It is difficult to miss the story-high sand pile at Mattakeesett St. in the center of town. Whether you are shopping at the Big Y or filling your tank at Cumberland Farms, you will notice the privacy fence blocking the view of a gaping hole cordoned off by large boulders and the beginnings of foundation construction below. During the blur of time often referred to as “the COVID years,” the property remained untouched, vacant. In December of 2025, the Shepherd Funeral Home was demolished, and site construction began.
The Shepherd Funeral Home ceased operations at this location in early 2020 and sold the property. The building remained abandoned and was sold again in January of 2023 to a limited liability corporation managed by Bristol Brothers Development Corporation. Owner Jim Bristol saw potential for the site and, in February of 2023, applied for a comprehensive building permit through the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals to construct a multi-unit affordable housing complex under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40B
Under this law, towns and cities in Massachusetts must dedicate 10% of housing to affordable units for low- and mid-income families. Bristol Brothers’ Mattakeesett Village Project will help Pembroke meet this quota. Although it is difficult to pinpoint a current percentage due to new construction and demolitions, the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals (ZBA) considers this metric. The more Pembroke builds, the more the town needs to ensure 10% of development is dedicated to affordable housing.
Although the initial application was submitted and approved in 2023, the plan was later amended with "insubstantial changes." No changes were made to the structure design; the changes included the bedroom count and the tavern seating count per MA GL 40B and the ZBA. To meet the state’s bedroom mix requirements, the proposed 66 age-restricted single-bedroom units were amended to be 57 single-bedroom units and 6 three-bedroom units. The age restriction was also lifted to appeal to a broader applicant pool. The Tavern seating was reduced from 132 to 87 seats. Because there was no change to the footprint of the buildings, foundation permits were issued earlier this year.
Mattakeesett Village will include three apartment buildings and a stand-alone tavern. The apartment buildings will consist of 21 units each. Garages will be available for approximately half of the Village's residents to rent. These will be located beneath the buildings, along with several rentable storage units. The surface parking area will have 101 spaces, with some reserved for residents and others for diners visiting the tavern.
Will O'Connell, co-owner of Marina Bay Management Services and the restaurant group behind Tavern 117 at the Weathervane Golf Club in Weymouth, will run the tavern, which will seat 87 guests. Jim Bristol mentioned that the team is considering an Irish-style pub.
Bristol Bros. has started applying for the various building permits needed to begin construction of the apartment buildings. According to Jim Bristol, the work is expected to take approximately 15–18 months to complete the four-building project. Residents of Pembroke can reasonably expect that Mattakeesett Village will be ready for accommodations and dining in early 2028.
If you are interested in listening to more about the Bristol Bros. current projects in Pembroke, tune in to Chamber Spotlight Podcast episode 44: https://pembrokechamber.org/spotlight-podcasts/
