New residential units in Mattapan, Jamaica Plain and South Boston approved at February Board meeting
Feb 09, 2018
Projects to yield 1,000 residential units, 379 of which will be affordable
The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors approved four new development projects and four Notices of Project Change at the February Board meeting. The projects represent a combined investment of $1.1 billion and will generate 1,000 residential units, of which 379 will be designated as affordable units. Thursday’s approvals include Phase I of the redevelopment of Suffolk Downs, 520,000 square feet of office space, which once complete will bring 2,500 permanent jobs to East Boston.
The 1,000 new residential units that span across the City build on the significant progress the City of Boston continues to make to meet Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s goal of creating 53,000 new units of housing by 2030. Recommitting to making affordable homes a reality to support a strong middle class, Mayor Walsh announced his intention to increase the City’s targets for low-income homes, moderate-income homes, senior housing, and overall units during his inaugural address on January 1, 2018.
Development Projects
Phase I of Suffolk Downs redevelopment moves forward, bringing 520,000 square feet of office space to East Boston
Live: 1.4 acres of open space, 2,500 square foot community space in building/plaza
Work: 2,500 office jobs, 400 construction jobs
Connect: 100 low-emission parking spaces, 19-dock bikeshare station
Size: 520,000 square feet
Suffolk Downs Phase I represents a 1,092,655 square-foot portion of the larger 4,756,315 square foot parcel known as Suffolk Downs. Phase I includes 520,000 square feet of office space, in two approximately 260,000 square foot buildings, with supporting corporate space on the ground floor. Both buildings will be approximately 124 feet tall, and will include terraced outdoor spaces with a landscaped, open-air walkway between the two buildings. The two buildings will share approximately 500 parking spaces. Approximately 12 acres of existing open space will remain as-is, and approximately 1.4 acres of new open space will be developed, including pedestrian access to the adjacent Suffolk Downs MBTA Blue Line station.
The buildings will be designed with energy conservation measures to achieve an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 44 compared to 59 for conventional buildings, resulting in an approximate 24 percent energy usage savings and an approximate 22 percent reduction in stationary source greenhouse gas emissions. The project will integrate the stormwater management system into the open space network, to address potential increases in storm intensity due to anticipated climate change, in accordance with recent Boston Water and Sewer Commission guidance.
The project will include approximately 2,500 square feet of community space for use by the East Boston community, as well as a historical display commemorating the history of Suffolk Downs.
To increase safety at the vehicular entrance to the site, the site entrance at Route 1A and Tomasello Drive (a private onsite drive) will be improved to physically deter illegal left turns from the site onto Route 1A headed southbound, through construction of a barrier/extension of the existing Route 1A median, in partnership with MassDOT.
The project will result in a payment of nearly $3.5M in linkage funds for the Neighborhood Housing Trust, and nearly $700,000 for the Neighborhood Jobs Trust, to create affordable housing and workforce development opportunities.
559 housing units move forward in Jamaica Plain, including preservation of 199 income restricted units
Live: 559 housing units, preservation of 199 affordable housing units, 145 new affordable housing units, transit oriented
Work: 364 construction jobs, 15 permanent operations, management and maintenance staff jobs
Connect: 260,000 square feet of site improvements, new pedestrian and bicycle path, central connecting green, play area, accessible connections
Size: 320,000 square feet
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) issued a request for proposals for the 125 Amory Street property in July 2015 in an effort to preserve the existing 199 units at 125 Amory Street, and provide new housing on the adjacent vacant land. The project, the result of a partnership between the Community Builders, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC), and Urban Edge, will preserve the 199 existing affordable units, and build 145 new affordable units and 215 market rate units.
125 Amory Street is an approximately six acre site owned by the BHA. The renovation portion of the preservation of the existing Amory Street Apartments, including new windows, high-efficiency mechanical systems, accessibility improvements, reprogrammed and improved common spaces for 4 residents, facade repairs, and interior unit upgrades. Existing additions to the building will be demolished, and improvements will be made for parking and open space around the site. The building will include up to 209 units of affordable senior housing, including an additional ten units that will be constructed in areas currently used by the BHA, which will be relocated offsite. Common program spaces will be upgraded within the building, and residential parking will be re-organized with replacement spaces adjacent to the building.
