BOSTON–The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors this month approved nine new development projects, advancing new affordable housing and job opportunities and investing in climate resiliency and mobility improvements throughout Boston’s neighborhoods.
The new projects will create 295 residential units, 128, or more than 43 percent of which, will be designated income-restricted. The approved new development projects represent approximately 1.2 million square feet (SF) and will support over 700 construction jobs and more than 3,000 new permanent jobs.
Development Projects
1201 River Street project will build new affordable housing for seniors in Hyde Park
Live: 63 affordable senior housing units
Work: 1,200 SF of ground floor retail space
Connect: Four minute walk to Hyde Park and Fairmount Commuter Rail Stations
Sustain: Zero Emission Building, Passive House Certified
Located in Hyde Park, this project will build 63 one-bedroom units of income-restricted senior housing for those ages 55 and up. This project will advance Imagine Boston 2030’s goal of creating an additional 2,000 units of dedicated senior housing. Built under the Mayor’s Office of Housing’s Zero Emission Building requirements, this is a non carbon-producing, all electric building. In addition to residences, this building will also include a gym, commercial space, community room, library, and laundry center on the ground floor. There will also be parking available for bikes and cars. This project will create new green space, and will include an outdoor courtyard, complete with a bocce court, and a grilling and seating area, as well as enhanced landscaping.
VietAID project at 25-33 Hamilton Street moves forward to bring new affordable senior housing to Dorchester
Live: 36 affordable senior housing units
Work: Parking for bicycles and cars; walk score of 84; nearby transit
Connect: Courtyard for residents to enjoy
Sustain: Passive House certifiable
This project, developed by the Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID) will build 36 one bedroom income-restricted units for seniors aged 62 and up. Nine of the 36 units will be affordable to households earning at or below 30 percent area median income (AMI), supporting individuals transitioning from homelessness. The building will also include a community and game room for residents. This project will advance Imagine Boston 2030’s goal of creating an additional 2,000 units of dedicated senior housing.
24 Ericsson Street project will build climate resilient mixed-use development, create new open space in Dorchester’s Port Norfolk neighborhood
Live: 120 units, 16 income restricted; mix of one and two bedroom rentals; community/office space
Work: More than 950 new jobs, office space, retail space, more than 600 construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs
Connect: More than two acres of public open space; safety improvements at Port Norfolk intersections; new Harborwalk space
Sustain: LEED Gold; Commitment to Passive House Standards; use of Photovoltaic solar arrays on roof; 25 percent of vehicle parking will have EV charging stations
This project on Ericsson Street in Dorchester’s Port Norfolk neighborhood will build four buildings to create a new mixed-use development comprising office, retail, residential space, and a boathouse. It will also include a community space that will be open to the public. This development will create more than two acres of open space, and an extended harborwalk will better connect the neighborhood. This project will include new parking, and a bike storage room. As part of community benefits for this development, the project will create new streets and improve the existing streetscape and public realm to enhance the pedestrian environment, and includes a new Bluebikes station onsite. The project will fund a one year pilot program for a shuttle bus to nearby MBTA stations and contribute up to $150,000 toward a neighborhood Slow Streets program, including a transportation study of the local area. Because this area is vulnerable to sea level rise, the project will contribute $100,000 to support the implementation of coastal resilience solutions in Port Norfolk as identified in Climate Ready Dorchester. As part of this commitment the project will provide the preliminary design for a raised Ericsson Street.
3409 Washington Street moves forward to build new housing in Jamaica Plain, consistent with PLAN: JP/Rox
Live: 29 rental units, six income-restricted
Work: 60 construction jobs
Connect: Close proximity to MBTA lines; bike storage; building wifi
Sustain: Rooftop solar; LEED Gold certified; all electric
Located in Jamaica Plain, this transit-oriented project will build a new four story apartment building with 29 rental units, six of which will be income-restricted. The ground floor will be a dedicated community space. The project is consistent with PLAN: JP/Rox and responds to community needs by increasing the amount of housing in the area and also enhancing the public realm by improving sidewalk conditions. The project will include a dedicated bike room, and will contribute to the City’s bikeshare program.
34 Oak Street brings new housing to Hyde Park
Live: 20 rental units, four income-restricted; 10 parking spaces; 20 bike parking spaces
Work: More than 60 construction jobs, new retail space, two start up subsidy units
Connect: Bike parking, close proximity to commuter rail stations
Sustain: LEED certifiable
This project will build a new apartment building with 20 rental units, four of which will be income-restricted on Oak Street in Hyde Park. This will be a transit-oriented development and will encourage biking and walking over driving as it is in close proximity to the MBTA and bus lines in Hyde Park. The project will include a dedicated bike room, and make an approximately $5,500 contribution to the City’s bikeshare program. On the project site, the public realm will be enhanced through widened sidewalks, new ADA compliant curb ramps, bike racks, and new trees. The project will also contribute $12,000 to the Riverside Theater Works to install an elevator.
