Revere Housing Authority Seeks 40R Overlay
The Housing Authority wants a smart growth overlay to redevelop its aging Cooledge Street public housing site with new affordable and market-rate units.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall
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Should Revere approve large-scale new housing development on Cooledge Street to expand affordable housing?
The Revere Housing Authority has asked the city council for a 40R Smart Growth overlay district covering its roughly 40-acre Cooledge Street site. The phased plan would add 359 public housing units to the 439 existing units while allowing about 900 market-rate units.
Why it matters
The current Cooledge Street units are about 70 years old, and the overlay would leave underlying zoning in place while enabling denser redevelopment. The request will go first to the council's zoning subcommittee before returning to the full council.
The plan calls for 570 family units and 220 senior and disability affordable units at completion, with overlay eligibility requiring at least 20 percent deed-restricted affordable housing. Whether the council approves the overlay district has not yet been determined.
The players
Revere Housing Authority
The local public agency that manages public housing in Revere and is proposing the Cooledge Street redevelopment.
The details
Current residents would be relocated on site during construction and then moved into the new units, with development proceeding in about five phases over 10 years. Construction on the first phase could start in four to five years if the district is approved.
Timeline
Last week: RHA appeared before the city council requesting the 40R overlay district.
In about four to five years: Construction on the first phase could begin.
Over a 10-year timeline after the first phase starts: Five construction phases would be completed.
Roadmap
Revere has already used the 40R Smart Growth program on Green Street and Shirley Avenue, and this request extends that approach to the Cooledge Street site. The overlay would keep existing zoning in place while allowing denser, mixed-income development on a large parcel.
Current Cooledge Street residents would be temporarily relocated on site and then moved into the new units during each construction phase. Renters and nearby homeowners could see changes to housing supply and neighborhood density over the next decade.
The takeaway
Approval of zoning changes like the 40R overlay often sets the pace for how quickly public housing can be rebuilt and expanded. Residents affected by such projects should track subcommittee and council agendas as the process moves forward.
What happens next
The request will go to the council's zoning subcommittee before returning to the full council for a vote.
Further reading
Follow more local decisions in the Revere City Hall section.
Live Poll
Should Revere approve large-scale new housing development on Cooledge Street to expand affordable housing?
