Chestnut Hill Realty Expands West Roxbury Multifamily by 48 Units

By Keith Loria, Contributing Writer

Boston—Chestnut Hill Realty completed a $12 million expansion to its Ridgecrest Village Apartments, adding a new 48-unit building and bringing its total to 389 apartment homes in the West Roxbury, Mass., community.

“When we acquired the Ridgecrest Village property, there was some vacant land and it was presumed to have ledge in it and appeared to be unbuildable, but we investigated and it became clear it was very buildable,” Marc Levin, Chestnut Hill Realty’s director of development, tells MHN. “By adding new product to old, it diversifies the housing type to offer to prospective residents and helps us reposition older properties.”

The new apartment building features a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, an elevator, ample parking, easy access to public transportation and offers several unique design elements created by Gary Lowe, principal of Lowe Associates-Architects of Chestnut Hill.

In addition to the new building, which is located at 125 Edgemere Road, the project included the construction of a new pool and fitness center, a reconfiguration of the site and expansion of on-site parking.

“We have been active in West Roxbury for many years. We believe that our properties are integral to the neighborhoods where they are,” Levin says. “We like to provide a feeling of home to our residents, just as a single-family home owner does in their own home.”

Chestnut Hill Realty also made a series of civic improvements along Washington Street to revitalize the West Roxbury neighborhood. This included beautifying streetscape and neighborhood landscaping and signage projects and creating a new entryway into the Beethoven School schoolyard with brick columns and wrought-iron fencing and an archway.

“That was part of a community benefits package. The stretch that we focused on is a very long barren stretch of Washington Street and what we wanted to do was not only beautify it but do it in such a way that it would contribute some traffic calming as well,” Levin says. “We emphasized the crosswalk at the school where the kids cross and put big concrete planters along the median strip to give a reason to slow down.”

In addition Chestnut Hill Realty created new crosswalks and ramps for students and a brick entrance wall with signage for “Engine 55” at the Washington Street Fire Station.

“By doing improvements and contributing to causes in the community, we become an integral part of the neighborhood and everyone benefits,” Levin says.

In total, Chestnut Hill Realty owns and operates 648 apartment units in West Roxbury.