News & Updates

BPDA October Board approvals create 362 residential units, 62 of which are income-restricted and over 970 jobs

Oct 18, 2019

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors approved development projects in neighborhoods across the City of Boston, which will result in new market-rate and income-restricted residential units, economic development, and jobs. Overall, the development projects approved this month will create an additional 362 residential units, including 62 income-restricted units, and 972 trade jobs, 420 direct jobs and 518 indirect and induced jobs.

The residential projects moving forward make progress towards Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s goal of increasing affordable housing to support a strong middle-class. Earlier this month, Mayor Walsh announced that Boston has surpassed 30,000 units permitted under the administration’s housing plan, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030. This includes more than 6,000 income-restricted units, or 20 percent of the total new housing, which is set aside for residents who have qualifying incomes.

The newly-approved 201 Stuart Street (Motor Mart Garage) will fulfill its affordable housing contribution by funding at least 42 units of income-restricted housing at 288 Harrison Avenue in Chinatown. The proposed affordable housing project for 288 Harrison Avenue is being developed by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England. The 288 Harrison Avenue project is still under review by the Boston Planning & Development Agency.

Along with development projects, the BPDA Board also approved the authorization to advertise and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for two parcels in Roxbury’s Dudley Square: Blair Lot and Parcel 8. The RFP language for both parcels calls for mixed-use development with housing and commercial uses that promote local businesses and job creation. A minimum of two-thirds of the housing units created onsite will be income-restricted, with one-third designated for low-income households and one-third designated for middle-income households. The Blair Lot RFP specifically requires affordable home-ownership residential housing on the site.

The RFP language for both parcels has undergone an extensive community process as part of PLAN: Dudley Square. The goal of PLAN: Dudley Square is to create a streamlined implementation plan for publicly-owned and vacant privately-owned parcels. Last year Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for four Department of Neighborhood Development -owned parcels were released. The RFP language for these parcels included diversity and inclusion requirements that are now required in all RFPs for publicly owned land.

The Blair Lot RFP will be released at the same time as the RFP for Parcel 8, which is located on Melnea Cass Boulevard between Washington Street and Harrison Avenue.

The BPDA Board also approved a Notice of Project Change for Four Corners Plaza located at 10-18 Bowdoin Street and 100-104 Bowdoin Avenue in Dorchester. The project originally received BPDA Board approval in August 2015. The Notice of Project Change will reduce the commercial/retail space from 8,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet. The remaining 4,000 square foot space will be converted into 4 additional residential units for a total of 35 income-restricted rental units on the project site.

Development Projects

Following a comprehensive public process, 201 Stuart Street (Motor Mart Garage) moves forward to create 231 new home-ownership units and approximately 42 offsite income-restricted units

Live: 231 new home-ownership units and approximately 42 offsite income-restricted units
Work: Approximately 442 construction jobs
Connect: Enhanced pedestrian connectivity, integrated bike lanes and improved intersection safety by implementing Boston Complete Streets guidelines around the site

The newly-approved 201 Stuart Street (Motor Mart Garage) will construct a 264,000 square foot, 20-story residential story rising out of the existing building located in Downtown Boston. The new 310 foot building will create approximately 231 home-ownership units ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom units. Residential amenity spaces will include a fitness center, pool and a vegetated roof on the ninth floor.

The project will retain approximately 672 parking spaces in the existing garage for residential, retail/restaurant and public use. As part of the overall revitalization of the existing building, the ground floor will be redeveloped to accommodate space for future retail, including a grocery store.

201 Stuart Street (Motor Mart Garage) will satisfy the City of Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy by creating 42 off-site income-restricted units in at 288 Harrison Avenue in Chinatown.

Mitigation funds from the project include a contribution to be used for capital improvements to and maintenance of Statler Park, funding to help pay for the Cocoanut Grove Fire Memorial and a contribution toward the re-design of the Stuart Street, Arlington Street and Columbus Avenue intersection in conjunction with the Boston Transportation Department.

The project is located within the boundaries of the BPDA’s ongoing PLAN: Downtown planning initiative. PLAN: Downtown is guided by Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in 50 years. The primary goal of the initiative is to develop a new framework for the preservation, enhancement, and growth of the Downtown area, while balancing the importance of a dynamic mix of uses.

Consistent with the goals outlined thus far in PLAN: Mattapan, Wellington at 1301 (1297-1305 Blue Hill Avenue) will bring 39 rental units, 5 of which are income-restricted, to Mattapan

Live: 39 rental units, including 5 income-restricted
Work: 2,750 square feet of commercial space
Connect: Residential units designed under the City’s Compact Living Policy

Wellington at 1301, located at 1297-1305 Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan, will construct a new, five-story, mixed-use building totaling approximately 42,595 square feet. The building will contain 39 residential rental units, 5 of which will be income-restricted. There will also be three ground-floor commercial spaces, a residential lobby and parking for up to 40 vehicles.

All units at Wellington at 1301 are proposed to be compact, and were designed under the City of Boston’s Compact Living Policy. This program helps create more affordable homes that are well-designed and well-located, so residents can live, work and play in their immediate neighborhoods.

Additionally, the project is consistent with the goals outlined thus far in PLAN: Mattapan, one of the several planning initiatives underway guided by Imagine Boston 2030.

Multi-building development located at 17-31 Charles Park Road, 180-198 Gardner Street and 199 Gardner Street in West Roxbury will contain 88 residential units

Live: 88 residential units, 11 of which are income-restricted
Work: 112 jobs created
Connect: Close proximity to public transit, nearby public parks and walking paths

Located in West Roxbury, 17-31 Charles Park Road, 180-198 Garner Street and 199 Gardner Street will construct a multi-building residential development on the approximately 1.4 acre project site across four parcels. There will be a total of 88 residential units: 70 rental units located at 199 Gardner Street, 9 of which are income-restricted and 18 three-bedroom townhouses located at 17-31 Charles Park Road, 2 of which are income-restricted.

Community benefits associated with the project include improved sidewalks and pedestrian crossings and the installation of a Bluebikes station in the West Roxbury neighborhood.

Northeastern University EXP project will provide dedicated space for the University’s innovative work by creating state-of-the-art laboratories and a dynamic makerspace

Live: Development impact project payment of $2.56M for Housing Trust Fund
Work: 1,275 total jobs, including 550 new permanent jobs and 725 new construction jobs
Connect: 158 indoor bike storage spaces

Consistent with Northern University’s Institutional Master Plan, the Northeastern University EXP Project will construct an eight-story, approximately 350,000 gross square foot building containing classrooms, laboratories and other facilities related to Northeastern’s science and engineering programs.

The project will be built on a 3.44 acre-site located at 795 Columbus Avenue in close proximity to the University’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC). The EXP Project will complement the programs housing in ISEC by providing additional resources including a dynamic new makerspace hub.

The project is part of Northeastern’s Institutional Master Plan which was approved in 2013 along with a robust package of community benefits, such as the reconstruction of Carter Playground in conjunction with the Boston Parks & Recreation Department.

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