Boston – At its latest meeting, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) board of directors approved five new development projects that will create 233 residential units, 87 of which will be designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 247 construction jobs and seven permanent jobs.
Two residential buildings will be constructed at 2 Shawsheen Road in East Boston, creating a total of 57 residential units. One building will contain 22 income-restricted homeownership units, and the second building will contain 35 residential units. There will be open space between the two buildings reserved for the future implementation of the Winthrop Greenway, a shared-use path that will connect the Orient Heights Station, the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, and the town of Winthrop.
The project at 156 Wellington Hill Street in Mattapan will incorporate three levels of an existing building into a new four-to-five story building. It will include 27 condominium units and over 1,000sf of retail space. Four of the units will be income-restricted. The creation of homeownership units at this project is in line with the goals of PLAN: Mattapan to provide residents with opportunities to create generational wealth through homeownership.
Located in Mission Hill, the 1558 Tremont Street project will convert a vacant 3-story building into a 6-story multi use building that will house 95 residential units and 3,228sf of first-floor retail space. Sixteen of the apartments will be income-restricted. The project will improve the public realm with new sidewalks, new street trees, and streetscape improvements.
The 118 B Street project in South Boston will create a 5-story building with 33 homeownership units, including six income restricted units. This project will be a transit-oriented development, as it is in close proximity to the MBTA Broadway Station, serving the Red Line and several bus routes. New, wider sidewalks will be constructed around the project to accommodate new and existing foot traffic.
The 27 Farragut Road project will bring 21 housing units to South Boston in a 4-story building. Four of the units will be income-restricted. Pedestrian-safety improvements will be made to the intersection of Farragut Road and East Second Street. This, along with new curb extensions, will allow greater access to public open space, recreational amenities, and the waterfront across the street.
The Master Plan Planned Development Area (PDA) was also approved for 475-511 Dorchester Avenue, also known as the On the Dot development. Located just outside of Andrew Square, the project would create 11 new buildings including office, life science, residential, retail, restaurant, commercial, and community uses. Given the size of this development, it will be initiated in phases.
At an earlier meeting, the BPDA board approved two new development projects that will create 629 residential units, 126 of which will be designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 1,323 construction jobs and 2,076 permanent jobs.
The One Mystic Avenue development will help to convert a formerly industrial area of Charlestown into housing and retail, and aid in the revitalization of the Sullivan Square District. Within this 22-story development will be 503 residential units, 100 of which will be income-restricted. In addition, there will be a dedicated wing of this building for housing formerly homeless veterans.
The 40 Roland Street development will consist of three new buildings on more than four acres of land including office/lab space, residential space, and retail space. The parcels are known as 145 Cambridge Street, 128 Cambridge Street, 89 Cambridge Street, and 10-40 Roland Street.
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The board also adopted the PLAN: Charlestown planning initiative which includes an analysis of neighborhood needs and recommendations to improve access to services, new zoning for existing industrial parts of the neighborhood to encourage more housing and retail options, and urban design guidelines to govern future development in the former industrial area and in the Original Peninsula, and approved an amendment to the zoning code to make child care an allowed use in all Boston neighborhood districts.
Additionally, the board approved:
- A demonstration project plan in Downtown Boston which will help to facilitate the conversion of offices to residential buildings.
- The release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services to help in creating an Allston Brighton Community Plan.
- The release of a RFP for a consultant to create an illustrated guide, known as a “pattern book,” that will serve as a guide for the most feasible options for property owners in Boston who may want to build Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) on their property.
- Final designation to the Frederick Douglass Peace Park Stewardship Committee and the Boston Food Forest Coalition Inc. to redevelop the Frederick Douglass Peace Garden into restored open space.
- Tentative designation of the Planning Office of Urban Affairs (POUA) and the Roxbury Stone House to redevelop the parcels at 7-9 Westminster Terrace into affordable housing.
- A partnership with Franklin Cummings Tech, which will allow the construction of the school’s new campus in Nubian Square to break ground in the coming months.
- The renewal and extension of the Northeastern University Institutional Master Plan.
