Boston – The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) board of directors recently approved nine new development projects. The projects will create 940 residential units, will represent 4.2 million sq. ft., and will support 3,500 construction jobs and 6,636 direct jobs.
Nexus at the Innovation Corridor will transform four acres of industrial and auto-related uses along 250-280 and 305 Western Avenue in Allston into a mixed-use development with a state-of-the-art research laboratory and new publicly accessible open space. Approximately 26% of residential units will be income-restricted. The project has committed to support local retailers throughout the project’s retail spaces.
Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Building
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston will build a new state-of-the-art clinical building along Cambridge Street in the West End. This project will total approximately 1,050,450sf, providing MGH with approximately 482 beds as well as space for clinical, ambulatory and support services for the hospital. As part of the project, MGH will deliver numerous community benefits to the surrounding area, and the building intends on using 100% renewable energy once constructed.
The project at 220 Huntington Avenue and 1 Cumberland Street will replace existing buildings with 325 units of transit-oriented housing, including 43 income-restricted units with AMIs below 70%. The approximately 10-story project will replace the Midtown Hotel and bring sidewalk, crosswalk, bicycle lane improvements at Huntington Avenue and Cumberland Street.
220 Huntington Ave.
The fifth phase of the Bartlett Station project continues the redevelopment of the former MBTA bus depot to create a mixed-use, 8.59 acre development at 2565 Washington Street in Roxbury. A component of the fifth phase will be to include the construction of a 5-story building with approximately 44 income-restricted units, providing affordable housing to households at 30-80% Area Median Income.
Bartlett Station
Located within walking distance of the Stony Brook MBTA Station, a two-building project at 265-267 Amory Street will include the new headquarters for Youth Enrichment Services (YES), add nine units of housing, a ground floor ski-shop, and conference rooms. Other community benefits include a new pathway through the Southwest Corridor park, a new crosswalk connection toward the Samual Adams brewery across Amory Street, and accessibility improvements to public walkways.
The Doyle’s Cafe in Jamaica Plain will be renovated, revived, and return with a new roof deck as part of a multi-parcel project that will house 29 families. It will include six affordable units. An expanded storefront will also make space for an urban grocery market on the corner of Washington and Gartland Streets.
Doyle’s Cafe
The new 6-story building at 16 Taber Street in Roxbury will create 30 new units of housing including four income-restricted units, along with a new ground floor retail space. As part of the community benefits package associated with the project, the proponent will provide $35,000 to the Justice Edward O. Gourdin Veterans Memorial Park Fund in support of the care and operations of the park, and approximately $9,000 in funding toward the city’s BlueBikes program.
Located between Roxbury and the South End, a new modern industrial building at 55-115 Hampden Street in Newmarket will bring additional jobs and economic opportunities to the neighborhood. The project proponent, F.W. Webb, worked closely with the PLAN: Newmarket team to align the project with the vision of BPDA’s ongoing PLAN: Newmarket planning initiative.
The project at 819 Beacon Street in the Fenway neighborhood will create 393 residential rental housing units, including 59 on-site affordable units, and 53 institutional patient-family housing units in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital. The project also includes a 1,600sf retail space on the corner of Beacon Street and Maitland Street.
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In addition to the new projects, the BPDA board approved five updates to previously approved projects: Landmark Center Phase III, Fenway; Alexandra Hotel; 100 Hood Park Drive, Charlestown; 282 Bremen Street, East Boston; and 154 Terrace Street.
The BPDA board has authorized a petition to the Boston City Council to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in the neighborhood of Newmarket. The Newmarket BID would be established with the goal of increasing area-wide safety and security, keeping streets, sidewalks and other areas in the public realm clean, improve traffic and transportation, provide support for business growth and vibrancy, and support marketing efforts of businesses in the neighborhood.
The BPDA board also voted to extend the East Boston Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) an additional year in order to allow the PLAN: East Boston initiative to finish its community process and deliver its recommendations.
