BPDA approves 67 residential units, 31 of which are income-restricted at September Board

Sep 10, 2020

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors this month approved two new development projects and one Notice of Project Change which will result in new market-rate and income-restricted residential units, economic development, and jobs across the City of Boston. The new development projects approved this month will create an additional 67 residential units, including 31 income-restricted units, representing over 46 percent of total units approved. Altogether, the three development projects will create 86 construction jobs, 98 direct jobs and 46 indirect and induced jobs.

The Board also named Lauren Shurtleff as the agency’s Director of Planning. She will oversee the agency’s 11 full-scale planning studies currently underway, each guided by Imagine Boston 2030, the first city-wide master plan in 50 years.

In addition to development projects, the Board authorized an amendment to the PLAN: East Boston consultant services contract to include further transportation planning and services and extend the contract through the end of 2021. PLAN: East Boston is a community-driven, planning initiative with the goal of producing a framework to predictably shape the future of East Boston, and identify opportunities to preserve, enhance, and grow the neighborhood.

Development Projects

Fully affordable project, 40-50 Warren Street in Roxbury, moves forward with 25 rental units, all of which are income-restricted

Live: 25 rental units, all of which are income-restricted
Work: New ground floor retail space with approximately 30 retail jobs
Connect: 30 bicycle parking spaces

Located on a City-owned parking lot in Roxbury, 40-50 Warren Street will build a six-story building with 25 rental units, all of which are income-restricted. The project will also include over 15,000 square feet of co-working and ground floor retail space, and a total of 30 bicycle parking spaces.

The proponent for this project was selected by the City of Boston in 2018 through the PLAN: Dudley Square, renamed as PLAN: Nubian Square, Request for Proposals process. Through PLAN: Nubian Square the BPDA is working with the community to create a streamlined implementation plan for publicly-owned and vacant privately-owned parcels in the neighborhood. The guidelines for PLAN: Nubian Square were approved by the BPDA Board in June 2019 after an extensive community process.

11 Faneuil Street will bring 42 homeownership units, 6 of which are income-restricted to Brighton

Live: 42 homeownership units, 6 of which are income-restricted
Work: 57 total jobs created
Connect: Contribution for transportation improvements resulting from agency’s ongoing Allston-Brighton Mobility Study

The newly-approved 11 Faneuil Street in Brighton will construct a four-story, 41,525 square foot building, containing 42 homeownership units, 6 of which are income-restricted. Located within walking distance to many shops and restaurants, the project is expected to invigorate this section of Brighton and bring greater amounts of residential foot traffic to the neighborhood.

Mitigation and community benefits from this project include a contribution to the Boston Transportation Department for installation of enhanced bus stops on Market Street, and a contribution to the BPDA for improvements resulting from the agency’s ongoing Allston-Brighton Mobility Study.

Notice of Project Change

The BPDA also approved a Notice of Project Change (NPC) for 5 Necco Street and 15 Necco Street in Fort Point, that will increase the total square footage of the 15 Necco Street building and eliminate the parking associated with the project.

The previously approved project included the occupancy of the General Electric Company Corporate Headquarters at both the 5 Necco Street building and the 15 Necco Street building, however GE will now only occupy space only 5 Necco Street.

Additional changes associated with the NPC include:

• A shift in use from a single-tenant corporate headquarters to a multi-tenant building with a mix of office, research, and development and life sciences on the upper floors, and more active uses on the ground floor;
• Improved pedestrian connectivity to enhance access to new open spaces, such as a pedestrian corridor through the 15 Necco Street building, additional public and accessible building entrances, and connections between the active ground floor uses and surrounding open space;
• Elimination of the building canopy over the pedestrian walkway to help create a significantly larger amount of open space;
• And flood control measures to protect the project site and nearby properties from projected sea level rise events established in Climate Ready Boston: South Boston.

The project has already generated community benefits from the recently completed historic rehabilitation of the 5 Necco Street building. Community benefits associated with the completion of the project include approximately 4,758 square feet of ground floor space at 5 Necco Street identified as the Non-Profit Fort Point Arts Space, approximately 4,400 square feet of ground floor space at 15 Necco Street identified as a public work lounge, public restrooms with wayfinding signage, a new temporary or semi-permanent watersheet attraction in the Fort Point Channel, and improvements to the Necco Street sidewalk and intersection.