Planning Department Advances New Affordable Housing in Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury

The Planning Department this month recommended approval of six new development projects to the BPDA Board. All were approved. The newly approved development projects represent approximately 859,726 square feet (SF). The new projects will create 577 residential units, including 251 units that are designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 749 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs. These projects will make Boston a more resilient, affordable, and equitable city.

Development Projects

 

Drexel Village Project at 175 Ruggles Street to build predominantly income-restricted housing on public land in Roxbury

Housing: 217 residential units, 190 income-restricted units

Jobs: Ground floor retail space, approximately 309 construction jobs

Community: Renovation of existing St. Katharine Drexel Church, resident amenity space, daycare space, bike parking, public open space

Sustainability: LEED Gold

This project will build three new mixed-use buildings and renovate the existing St. Katharine Drexel Church on what is currently partially publicly-owned land in Roxbury. There will be a total of 217 new housing units, 190 of which will be income-restricted. Building one will include 139 rental units and ground floor retail space. Building two will have 60 housing units which will be a mix of homeownership and rental units. Building three will have 18 housing units, and the construction of that building will also include a new daycare and playground as part of the renovation of the church. This project will be built in phases, with building one anticipated to be built first, and buildings two and three built at the same time a few months later. This project was informed by the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan, which was adopted in 2004, and PLAN: Nubian Square, which was adopted in 2018. The project responds to an RFP for the Crescent Parcel which advocated for economic development, sustainable and resilient development, development without displacement, and diversity and inclusion within the development team. As part of the community benefits, this project will create new public open space and new public art on site, and improve the public realm to enhance pedestrian and bike safety including new bike lanes and better sidewalks. The project will also contribute $74,122 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the bikeshare system. 

Project at 250 Everett Street to bring new multi-family housing to Brighton

Housing: 240 residential units, 41 income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 271 construction jobs

Community: New public open space, new Bluebike station on site

Sustainability: On site tree preservation, 90 new trees, LEED Gold, all electric, pursuing Passive House

Located in Brighton, what is currently a parking lot and office space will become a six-story residential building with 240 residential units, 41 of which will be income-restricted. The units will be a mix of studios, one-, and two-bedrooms. The site will be improved with new landscaping and new publicly accessible open spaces. The project will provide public benefits consistent with the existing zoning and informed by the Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning (WACRZ), including 17 percent income-restricted units; the creation of publicly accessible sidewalks along the northern and western edges of the site, and carefully designed, publicly-accessible open space. As part of the community benefits, the project will contribute $75,000 to the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to support maintaining parks in Allston and Brighton, and $66,000 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the bikeshare system. In addition, there will be a new Bluebikes dock on site. 

101-109 Boston Street project will build 59 housing units in Dorchester

Housing: 59 housing units, eight income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 53 construction jobs

Community: Restaurant/retail space, improved public realm

Sustainability: Passive House, all-electric building, 11 new trees 

This project will convert underutilized land into a six-story residential building with 59 residential units, including eight income-restricted units. There will also be indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, a ground floor restaurant, and improvements to the public realm like wider sidewalks. The building will include an indoor bicycle storage room with space for 59 bicycles for residents and 12 bicycle spots outside. The addition of 11 new street trees to the site will mitigate urban heat island effect and create robust tree canopies along Boston Street and Frontage Road. This project will contribute $16,225 to the Boston Transportation Department to support the bikeshare system.

3458 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain to become new housing

Housing: 34 units, eight income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 29 construction jobs

Community: Ground-floor retail

Sustainability: LEED Gold, shared electric vehicle and electric cargo bike for use by building residents

This project will replace a Jamaica Plain autobody repair shop with a five-story building containing 36 housing units and ground floor retail space. Eight of the units will be income-restricted. The project also will include indoor bicycle storage for 30 bicycles, and additional outdoor storage for bikes. Wider sidewalks, six new street trees, and a rebuilt curb ramp will improve the pedestrian experience in the area. The project will contribute $9,900 to the Boston Transportation Department to support the bikeshare system. 

Project at 23-25 North Beacon Street to bring new multifamily housing to Allston

Housing: 25 units, four income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 23 construction jobs

Community: Close proximity to public transportation, bike parking

Sustainability: All electric, Passive House, preservation of existing trees

What is currently a residential building and parking lot will be converted into a new six-story, all-electric building comprised of 25 residential units, four of which will be income-restricted. The units will include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Bike parking will be provided on site. This project is located in the study area of the Allston-Brighton Needs Assessment which was adopted by the BPDA Board in January 2024. This project aligns with the goals of the needs assessment as it provides accessible and affordable housing in a transit dense area. In addition, this project will contribute $6,875 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the City’s bikeshare program, and as part of the community benefits, will make sidewalk and public realm improvements. The all-electric project supports the City’s carbon neutral goals.

Institutional Master Plan (IMP) Proposed Projects and Project Approvals

1st Amendment to the 2020 Suffolk University Institutional Master Plan (IMP) to convert an office building located at 101 Tremont Street into student housing

Housing: 280 units of student housing 

Jobs: Approximately 78 construction jobs

Community: Add vibrancy to downtown area, update public realm on site 

Sustainability: LEED Silver, all-efficient electric, adaptive reuse of an existing building 

Located Downtown, this project will convert an office building into student housing as part of an amendment to Suffolk University’s IMP. The project will maintain the current ground floor retail/restaurant space, and add amenity space for students. This new student housing will help to relieve the burden on the existing multifamily housing stock in downtown neighborhoods, as well as East Boston, which is currently the most popular off-campus housing neighborhood among the University’s undergraduate students. It also contributes to the City’s goal of reducing the number of undergraduate students living off campus in Boston by approximately 50 percent by the year 2030. The project helps to further the goals outlined in PLAN: Downtown by converting office space and reinforcing residential growth of the neighborhood. The project will include improved sidewalks and crosswalks in the vicinity to enhance pedestrian safety. In addition, this project will contribute $75,000 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the bikeshare system.

In addition to these projects, the board approved:

• An update to a previously approved project at 80-100 Smith Street to reduce the overall size of the project.
• An update to a previously approved project at 50 Herald Street to reduce the overall size of the project.
• The waiver of Article 80 review and renovation of the Orchard Garden Apartments located at 25 Ambrose Street in Roxbury.