A new vision for the historic West Newton Armory

Partners Metro West Collaborative Development and Civico Development were designated by City of Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller through a public RFP process to redevelop the West Newton Armory into permanently affordable housing.

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Who we are.

Metro West Collaborative Development (“Metro West CD”), formerly known as Watertown Community Housing, is a private non-profit corporation founded in 1991 to address the shrinking supply of affordable housing in Watertown and now the Metro West region of Boston. The mission of Metro West CD is to organize residents, mobilize resource, and identify areas that improve the quality of life for residents of Metro West communities. We accomplish this mission by creating and preserving affordable homes; supporting economic development that strengthens neighborhoods, towns, and our region; and by building alliances with partners and constituencies throughout the region to increase awareness and build support for community development.

Civico Development, LLC (“Civico”) is a community-focused real estate development group committed to quality design, historic preservation, and incremental neighborhood development. Our mission is to develop high-quality buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods that significantly enhance the livability and sustainability of our communities. We integrate an innovative blend of contextual design and civic spirit in our work, which includes projects of all scales, focused on walkability and human-scale design.

Meet the Team

Caitlin Madden

Caitlin is the Executive Director of Metro West CD. Prior to joining Metro West CD as Deputy Director in June 2021, Caitlin spent nearly a decade working for mission-driven affordable housing development organizations in Massachusetts including Urban Edge, a Boston-based CDC, and the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, a Boston-based private non-profit developer. She is experienced in all aspects of development, including acquisition, design, finance, and construction and has been involved in a wide range of project types including complex historic adaptive reuse, affordable residential, mixed-use, scattered site, supportive housing, and mixed-income housing.
Sharone Small

Sharone is the Senior Project Manager at Metro West Collaborative Development, which she joined in 2022. She has five years of experience in affordable housing development, including all stages of the development process. Before joining Metro West, Sharone worked at Urban Edge Housing Corporation, a Boston-based CDC, in the Real Estate Department. Sharone has an SB from MIT and a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
Taylor Bearden

Taylor is a Partner at Civico with primary responsibilities for community development, strategic partnerships, and new project development. He previously worked for Sustainable Comfort, Inc., a green building consulting, construction, and management company, where he was Vice President of Operations. He later started a property management and real estate brokerage company, which was acquired in 2019. Taylor has a comprehensive understanding of the multi-faceted nature of development. His commitment to community process is reflected across all Civico projects and partnerships.
David Oliveri

David is a Partner at Civico. He is actively involved in deal sourcing, financial structuring, analysis, and construction, throughout Greater Boston. After graduating from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, David began working for Kiewit Construction, one of the largest highway construction companies in the world, on the “Big Dig” in South Boston. Building upon his experience in the construction industry, his 20-year real estate career has spanned mortgage services, real estate brokerage, property and asset management, and residential and mixed-use development.