Image courtesy of Embarc
A stalled lab development in Boston’s Bulfinch Triangle is giving way to a new plan for 216 residential units in a 15-story tower.
Woburn-based KS Partners proposes the 200,000 square-foot development on a Friend Street property where it previously sought approval for a life science building.
“Most of the comments that we heard through our initial public review period overwhelmingly expressed a desire that we pursue a residential project at the site,” developers wrote in a submission to the Boston Planning Department.
The 0.37-acre site includes four parcels on Friend and Portland streets and contains a 3-story, 22,260 square-foot vacant commercial building and 41-space parking lot. Like the lab plan, no parking spaces are included in the residential proposal.
“Based on the site’s exceptional transit access and comparable urban, parking-free residential developments, the project is expected to generate substantially fewer vehicle trips than a conventional residential development,” developers stated in a notification form to the Boston Planning Department.
Waiving or reducing on-site parking requirements has been cited by multiple developers seeking relief from Boston zoning regulations and trying to make residential projects financially feasible. Costs for underground parking on some sites exceed $100,000 per space.
The 222 Friend St. site, however, is located in a restricted parking district which discourages creation of new parking spaces in the downtown area and does not set a minimum on-site requirement.
The new building would include 4,805 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 14 stories of residential units. The previous proposal would have required variances for height and floor area ratio.
A public comment period expires on May 6.
Another nearby commercial building at 129 Portland St. was approved in 2024 for a residential conversion creating 25 housing units. That property received $4.57 million in mortgage financing in January, according to a Suffolk County Registry of Deeds filing.
Image courtesy of Embarc
