Image courtesy of Utile

Developers Morro USA and Scape received approval today to build a 28-story furnished apartment tower near Kenmore Square.

The 400-unit, 299,000-square-foot building at Ipswich Street and Charlesgate West was originally proposed in 2021 under Boston’s compact living policy, which was suspended in 2023 after approving projects such as the 525 Linc complex which opened last year in Allston.

The Boston Zoning Board of Appeal approved a series of variances for the project at today’s meeting.

A $3.2-million community benefits package includes a $500,000 payment to the Boston Parks & Recreation department and $200,000 to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation for tree maintenance in the neighborhood. Developers also are contributing $300,000 to the Fenway Community Development Corp. to help it complete financing of a 24-unit affordable housing project at 112-114 Queensberry St.

The Charlesgate project required nine variances from the ZBA. The proposed 280-foot height exceeds the 135-foot maximum under zoning. The project also won’t include on-site parking, while 300 spaces are required.

Income-restricted compact studio units will rent for as little as $1,196 per month, according to documents submitted to the Boston Planning Department. The project includes 52 income-restricted units reserved for households earning a maximum 70 percent of area median income. Another 16 apartments will be set aside for households earning up to 120 percent of AMI.

The building was redesigned by developer Morro USA in late 2023 to comply with city regulations on developments bordering the Emerald Necklace park system.

The new version moved the 295-foot-tall section of the building away from Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation-owned parkland while adding stepbacks on the section closer to a row of brownstones on Boylston Street.

District 8 Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan supported the project after pressing developers to reduce the height by two floors to minimize shadows on the parklands.

“The greatest urban landscapes have proven that density and greenscapes can and must coexist,” Durkan commented at today’s hearing.

28-Story Furnished Housing Tower Approved in Fenway

by Steve Adams time to read: 1 min
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