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New development in Allston, Hyde Park, Roxbury to generate over 250 residential units

Sep 14, 2018

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors approved three new development projects at their September meeting. The projects will generate a total of 257 residential units, 16 of which will be affordable. In addition, the projects will create over 89 jobs upon their completion. 

Included in the September approvals was the greenlight to move forward with Utile as a consultant for the development of a flood resiliency zoning overlay district, following a complete Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Utile’s consultancy will also include work to develop design resiliency guidelines for new and existing buildings. This project will directly build on the City of Boston’s Climate Ready Boston initiative and recommendations to generate resilient solutions for neighborhoods, infrastructure, and governance that help the region prosper and grow in the face of long-term climate change. The total grant amount for this project is $250,000 and it will be conducted in close partnership with the City’s Environment Department. Both the BPDA and the Environment Department are providing a 25% grant match through in-kind planning services. 

The BPDA continues to make progress towards Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s goal ofincreasing affordable housing to support a strong middle-class. Since the start of 2018, nearly 20 percent of all residential units approved are income-restricted. In total, 785 of the 4,017 residential units approved this year will be income-restricted for low or middle-income families.

Development Projects

37-43 North Beacon Street project in Allston to generate artist live spaces, provide amenities to promote alternative modes of transportation

Live: 72 new apartments, nine condominiums, nine artist live spaces
Connect: Ground-floor programming and art to enhance the pedestrian experience, shuttle service,  contribution towards the Allston/Brighton Mobility Study
Size: 94,047 square feet

The proposed 37-43 North Beacon Street project, located in Allston at the edge of Union Square, will include 37-43 North Beacon Street, 1-3 Sinclair Road, and 2 SinclairRoad. The site currently has three residential buildings with a total of 12 units.

The project proposes the construction of a five-story building at the corner of North Beacon Street and Everett Street containing 72 apartments for rent, as well as a separate four-story building on Sinclair Road, made up of nine for-sale condominiums, all of which are deed restricted for owner occupancy. The rental building will consist of 12 two-bedroom units, 46 one-bedroom units and 14 studio units. Altogether, the rental building will be four floors of mixed income housing above an at-grade lobby with flexible gallery/amenity space. The condo building will consist of two three-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units, four one-bedroom units and one studio unit, with garage parking accessed from Sinclair Road. 

The project will utilize its urban setting to provide a series of amenities to encourage the use of alternative methods of transportation, including a covered and secure bike storage for each unit; a transit screen in the lobby providing schedules for local transit options, and an onsite ride sharing service. The proposal utilizes a private road to allow for rideshare pickup and drop off. The private road access also allows for loading and unloading during move-ins and keeps trucks and rideshare vehicles off major roads such as Everett and North Beacon.

30 Thorn Street to bring 45 new residential units to Hyde Park’s East River Street neighborhood

Live: 45 new residential units, six Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) units, development of vacant lot
Work: 35 jobs created
Connect: 21 parking spaces, covered bike storage, adjacent to major bus routes
Size: 45,700 square feet

The 30 Thorn Street project is to be located in the East River Street neighborhood of Hyde Park. The rear of the project site abuts MBTA Commuter Rail tracks for the Franklin and Fairmount lines and is adjacent to the Boston Housing Authority’s Hassan Apartment building.

As proposed, the project includes the construction of a new six-story building with 45 residential rental units and 21 off-street parking spaces located in the building’s parking garage. The garage will be both entered and exited via an access drive to the left of the proposed building off Thorn Street. In addition, the project proposal includes ground floor common space, lobby, trash room and related improvements in landscaping, site design, pedestrian and vehicular access. Secure and covered bike storage will be provided adjacent to the parking while several visitor bike racks will be located near the sidewalk at the building entry. 

The anticipated unit mix consists of 15 studio units, 15 one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units. Six of the residential units will be designated as IDP units. Additionally, the proponent owns the adjacent properties at 10 and 20 Thorn Street (32 total units) and the 30 Thorn Street project will allow it to complete the overall development of these three neighboring properties for a fully established and cohesive residential program. 

Roxbury’s Haynes House slated for revitalization

Live: 131 renovated housing units, 121 units preserved as affordable, no current residents will be displaced
Work: 250 construction jobs, connect to Madison Park’s workforce recruiting efforts in Roxbury
Connect: Full access to the 15 ongoing community health, wellness, and education programs, full accessibility and community amenities
Size: 134,612 square feet

Haynes House was originally built in 1974. The original project was developed by Lower Roxbury Community Corporation, the predecessor to Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC), and is now maintained and owned by an affiliate, Haynes House Associates II Limited Partnership. At present, Haynes House is a seven-story, elevator high-rise building with 131 family rental apartments. There are 105 two-bedrooms and 26 one-bedrooms.

As proposed, the revitalization of the existing site will implement an $18 million moderate rehabilitation plan as part of a 2018 refinance and preservation effort. The process of rehabilitation will take approximately 16 months. Existing residents will maintain occupancy during the construction period, with work divided into 10 phases to accommodate the occupied status. The building’s footprint and unit make-up will not be modified, but the exterior of the building will require an all-encompassing façade material replacement. 

The largest element of work in this proposal consists of the significant building improvements with the demolition and replacement of the building’s exterior masonry façade, 100% window replacement, and new storefront building entries. The work also includes required life safety system upgrades, energy enhancements, accessibility improvements (including seven units modified to be fully accessible), and selective unit and common area upgrades.

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