Brookline's Planning Board meets Wednesday, Sept. 9, to review the future of a 2.48-acre municipal parking lot in Coolidge Corner.
Economic Development Director Meredith Mooney will present findings from the Centre Street Lots Exploratory Study at the board's 8:30 a.m. session. The presentation caps more than a year of community engagement and design work on the town-owned Centre Street East and West parking lots, which together hold 192 spaces: 144 on the larger East Lot and 48 on the smaller West Lot.
The study grew out of the town's 2021 Coolidge Corner & JFK Crossing Rapid Recovery Plan, which identified parking management as central to unlocking the commercial core's potential. The town funded the exploratory work with federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.
A year of study
The Select Board created a 12-member Centre Street Lots Committee in January 2025 and charged it with guiding a visioning process and developing design alternatives, according to the town's committee page. The committee's deadline to deliver a comprehensive report to the Select Board was March 31, 2026.
A project team produced four design concepts: The Grove, The Side Lot, The Colonnade and The Underground. Three advanced beyond initial hand drawings, and the committee voted to endorse The Side Lot for future study, according to the project website.
The committee presented its findings to the Select Board in two sessions, on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, 2026.
On Sept. 10, 2025, 270 residents packed the Coolidge Corner Theatre for a conversation with urban planner and Brookline resident Jeff Speck, author of Walkable City, about reimagining the lots and making Brookline more walkable, according to the project website.
Parking data behind the push
A separate Coolidge Corner Parking and Curb Use Study completed in March 2025 by Stantec reviewed more than 2,850 parking spaces in the area. That study found the East Centre Street Lot reaches full capacity at midday on weekdays and on Saturday mornings.
Stantec also found that 60% of Coolidge Corner visitors arrive by private vehicle, while about 40% of nearby households do not own a car.
A 2018 town planning document had already recommended exploring the idea of converting the lot into a below-ground parking garage topped with green space, according to the Stantec report.
Also on the agenda
Wednesday's agenda includes staff recommendations for sign and facade approvals at two Coolidge Corner businesses. Veloz Barbershop, moving into 12 Cypress St. in the space formerly occupied by Brookline Beauty Nails & Spa, is recommended for an 8-foot-by-3-foot sign with black background and gold lettering. O'Poke, at 1376 Beacon St., is recommended for a replacement sign with white backing and teal lettering, swapping out the existing Mochinut and Onezo signage.
Planning Board Chair Blair Hines leads the board, which includes member Matt Hyatt. The meeting is available to residents via Zoom registration.
