Brookline, Ma – Nauset Construction Corporation announced today that construction on the $8.35 million condominium project in the Fisher Hill neighborhood of Brookline for Boston-based developer New Atlantic Development Corporation has been completed. The 24 units represent the culmination of eight years of community planning to bring more affordable housing to the town, and residents are already beginning to move in. Designed by CBT Architects, the moderate income homes were designed to fit seamlessly into an existing neighborhood originally planned by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of the Emerald Necklace and Central Park.
The project was developed in two phases; the first being the demolition and backfilling of the former Brookline reservoir, which was taken offline in the fifties when Brookline tied into the MWRA system. “The site preparation may have been the most impressive part of this project,” said Terry Stretch, Senior Project Manager for Nauset. “We removed two enormous underground tanks and filled it in with 45,000 cubic feet of compacted fill to manufacture a regular site.” That preparation also included the installation of subdivision utilities and the construction of a new street, Olmsted Road.
The second phase was the creation of 11 lots; ten were sold at market value to help finance the affordable portion of the project, with the remaining lot designated for the three-building, 24-unit condominium development, complete with an underground parking garage for 34 vehicles. Designed to look like a turn of the century estate, the development is comprised of a 16-unit “main house,” a courtyard, a “guest house” with four more units, and another four-unit “gate house”. “From an architect’s perspective it really integrates affordable housing into this established neighborhood in a way that doesn’t single it out,” said Ellen Perko, Associate Principal at CBT Architects.
In addition to the aesthetic sensibilities of the project, Olmsted Hill will provide a highly sustainable, green lifestyle for its residents. All units are ENERGY STAR certified, and are LEED certifiable. “We have the architect monitor the process and follow all the requirements of the LEED program. So we have good tight buildings, great insulation, storm water recharge on site to mitigate the impact on the town’s storm system, and sustainable landscaping that requires minimal watering,” said Brian Goldson, New Atlantic Development’s Director of Construction.
The development was completed on budget, and Goldson praised Nauset for its collaborative approach to the project. “They have a good team approach and were good partners at the table,” he said. “They’re an owner-focused company.”