Boston Agency Greenlights $75M Worth of Development
Seven newly approved projects promise affordable housing and public benefits as well as market-rate residences.
Boston—Development is set to continue at a strong pace in Boston, with the Boston Planning & Development Agency‘s (BPDA) board recently signing off on seven residential and mixed-use projects. The projects will total $75 million in investment and generate more than 150 construction jobs.
To help streamline development in the city, the board also approved a plan to present the South Boston Rezoning Initiative to the Zoning Commission. The initiative began in 2014 at the request of Mayor Martin Walsh and city council members, with the goal of creating zoning that provides “predictable, appropriate development without the constant need for zoning variances,” according to the BPDA, a city agency formerly known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The initiative’s proposed zoning includes regulations concerning use, height, density and parking ratios.
The approved projects include:
- Westminster House in Roxbury:Â The previously approved project was modified to increase the number of residential rental units from 30 to 36, nine of which will be designated for homeless or formerly homeless families. All units will be income restricted. The project is receiving funding from Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND).
- Fenway Center:Â The four-building, mixed-use development’s proposed changes were approved, including about $600 million in construction and public benefits. These benefits include housing and on-site affordable housing, as well as commercial and retail uses. Phase I of the project will also include the creation of a signaled intersection at Maitland and Beacon streets and a new public amenity. The development will result in contributions to the Neighborhood Housing Trust and the Neighborhood Jobs Trust.
- 545 E. Third Street:Â The $5.5 million South Boston project will combine two parcels to develop 18 condominiums, including 16 market-rate units and two affordable units. The site will also have bicycle storage, 22 parking spaces and access to multiple Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus lines.
- 482 West Broadway:Â The $8.4 million South Boston project will consolidate three lots on West Broadway to create a five-story, mixed-use building, including 4,190 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, 23 garage parking spaces and 18 residential units on floors two through five. Two units will be designated as affordable.
- 171 Tremont:Â Twelve residential units were approved for the $40 million downtown Boston project. In total, the project will include the construction of a 13-story building housing the units, a lobby and a public park in the Mason Place pedestrian walkway. The developer will also contribute $50,000 to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department toward the maintenance of Boston Common, and a $100,000 contribution to a fund managed by the DND.
- 400 Belgrade Ave.: The proposed West Roxbury development will create an energy-efficient, four-story community comprising 18 rental units, two of which will be affordable, and 33 parking spaces. The total project cost is $9 million.
- 1258-1272 Massachusetts Ave.: The $12.5 million project in Dorchester will include a six-story, mixed-use building with 40 rental units, including five affordable residences. The project will also include 37 off-street parking spaces and ground-floor retail, and provide public benefits such as new pedestrian and commercial activity, reconstructed sidewalks and a $10,000 contribution for maintenance and improvements to Clifford Playground.
In addition to these projects, the Boston Redevelopment Authority approved eight residential projects in May that will bring 1,100 new units to various parts of Boston, Among them is South Bay Town Center, Edens’ 1 million-square-foot, mixed-use project.
Images courtesy of the Boston Planning & Development Agency