Project within PLAN: South Boston Dot Ave Study area will bring new homes to 44 Ellery Street in Andrew Square
Live: 18 housing units, including 3 affordable units
Work: 24 construction jobs
Connect: 300 feet to Andrew Square Station, new sidewalks and other public infrastructure improvements, bike parking spots.
Sustain: LEED Certifiable, Dark-Sky initiative compliant, Low-E appliances, Solar voltaic-ready
A new six story building at 44 Ellery Street will bring 18 homeownership residential units, including three income-restricted units to the Andrew Square area of South Boston. The project is consistent with the BPDA’s PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Avenue, which focuses on the revitalization of largely low-density industrial uses, by promoting an urban, mixed-use neighborhood. The project will create new transit-oriented homeownership units in South Boston, and create new accessible sidewalks and crosswalks.
Boylston Street project will preserve historic integrity while adding housing and office space
Live: 9 units of housing, 18,448 SF of restaurant space, tenants maintained, added outside dining terraces
Work: 50 construction jobs, 60 new permanent jobs, 26,634 SF of office space
Connect: Proximate to multiple MBTA stops.
Sustain: LEED Silver, Historic buildings preserved, all-electric HVAC
The project at 761-793 Boylston Street will add nine new units of housing and 26,634 square feet of office space all while preserving the building’s historic facades. All existing facades will remain in place while a five-story, mixed use, building is constructed from the interior. The existing restaurants, Abe and Louie’s and Atlantic Fish, both tenants of space inside the project boundary, will be preserved.
109 Brookline Avenue project will bring hundreds of jobs, fund STEM job training program, transportation study
Live: 2,500 SF of community space, housing linkage contribution of approximately $1.85 million
Work: 750 permanent jobs, 400 construction jobs, STEM job training program with dedicated space, partnership with Just-A-Start and Fenway CDC, new retail space
Connect: $1.25 million contributed to transportation study of Kenmore Square and Brookline Ave, new bike lanes, multi-use path connection on Burlington Avenue
Sustain: LEED Gold, 100% renewable energy, sea level rise resilient
Replacing a vacant three-story building nestled between Brookline Avenue, Overland Street and Burlington Avenue in the Fenway Neighborhood, the 109 Brookline project will construct a 250,000 square foot building that will include office, lab, research and development, as well as retail uses. The developer will fund a neighborhood-wide transportation and infrastructure study of the Fenway and Kenmore Square neighborhoods, and assist in funding potential solutions. Public realm improvements include widening sidewalks along Brookline Avenue and Overland Street, and constructing a separated bike lane on Overland Street. The project will also create and fund a STEM Jobs Training Program housed on-site, space for the Fenway Community Center Office, and partner with Emmanuel College to run a jobs and training program.
Phase 3 of the Government Center Garage Redevelopment Project, known as Bulfinch Crossing, moves forward bringing new and improved Haymarket MBTA bus station
Work: More than 13,000 SF of new retail and cultural space, 500 construction jobs, 2,500 permanent jobs
Connect: 12 MBTA bus berths accommodated on-site, direct connectivity to Canal Street and Rose Kennedy Greenway, Safer pedestrian and cyclist routes, connection between MBTA, public plaza and Congress St.
Sustain: 33 percent of heating loads generated by on-site renewable energy, rainwater harvesting and infiltration systems, high-efficiency heat recovery, LEED Gold Certified
Phase 3 of the Government Center Garage Redevelopment project, also known as Bulfinch Crossing, will fully remove the existing garage and construct new lab, office, and retail space. The project will bring approximately 2,500 workers downtown, generate over $3 million in contributions to fund affordable housing through linkage, and make significant public realm improvements, including a large public plaza that will tie Canal Street, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Boston Public Market together. The project will create a new and improved Haymarket MBTA bus station.
Simultaneous interpretation was provided in Mandarin and Cantonese as required by the BPDA’s language access policy.
The BPDA Board also approved Boston University’s Institutional Master Plan for their Medical Campus. The IMP does not include any new development projects.
In addition to the new projects, the BPDA Board approved one updated to a previously approved project:
- 3353 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain: The BPDA Board approved a change in ownership at 3353 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain.
