A new vision for the historic West Newton Armory

Partners Metro West Collaborative Development and Civico Development are redeveloping the West Newton Armory to create 43 affordable apartments for households earning 30% and 60% of Area Median Income.

Sign up to follow our progress.

About the project.

The site, located at 1137 Washington Street, was designated for redevelopment by former City of Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller following a public RFP process in 2021.

The redevelopment will renovate the prominent front “headhouse” portion of the existing building into common/commercial space and demolish the larger “fieldhouse” portion of the building to make way for a new construction residential addition. The renovated headhouse will house future residential amenity spaces and a commercial space for Metro West CD’s future headquarters. The building is pursuing Passive House Certification and will include rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.

The development received funding from the City of Newton, Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), First Citizens Bank, Red Stone Equity Partners, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), The Life Initiative, HUD, the WestMetro HOME Consortium, MassHousing, CEDAC, the MA Affordable Housing Trust, and MassSave.

The project is currently under construction, with construction completion anticipated by the end of 2026. Late in 2026, units will be leased through a lottery process. More information about the lottery process and timeline will be posted in the coming months.

West Newton Armory Groundbreaking, June 9, 2025, photo © Derek Kouyoumjian

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 collaborate with Metro West communities to expand housing opportunities by:

Building and preserving affordable housing
Helping families find and keep their homes
Counseling community leaders to achieve their housing goals
Advocating for supportive policy and investment

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

Sharone Small

Sharone is the Director of Real Estate at Metro West Collaborative Development, which she joined in 2022. She has seven 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.
Chenoa Schatzki-McClain

Chenoa is a Real Estate Project Manager at Metro West Collaborative Development. She joined the organization in October 2025 and brings with her five years of experience in the housing and community development space. Her background includes previous work as a coordinator for housing services programs in Boston, and experience contributing to housing initiatives in communities across the country as a planning consultant. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College, and a Master of City Planning and Certificate in Real Estate Development from the University of California, Berkeley.
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.