Baba Sushi owner's proposed 5-floor Shrewsbury St. apartment complex gets city board OK

WORCESTER — A proposed redevelopment of a Shrewsbury Street property into a five-floor apartment building received approval from the Planning Board Wednesday.

Wei Dong Wang, the owner of Baba Sushi on Park Avenue, plans to redevelop a property at 393-397 Shrewsbury St. with a 24-unit apartment building.

Wang’s holding company, 318 Park LLC, wants to construct 16 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom units. Two units would be accessible.

The building's first floor would be used for commercial purposes while the upper four floors would be used for housing.

The project also seeks to build 25 existing parking spaces for tenant use.

318 Park LLC purchased the 18,500-square-foot property in December 2021 for a total of $895,000.

397 Shrewsbury St. currently hosts a three-decker that dates to 1920. It would be razed.

The Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan. Planning Board Chair Albert LaValley, who lives near the site, said the developer addressed a concern he had about reducing the curb cut for pedestrian safety.

"Of the projects that have come before the board in my time here, which is about five years related to the CCOD, this is one of the more favorable," LaValley said. "Happy to see more density coming to Shrewsbury Street."

224 Shrewsbury St.

Plans have also been submitted for another Shrewsbury Street apartment project.

Auburn-based developer Lundgren Equity Partners, through the holding company the 224 Shrewsbury Street Realty Trust, is planning to redevelop the former spot of the popular '50s and '60s burger joint Speedy's Drive-In Restaurant.

According to planning documents, the proposed building would be six floors and have 87 units of market-rate apartments.

The site is now a parking lot with 67 spaces.

The developer is proposing that seven of the apartment units would be accessible.

The proposed building would be about 89,650 square feet, including one loading space and 54 parking spaces.

The developers were initially slated to go before the Planning Board Wednesday, but the hearing was postponed to July 26.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Shrewsbury St. apartment complex gets Worcester Planning Board OK