Boston – Boston’s Planning Department recently recommended approval of seven new development projects to the BPDA board. All were approved.
The 1274 Massachusetts Avenue project will combine four parcels, some of which currently sit empty, to build a 6-story building with ground floor retail and 45 rental units in Dorchester. Eight of those units will be income-restricted. The project will include adding trees to increase shade and cooling efforts in the neighborhood, improvements to the sidewalks, and new curb extensions.
The 819 Cummins Highway project converts four parcels of currently vacant land in Mattapan into 40 homeownership units, including seven income-restricted units. It will include retail space, and a community room and fitness center for residents. A large landscaped plaza will also be installed at the project site. This project is enabled by, and aligned with, Squares + Streets zoning, and is also contextually aligned with PLAN: Mattapan.
The project at 295 West First Street will build 236 new residential units, including 36 income-restricted units, in a formerly industrial area of South Boston. The ground floor will include community, cultural, and retail space, as well as a community cafe. A nonprofit organization will be selected as the anchor tenant for this space. In addition, there will be publicly accessible open space on site.
Located in the South End, the 615 Albany Street project is part of the city’s Office to Residential Conversion Incentive PILOT program, which officially launched in October of 2023. The project will add a sixth story to extend the building and convert it into 24 residential units, five of which will be income-restricted.
129 Portland Street
Located in the West End, the 129 Portland Street project is also part of the city’s Office to Residential Conversion Incentive PILOT program. It includes the renovation of an existing building to create 25 new residential units, including five income-restricted units. The currently vacant ground floor retail space will be renovated.
What is currently a single-family home located at 90 Allandale Street in West Roxbury will become eight new homeownership units. This project aligns with the preservation goals of the Open Space and Recreation Plan with respect to Allandale Woods through its conservation of the forested area of the site. New sidewalks and a high-visibility crosswalk will be added in the vicinity.
The 500 Huntington Avenue project will bring new life science/office space with ground floor retail and commercial space to Mission Hill. Within the two buildings that make up this project, there will be bike parking and publicly accessible open space. The project will work with nearby Wentworth Institute of Technology to facilitate a workforce development program to provide pathways to life science careers for Boston residents.
As part of the approval of the 2024-2026 Institutional Master Plan (IMP) for the Boston University (BU) Charles River Campus, BU will renovate Warren Towers, renovate Mugar Library, and construct the new Pardee School of Global Studies. Additionally, the Commonwealth Avenue streetscape directly outside the building will be reconstructed, and a parking lot will be converted into new green space.
As part of the approval of the First Amendment of the 2022-2024 IMP for Berklee College of Music, the 1249 Boylston Street project will renovate and convert a building in the Fenway into academic space with ground floor retail.
As part of the approval of the 2023-2025 IMP for Boston College, the 117 Lake Street project will be an addition to the existing Theology and Ministry Library on the Brighton campus known as the Catholic Religious Archives. This building will store collections, artwork, and cultural artifacts.
The BPDA board of directors also authorized the release of a Request for Proposals to redevelop the property at 626-628 Warren Street in Roxbury. The RFP allows for proposals that include either a residential development with the potential for ground floor commercial space or improved public open space. These uses are the result of a public process which was first launched at the end of 2022, and ongoing community dialogue.
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In addition to these projects, the board approved:
- The renewal of the Tufts Medical Center Institutional Master Plan.
- The renewal of the New England Conservatory of Music Institutional Master Plan.
- The renewal of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Institutional Master Plan.
- The disbursement of $130,000 to nine community organizations in the Fenway neighborhood.
- The disbursement of $2,540,115 in varying amounts from the Harvard Allston Public Realm Flexible Fund to five community organizations in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood.
