Manor on North nearing construction

With the historic Drabbington Lodge’s interior gutted, the developer behind the renovation is awaiting one final approval before retrofitting the building into senior housing.

Robert Parsekian, the Weston resident undertaking the project, plans to create age-restricted apartment units at the 127-year-old building at 135 North Ave., the former Sunrise Assisted Living facility. The renovated complex will be called the Manor on North, and will feature 12 one-bedroom apartments and five two-bedroom apartments.

Demolition is complete and Parsekian is waiting on the approval of the building’s fire-suppression system before construction begins. When the project is approved and a building permit is issued, Parsekian said construction could be completed within 12 to 18 months.

“Once I get that green light, I’ll be able to fly,” Parsekian said. “It’s a great building, and now we have to bring it back to life.”

Weston’s Fire Department requires third-party review for projects with extensive alterations to fire alarm and suppression systems.

Fire Capt. Dean Munson said the review process typically takes two to three weeks, depending on what concerns need to be addressed. The Manor on North has been through at least four weeks of review, as Munson said the department wants to ensure all systems adhere to code requirements “with projects of this size and scope.”

As of press time, the review was still underway.

The majority of work is taking place inside the building. Other than a newly-paved, wider driveway, external changes are minimal. Inside the building, the electrical, plumbing and heating systems will be brand-new, and a new elevator will be installed, which Parsekian said is one of the central challenges in this renovation.

“The goal is to keep the structure and make it the best we can,” he said.

Parsekian and the town are negotiating a public-private partnership that would lease the lodge’s units in the same way the town does the Brook School Apartments; Parsekian nicknamed his project “Brook School North.”

Tom Timko, the chair of the Elderly Housing Committee, which manages the Brook School, said the town has been developing a master lease for the Manor on North. That lease will need Town Meeting approval. Timko said it is possible that the lease might be on November’s Special Town Meeting warrant, but it is still under review.

“From the get-go, this was something we’ve been working with Bob on together,” Timko said. “The concept here has always been to do this as an extension to the Brook School.”

The Drabbington Lodge opened in 1899 as a suburban hotel until it was leased to universities in the 1940s and ‘50s. The lodge then became the Weston Inn before it became an assisted living facility in the 1990s, according to “Farm Town to Suburb,” by Pam Fox, president of the Weston Historical Society. Parsekian said the building was most recently a retirement home, Sunrise Assisted Living, which closed in 2020.

Parsekian purchased the Drabbington Lodge in 2022 for $4 million, according to the Middlesex County Registry of Deeds. To create age-restricted housing on the site, residents approved a bylaw amendment at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting.

He said he is taking on the renovation as a passion project for the community because he wanted to preserve the historic building. After a few considerations, including returning the lodge to its hotel roots, he landed on age-restricted housing because it can help meet Weston’s needs.

“Elderly housing is the thing that is always in high demand,” Parsekian said. “Long-term, it’s a project we’re going to be proud of.”