Littleton’s former IBM campus to be transformed into housing, retail

Published in The Lowell Sun by Cameron Morseberger on September 1, 2022

LITTLETON — The former IBM campus, located at 550 King St., was once one of the largest software labs in North America. Now, it’s getting a complete makeover.

Chelmsford real estate developer Sal Lupoli, of Lupoli Companies, is spearheading a multipurpose, large-scale redevelopment project that aims to transform the town’s housing, jobs and cultural identity. It’s called “King Street Common,” and is a public-private partnership between the town and the developer, with funding from the state.

Lupoli joined state Rep. Jim Arciero, D-Westford, Salem Mayor and lieutenant governor candidate Kim Driscoll, Town Administrator Anthony Ansaldi, members of the Littleton Select Board and other town authorities for a brief tour of the site on Tuesday, where he laid out his vision.

“If you squint hard, you can see the buildings,” Lupoli joked.

Two buildings on the campus — totaling about 600,000 square feet — will be used for what Lupoli called “job creation” — inviting a new or existing company to move in and offer jobs to residents here. New designs or even new buildings could be warranted, should the business require it.

But that’s just “section one” of development, Lupoli said. He said they also plan to build 780 units of “affordable housing,” primarily targeting commuting students and young families looking for a starter home.

Close to King Street, 100,000 to 120,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail space, Lupoli said, with options to accommodate several housing units above those stores. There will also be a parking garage, a park and other amenities.

But it’ll be a long time coming — a projected 10-year-long investment — but Lupoli said it’s worth it if it can reinvigorate the town and nearby Littleton Common.

“We’re gonna try to activate that common, try to incentivize other businesses to make an investment in and around the common,” he said. “We really think we can work with the town of Littleton on a collaboration and create that.”

The new buildings will have a “colonial” look to them, Lupoli said, and imitate the “period-looking” buildings in Littleton and surrounding communities. But other, newer looking buildings on site will appeal to younger generations.

Driscoll said housing is the “No. 1 priority in Massachusetts” and has been a focal point in her campaign messaging. There is a housing crisis underway that’s impacting renters, older adults and younger adults and vulnerable communities, such as unhoused people.

The state needs hundreds of thousands more housing units to accommodate its residents, Driscoll said, and she is glad to see Littleton making an effort.

“I think Massachusetts has a severe housing gap,” Driscoll said. “When you see a community like Littleton that has really leaned into the work of identifying their housing needs, and then trying to work in combination with the private sector to fit them, it’s an opportunity to really showcase an aligned vision that’s meeting not only the needs of the town, but also meeting the needs of the commonwealth.”

While the project received approvals from the Select Board and other town committees, the attention is now turned toward sewer.

Nick Lawler, general manager of Littleton’s Electric Light and Water Department, said the municipal sewer system is 22 years old, which he considers “end of life.” He said a $25 million bond authorization was approved at Town Meeting in the fall, and since there will now be a large user coming to King Street, it makes the effort a reality.

Arciero said there is an additional $250,000 for a sewer hookup, and around $8 million is earmarked for the town but tied up in an economic development bill that has not yet passed.

As the chairperson on the Joint Committee on Housing, Arciero said this undertaking is one of the biggest housing projects in the commonwealth and hopes to work alongside Driscoll on the project in the coming years.

“Salem is a model for housing, it’s been a model for some of the things that you’ve done in the municipality,” Arciero said. “I believe in Kim, and I feel that, if she’s able to be successful, this is something we would really like to bend your ear on.”

Another concern is the influx of students in the local school system, but Lupoli said Superintendent of Schools Kelly Clenchy spoke at Town Meeting and stated that the schools actually would benefit from more kids because their enrollment is “dropping.”

Lupoli expressed his excitement for the project and expects it to make a big impact.

“People look at small towns, they look at a town like Littleton, they call it a bedroom community, and they say, ‘Well, bedroom communities can’t think outside the box,’ or, ‘They don’t know how to think in a big way,” Lupoli said. “I beg to differ.”