BOSTON – The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) announced Centre Street Partners – comprised of The Community Builders, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and Urban Edge – have been designated as the developers to initiate the restoration of the Mildred C. Hailey public housing community.
The Hailey development, located in the historic area in the Jackson Square neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, will be rebuilt as a mixed-income community, with a commitment to preserve all of the existing affordable housing units.
“In order to meet the housing needs of all of our residents, we must think creatively to preserve our existing affordable housing stock, while developing new housing,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I am pleased the Centre Street Partners share our goal, and look forward to the improved housing that will be built as part of this partnership.”
The proposed redevelopment would replace the five existing, high-rise residential buildings along the Centre Street edge of the property with five new residential and mixed use buildings. This redevelopment proposal will create a total of approximately 625 rental apartments, including one-for-one replacements of the 232 subsidized apartments that comprise the Phase One area of the development, and 393 new construction market rate apartments. In addition, four of the five buildings are proposed as mixed income housing, with a 2:1 ratio of market rate to affordable units.
The final building will serve elders in the Mildred C. Hailey community. Demolition and construction will be done in phases by building. The proposal also includes 375 parking spaces and 14,800 square feet of non-residential building space, which will incorporate a centrally located new Anna Mae Cole Community Center.
“We are looking forward to working with the development team to improve the apartments and quality of life for the residents of Hailey Apartments,” said Yamilet Torres, President of the Mildred Hailey tenant task force. “We are ready to hit the ground running with this much-needed undertaking.”
A selection committee comprised of residents of the Mildred C. Hailey public housing development and BHA staff reviewed the proposal and interviewed the Centre Street Partners team, which received high points for its demonstrated model for strong resident partnerships and services. BHA and the developer will kick off the design process by holding a series of resident and community meetings this fall.
“Our low-income families, elderly and disabled residents need and deserve a bright future where their housing is secure and safe,” said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle. “We’re very pleased with the outcome of this process and look forward to working with the residents of Hailey Apartments and the Jamaica Plain community to bring this project to completion.”
The BHA and the development team are confident that relocation can be minimized during the redevelopment. As with previous BHA redevelopment efforts, and if needed, residents will be offered relocation options that will include moves to other BHA public housing sites or Housing Choice/Section 8 vouchers. Existing residents will have the right to return to the site after redevelopment.
“The Community Builders is pleased to partner with the Boston Housing Authority,” said Bart Mitchell, president and CEO of The Community Builders. “Together with Jamaica Plain NDC and Urban Edge, our partnership will help keep Jackson Square strong, with revitalized affordable housing, new market-rate housing, and expanded green space for the entire neighborhood and we are excited to engage with the residents of Mildred Hailey Apartments.”
BHA issued the Request for Proposals (RFP) for redevelopment of the Mildred C. Hailey site as part of a wider strategy to upgrade and make sustainable its affordable housing communities in the wake of historic federal budget cuts.
The potential for adding additional units to create a mixed-income development will add affordable workforce and market rate apartments. BHA hopes this will generate additional income to help sustain the low-income units over the long term. The creation of additional market rate and workforce housing will also further Mayor Walsh’s goal of creating 53,000 new units of housing by 2030.
Prior to issuing the Mildred C. Hailey RFP, BHA issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in November, 2014 asking the non-profit and for-profit development community for ideas about how to preserve public housing units with decreased reliance on federal public housing subsidy, which has been shrinking for many years. There is a copy of the RFQ and more information on the BHA’s funding situation in our Five-Year Plan on the BHA’s website.
Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city’s residents. Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability; and to create living environments which serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency.
The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB), the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) and Urban Edge (collectively known as “Centre Street Partners” or the “Partners”) are pleased to present this proposal for the first phase of the disposition and redevelopment of the Boston Housing Authority’s Mildred C. Hailey Apartments. The partnership of these three accomplished Boston-based development organizations represents a team with deep experience and success in developing vibrant mixed-income communities in the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods adjacent to the Hailey Apartments. Together the Partners bring a unique combination of local knowledge and relationships, mixed income development expertise, and mission focus that will ensure the success of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments redevelopment.
