News & Updates

$250 million in new projects approved at BRA’s June board meeting

Jun 10, 2016

The Boston Redevelopment Authority’s (BRA) board of directors approved five new projects, totaling 562,000 square feet of development valued at an estimated $250 million. Residential projects in Dorchester and Roxbury will provide 105 new housing units, 82 of which will be affordable thanks almost entirely to the planned Indigo Block apartments in Dorchester.

In addition to new housing, a hotel near the Greenway, an office building in Brighton, and an expanded headquarters for Suffolk Construction were approved. All of last night’s approvals together are expected to create 375 construction jobs.

Below is a summary of the development projects that were approved.

Major mixed-use residential and commercial project set to revitalize city-owned parcel in Upham’s Corner

Total Project Cost: $37,000,000
Total SF: 125,400
Construction Jobs: 87

After a successful city-led planning and review process, a development team spearheaded by the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation received approval for a significant mixed-use project in Upham’s Corner that will bring a range of housing at different income levels and 20,000 square feet of light industrial commercial space to the neighborhood. Known as Indigo Block, the project will take advantage of its convenient access to public transit along the MBTA’s Fairmount Commuter Rail Line to create new housing and job opportunities on a currently underutilized site.

Indigo Block will include 80 rental units that will be deed-restricted as affordable at various income levels, nine market rate condominiums, a two-story commercial building, and parking for 86 vehicles. Nearly half of the rental units will be available to households earning no more than 60 percent of area median income, which translates to a maximum monthly rent of about $1,200 for a two-bedroom unit. The majority of the remaining apartments will be available to households earning between 70 and 120 percent of area median income, with rents topping out at about $2,400 for a two-bedroom unit.

The project’s ground-floor commercial space, designed with high ceilings and several shared loading bays, is envisioned for light industrial uses, such as wholesale distribution, small manufacturing, food businesses, and high-tech manufacturing. Second floor office space in the building could provide a home for architecture firms, contractors’ offices, small publishing or printing outlets, and artists that do not require the same loading dock connections as first floor tenants.

Next office building in Boston Landing project gets green light with Boston Celtics as anchor tenant

Total Project Cost: $95,000,000
Total SF: 226,000 (includes parking)
Construction Jobs: 130

A 135,000 square foot office building at 40 Guest Street won approval, allowing the next phase of the Boston Landing project to move forward. The building, designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, will be six stories tall, and while options abound for what tenants will occupy some floors, one thing is certain. The Boston Celtics, who currently practice in Waltham, will join the Boston Bruins in making Boston Landing their home for training.

The Celtics facility, which will include two practice courts and seating for up to 195 people, will occupy the top two floors of the building. The two floors below will be for office or lab use, which could include clinical or research and development space. The ground floor will contain 7,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and the building will be serviced by a 190-space parking structure.

A new place to stay steps away from the Greenway moves closer to reality

Total Project Cost: $90,000,000
Total SF: 145,000
Construction Jobs: 115

A new hotel project two years in the making that will open up onto the Greenway is set to move forward. Designed by Perkins + Will, the Haymarket Hotel will develop one of the few remaining parcels on which to build that was unlocked by the Big Dig. With Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Post Office Square, and the Financial District close by, the 225-room hotel will also offer easy access to the North End and the waterfront, making it an ideal location for tourists.

Harbinger Development, which has the designation to build another hotel on BRA-owned land in the Ray Flynn Marine Park, will construct a one-story market and pavilion to draw in visitors from the Greenway and other nearby attractions. A reconstructed Blackstone Street with new tables and trees will give the pushcart vendors a nicer environment in which to sell their fresh produce and fish.

Hotel guests will be able to enjoy meeting space, a fitness center, and possibly an indoor pool.

Roxbury condo project will help start revitalization of shuttered bus depot

Total Project Cost: $6,000,000
Total SF: 28,020
Construction Jobs: 16

Windale Development was given the go-ahead to build the Bartlett Station Condominiums, a 16-unit project at the edge of Dudley Square. 13 of the units will be two-bedrooms, while the remaining three will be three-bedroom units. Penthouse units on the four-story building will have private rooftop decks with skyline views of the city. Two of the building’s units will be deed-restricted as affordable, with the maximum sale price not to exceed about $300,000.

The condo project is part of a much larger residential and retail development known as Bartlett Place, which will eventually bring 332 units of new housing, 45,000 square feet of commercial space, a plaza for events, arts space, and a public market to the neighborhood.

Suffolk Construction grows headquarters in Roxbury with expansion project

Total Project Cost: $22,000,000
Total SF: 38,000
Construction Jobs: 28

The construction management firm that has helped so many developers in Boston and elsewhere grow their footprints is about to do some expanding of its own. Suffolk Construction’s Allerton Street headquarters is set to get a 38,000 square foot addition, as the company seeks to enlarge its 300-person workforce by ten percent over the next few years.

Suffolk will demolish four vacant buildings next to their current offices to make way for an upgraded headquarters that will include improved workspaces, a new employee cafeteria, a fitness center, training and conference rooms, and outdoor gathering spaces. The sidewalks along Allerton Street will be reconstructed, while new lighting and landscaping will create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

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