Falmouth Station Housing

Introduction/Background

The Falmouth EDIC operates Falmouth Station at 59 Depot Avenue under a long-term lease with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our mission is to support a thriving business community in Falmouth, and a vibrant, accessible workforce is central to that success.

With that goal in mind, Falmouth EDIC identified an opportunity to develop housing on excess land at the Falmouth Station property. Since 2021, we have closely studied a range of housing options for this parcel. Grants from MassDevelopment and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) have supported this planning work.

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Overview

Land Availability: Falmouth EDIC completed the restoration of Falmouth Station in 2017 under the terms of a long-term lease with MassDOT. That leasehold interest includes approximately 2.5 acres of vacant land adjacent to Falmouth Station.

Transportation Center: Falmouth Station operates as a town transportation resource and remains Falmouth EDIC’s highest priority. Any future development on the vacant portion of the site will not disrupt the transportation-related activities on the property.

Distinctive Location: Beyond the transportation resources of Falmouth Station itself, the site sits directly alongside the Shining Sea Bikeway and offers immediate, walkable access to downtown Falmouth.

Community Input: The Falmouth EDIC Board plans to stay directly involved throughout the planning, development, and long-term ownership of any housing built here. Community input has been a guiding principle for the Board from the start, and it will continue at key milestones as the project moves forward.

The EDIC Board’s Project Vision

To design and implement a project which the community embraces and which maximizes the number of housing units in an exemplary built environment.

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Falmouth Station Housing Site Layout

EOHLC Community Planning Grant

A six-month process funded by the EOHLC Community Planning Grant produced a conceptual plan that the EDIC Board endorsed. This work drew on planning professionals with deep engineering and architectural experience in multi-family housing on Cape Cod. Horsley Whitten Group and Union Studios were instrumental in supporting the Board, and neighborhood and community engagement played an important role throughout.

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Phase One Included:

  • Background site review and a site visit

  • A design charrette and multiple conceptual alternative studies

  • Technical analysis covering sanitary sewer strategy, grading, drainage, access, and circulation

  • From this work, the team developed a schematic site plan and building concepts. These were essential for confirming the preferred project size and scale, and they informed the project cost estimates.

Once the planning work was complete and community input secured, a financial modeling effort helped the Board understand the economics of the project. A legal review then informed the strategy for future approvals.

Board Approved Renderings

Status

Over the balance of 2026, the EDIC Board will reach out to organizations interested in partnering with Falmouth EDIC on this project. This begins with a formal Request for Information (RFI) process, followed by a procurement process that includes a Request for Proposal (RFP) from interested parties. We anticipate reaching a negotiated agreement with the preferred development partner in early 2027.

For more information, please contact Wayne Lingafelter, Executive Director or (443) 542-7075.