an outstanding partner in developing a project design that addresses a site with many technical challenges, including grade changes,” said Damian Chaviano, a principal at Mark Development. “Their design is consistent with the character of Newton’s villages, is at a neighborhood appropriate scale and maximizes the ground floor experience for pedestrians.”

The project, which includes apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms, was formally approved in 2021. Dunstan East includes 73 affordable units, 10 of which will be permanently set aside for households earning 50% AMI or less. The ground floor benefits from 8,000 s/f of retail space and the rear of the building includes extensive landscaping and new boardwalk overlooking Cheesecake Brook.

“Mark Development is intently invested in creating projects that improve the urban realm, add to Newton’s housing supply and build on the existing character of nearby villages,” said John Martin, a principal at Elkus Manfredi. “Working collaboratively to design this building, we are able to both achieve these goals and address community feedback.”

The project is currently in a pre-construction phase.