The project began in 2020 on a site with an existing corner market and surface parking lot adjacent to the Melrose Highlands MBTA Commuter Rail stop. As an anchor to a small commercial corridor built on Franklin Street, the corner is nestled amongst a larger residential area. To preserve the area’s casual food market while maximizing density along transit lines, the design incorporated three residential stories above a revamped market space and covered ground floor parking. The intent was to solidify Melrose’s character by drawing inspiration from the historical brick buildings of downtown Main Street, whose intricate details make full use of the three-dimensionality of brick. This resulted in a stacked massing of independent materials to delineate public from private. For the Ella’s facade, the play of shifted brick creates continuous vertical elements in the pilasters and window bands to offset the horizontality of the brick and compliment the grand gesture of the corner clock face—a distinguishable landmark for those arriving in Melrose by commuter rail or via Franklin Street.