BOSTON– City Realty announced the approval by the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for its exciting redevelopment project, Allston Square.
Incorporating the desires and goals of the local community, the project will revitalize the intersection which serves as the gateway to Allston-Brighton while maintaining the history that makes the neighborhood special. Allston Square will transform a vacant and underutilized stretch of industrial warehouses and parking lots into a vibrant town square of housing, retail, public art and open space connected throughout the project.
“This project is a unique opportunity to add new life to a key Allston intersection through vibrant retail, community green space and public art,” said Josh Fetterman, Director of Project Development at City Realty. “By combining exciting new design with historical preservation, our goal has always been to create a memorable gateway to this distinctive neighborhood.”
The proposed Allston Square development consists of six buildings situated around the prominent intersection of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue. The project will redefine an abandoned industrial corridor while providing new housing stock and an invigorating commercial environment, allowing residents to live, shop and dine all within Allston Square. The design plan will incorporate the preservation of two classic buildings: Allston Hall at 4 Braintree St. and the Allen Building, the former headquarters
of Jack Young Auto Parts at 334 Cambridge St. Allston Hall will return to its role as a community gathering space, with ground floor retail topped by one of kind loft apartments. The Allen Building will be revitalized, converting from a patchwork warehouse back into beautiful homes, while continuing the iconic yellow brick row house style in a new addition.
The remaining sites will feature four new buildings along with many public improvements, including more than 27,758 square feet of additional street level open space, outdoor communal gathering spaces, more than 6,000 square feet of additional sidewalk, more than 9,000 square feet of public art space, and the introduction of more than 46 new street trees in an area that previously had only one. These public improvements combined with more than 15,860 square feet of new retail space will make Allston Square an active and energetic streetscape for residents and the surrounding communities.
Allston Square will create 344 units of housing, including 244 condominium units and 100 rental apartments. The units will be a mixture of studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, and three-bedrooms along with several Live/Work units along the ground floor. The project is perfectly situated for a myriad of transit options. Allston Square is a short walk to the Boston Landing MBTA Commuter Rail Station and the MBTA Green Line, and is located directly along several major MBTA bus routes as well as the Mass Pike. In addition, the project will feature storage for 300 bicycles.