The project includes construction of three new residential buildings totaling approximately 308,950 square feet. Building A will be a six story building over parking with approximately 147 rental apartments, including approximately 37 apartments affordable to households earning up to 70 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). Approximately 25 percent of the units will be two-bedroom or larger units sized for families. The building will include approximately 57 below grade parking spaces. Building B will be a six story building over parking with approximately 140 rental apartments, including approximately 35 apartments affordable to households earning up to 70 percent of the AMI. Approximately 25 percent of the units will be two-bedroom or larger units sized for families. The building will include approximately 58 below-grade parking spaces. Building C will be a four and five story building with approximately 62 affordable rental apartments, with approximately 76 percent sized for families. At least eight units will be set aside for residents earning under 30 percent of the AMI, with the remainder for residents up to 60 percent of the AMI.
Mixed-use, mixed-income residential and commercial complex will bring economic activity to Mattapan Square
Live: 144 new transit-oriented housing units, 69 affordable units, nine homeownership family units
Work: 392 job opportunities, 233 construction jobs, four full and 10 part-time property management jobs, 25 commercial/retail jobs
Connect: 10,000 square feet of commercial space, 2,000 square feet of community space, public outdoor space, new pedestrian plaza, mix of destination and neighborhood retail, connection to the Neponset River Greenway
Size: 166,750 square feet
The Mattapan Station Project will create a vibrant, mixed-use, mixed-income transit-oriented development project that will serve as a catalyst for future investment and development in the Mattapan neighborhood. The project will be constructed on an existing parking lot located at the Mattapan MBTA Station.
The project will create 135 units of rental housing, approximately 10,000 square feet of commercial space and an approximately 2,000 square foot community room to be made available to residents and members of the community. Phase I includes 70 sub-grade parking spaces intended for use by the residents, along with approximately 8 on-street parking spaces to support the commercial space on River Street, and a 50-space at-grade parking lot intended to be operated by the MBTA on a fee-per-use basis. Phase II consists of 9 condominium units. In addition, the project includes new sidewalks and a dedicated bike lane linking to the Neponset River Greenway.
51 percent of the total housing units will be affordable, including 54 units to households earning 60 percent of AMI or less, seven units affordable to households earning 50 percent of AMI or less, and eight units affordable to households earning 30 percent of AMI or less.
457-469A West Broadway approval to bring 44 residential rental units to South Boston
Live: 44 housing units, 38 market rate units, six affordable units, two ADA accessible units
Work: 40 construction jobs, $19.5 million investment, future job opportunities in commercial/retail spaces
Connect: $80,000 in community benefits, transportation infrastructure improvements, non-profit grant application funding
Size: 65,282 square feet
457-469A West Broadway will construct a five story, 65,282 gross square-foot, mixed-use development in South Boston. The building will contain 44 residential rental units, a 13,500 square foot commercial space and garage parking for approximately 66 spaces with vehicular access via Silver Street. The proposal will demolish three existing and underutilized structures.
The residential units will include a mix of eight one-bedroom units and 36 two-bedroom units. Six inclusionary development policy units will be made affordable to households earning not more than 70 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).
The commercial space has the ability to be divided into multiple spaces and uses. The below-grade garage parking also includes two spaces for handicapped vans, bicycle storage, a resident’s gym, a community room and trash recycling. The rooftop consists of common space, private decks and a dog walking area.
Notices of Project Change (NPC)
Readville Yard 5 in Hyde Park moves forward with project updates
Work: 100 construction and 300 permanent jobs near public transit
Connect: Transform former railyard into a vibrant neighborhood “maker” space for creative and manufacturing uses, improve environmental conditions on a site that has been closed off from the public, new multi-use path to improve pedestrian realm
Size: 249,845 square feet
The Readville Yard 5 Industrial Development is located on a 21 acre parcel at 8 Industrial Drive in Hyde Park. For over 100 years the project site was used for railroad maintenance, passage, and materials storage. In 1987, the site was acquired by the MBTA and at present, the site is vacant except for the occasional storage of railroad equipment and material. In 2011, the MBTA completed an extensive site remediation for environmental contamination that has prepared the location for select public uses. The Readville Yard 5 Industrial Development will further improve the environmental conditions of the site and will create public pedestrian access, which has been closed off to the public for over a century.
