Increasing downtown housing options is a priority for Newton City leaders. Significant strides have been made in that area recently, and the Newton City Council has just agreed to do more. This week, council members unanimously approved a $27,287 Downtown Housing and Downtown Improvement grant to local developer Jerry Schwaller. He will at least match that amount with his own money, to create housing on the second floor of the Daughter’s Boutique Building he owns on the southeast corner of Newton’s square. Newton City Administrator Matt Muckler says there’s visibly more activity downtown because of added housing above storefronts.

“There has been a lot of movement on second story housing. It has been part of a renaissance to the downtown square to have people down there using the retailers, going to the restaurants and coffee shops. I think you really feel it when you’re downtown that there is more life and more things happening downtown because we have people living there.”

Jerry Schwaller is also in the midst of an approximate $4 million dollar renovation project on the northeast corner of Newton’s square. He’s renovating an older building into the Grey Moon Public Market. It will be a  business incubator for restaurants, retailers, and bars and coffee shops. It will also have space to host events.