The project, originally approved in 2014, has been revised with an approximately 84,090 square foot reduction in the total gross floor area by decreasing the project size from six to five buildings, and decreasing the size of one of the remaining buildings. The proposed project now includes leasing four acres of the site to National Grid as a service center for natural gas repairs for customers of the City of Boston, and five buildings totaling 249,845 square feet.
Stavis Seafood project NPC to increase ground floor area, decrease overall building footprints
Work: Seafood processing facilities and light industrial/office space, water-dependent industrial and accessory uses
Connect: 56 bike parking spaces, interior and exterior bike parking with employee cyclist amenity space
Size: 10,360 square feet
The Stavis Seafoods Development is located on a portion of Parcel M-1 within the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park (RLFMP) on land that is subject to a long term ground lease by and between the BPDA and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), commonly referred to as the Massport Marine Terminal (MMT). The project site is comprised of approximately 7.2 acres.
This fourth NPC for the Stavis project proposes updates including physically separating the northern and southern portions of the building proposed in the third NPC into two stand-alone buildings to be built in phases, with an accompanying reduction in the square footage of the northern portion from 91,000 square feet to approximately 65,790 square feet, and an increase in square footage of the southern portion from 110,000 square feet to approximately 145,570 square feet. The northern building will be developed as a one-story seafood-related building anticipated to be used by Stavis Seafoods. Consistent with the entire project, the other building, on the southern portion of the site, is anticipated to be developed as a three-story building with uses that are fully-compliant with the ground lease by and between EDIC and Massport, and Chapter 91.
The proposed updates will increase the aggregate gross floor area of the project buildings from 201,000 square feet to 211,360 square feet, but will decrease the overall building footprints from the original 130,000 square feet to approximately 115,270 square feet.
Fan Pier NPC & Second PDA Amendment moves forward to increase residential units for South Boston Waterfront
Live: 155-170 condominium units
Work: 300,000 square feet of office space, 13,000 square feet of retail space
Connect: New open space located at Parcel E, balance of public green
Size: 562,214 square feet
The Fan Pier Development project is a multi-phase, mixed-use development located on Boston’s Fan Pier that includes nine buildings on lettered Parcels A through J (there is no Parcel G). The Second Amendment and corresponding NPC relate to the last remaining undeveloped parcels of the Fan Pier Development, Parcel E and Parcel H, which are yet to be developed above-ground.
This proposed Second Amendment to Planned Development Area (PDA) No. 54 requests the elimination of the current requirement in the Original Development Plan that "at least one of the parcels on which hotel use is permitted shall be developed in whole or in part as a hotel.” The two parcels in the Fan Pier Development on which hotel use is permitted remain undeveloped, Parcels E and H. Parcel H is the parcel where the hotel was proposed to be built. The elimination of the hotel requirement from the original development plan will allow Parcel H to be dedicated to residential use with ground and second-floor facilities of public accommodation, including civic/cultural space.
This NPC relates the intent to develop Parcel E as an all office building with ground floor retail and other facilities of public accommodation, and with no laboratory space. This updated program for Parcel E is already allowed by the original development plan, but reflects an update to the uses for Parcel E last considered under Article 80B of the City of Boston Zoning Code, governing impact review.
Old Colony Phase 3 approval to bring 135 affordable units to South Boston
Live: 301 affordable units, Boston Housing Authority redevelopment, 1:1 replacement with 51 additional units
Work: 400 construction jobs, education and job readiness with Tierney Learning Center, transit-oriented access to jobs
Connect: Tierney Learning Center to serve children, youth and adults with access to Head Start, Boys & Girls Club, ESL, nutrition, career training, summer programs, and computer learning programs
Size: 347,000 square feet
The Old Colony Phase 3 site is 1.89 acres located between Dorchester Street and Patterson Way in South Boston. The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) will demolish the existing buildings and construct an affordable housing residential project on the same site, where existing residents will be able to return to live. In this phase, the BHA plans to construct an approximately 163,000 square foot development comprised of 135 one, two, three and four-bedroom residential units in two four-story elevator buildings. The buildings will have accessory property management and maintenance space located on the first floor. Parking is available on the adjacent public streets and other amenities will include laundry rooms, bicycle storage, trash/recycling areas, and the Tierney Learning Center. The proposed project will generate over 100 construction-period jobs as well as several new on-site property management and maintenance positions.