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The pending rezoning of Charlestown’s Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square could pave the way for high-density development such as the 503-unit One Mystic apartment tower proposed by Newton-based Fulcrum Global Investors. Image courtesy of Stantec
Developers would find a clear pathway to build higher-density projects lining the upper deck of Interstate 93 at Boston’s northern gateway under a rezoning plan nearing the finish line.
The PLAN: Charlestown draft study envisions a mix of housing towers and workspaces lining a redesigned Rutherford Avenue, with developers chipping in for new public transit shuttles accommodating the growth spurt.
The rezoning would clear the way for construction of buildings up to 280 feet, or approximately 28 stories, between Rutherford Avenue and the expressway. Multifamily developments located within 1,000 feet of the Sullivan Square and Community College MBTA Orange Line stations would receive density bonuses that would raise their maximum possible floor area ratios by one.
A neighborhood survey indicated preferences for housing production at the expense of commercial uses such as lab space, BPDA Senior Planner Patricia Cafferky said at a draft plan presentation last month. But maximum building heights of 350 feet were eliminated after strong opposition in a community survey, Cafferky said.
Rezoning Reflects Recent Development Activity
Despite being located less than 2 miles from downtown Boston, the Rutherford Avenue corridor remained a remnant of industrial uses and surface parking until recently. The development boom spread across the Charles River with proposals for higher-renting uses ranging from apartments to life science labs, some of which are nearing approval. The proposed rezoning would make it easier for similar projects to follow, by eliminating the need for variances.
The corridor has also attracted acquisitions by major developers such as Related Beal and proposals for high-rise housing and life science labs. Two major projects are moving closer to approval in anticipation of the neighborhood rezoning.
Newton-based Fulcrum Global Investors is proposing the neighborhood’s most prominent new project: replacing an auto junkyard just north of Sullivan Square with a 22-story, 503-unit apartment tower called One Mystic.
RISE Development + Construction is seeking approval for nearly 754,000 square feet of office, lab and residential space on a 4.4-acre cluster of parcels on Cambridge and Roland streets. The three buildings, ranging from six to nine stories, would supplant auto repair shops, a paper manufacturer, office space and vacant buildings in the same neighborhood.
Both proposals are consistent with the PLAN: Charlestown recommendations, according to BPDA memos authorizing upcoming public hearings.
Even Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is getting into the neighborhood’s development act. In 2021, Wu unveiled plans to offer Bunker Hill Community College parking lots on Austin Street and some city funding to developers willing to include at least 60 percent income-restricted units. The 5-acre property is considered one of the high-impact, high-priority housing creation areas in Wu’s citywide surplus property disposition plan.
The city received two submissions, which will be presented at a BPDA virtual meeting on Sept. 20.
A partnership of DREAM Collaborative and Roxbury-based Onyx Group proposed 635 apartments and 122 condominiums. And Boston-based Trinity Financial submitted designs for 128 market-rate condos, 146 market-rate apartments, 246 income-restricted apartments reserved for households earning 30 to 80 percent of area median income and 166 income-restricted condos for households at 80 and 100 percent AMI.
Disagreement on Effective Transit Upgrades
Objections to the taller building heights were the dominant theme among comments submitted to the BPDA after the draft’s release in August, Cafferky said.
Accommodating millions of square feet of new development bringing thousands of new residents and workers to the neighborhood will strain the already-congested local roads and transit network, and the BPDA is still preparing a capacity analysis for the final version of the report.
The MBTA’s ongoing Orange Line Transformation Project is designed to upgrade the capacity of the crowded subway line by 30,000 riders daily by expanding the train fleet and enabling more frequent rush hour service.
But private developers will be expected to contribute to upgrades, subsidizing public shuttle buses that would serve parts of the neighborhood underserved by existing transit routes, such as the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Larger-scale transit infrastructure projects still in the planning stages will factor into the neighborhood’s ability to accommodate growth without gridlock.
A $197 million plan to reconstruct the 10-lane Rutherford Avenue, including the addition of high-frequency bus lanes designed to connect riders with Somerville, Everett, Malden and Chelsea, was submitted in 2021 by Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the city of Boston. The project, including a $25 million contribution from Boston, is included in the 2027-2023 timeframe in the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s capital investment plan, which prioritizes the region’s transportation projects.
Steve Adams
But a PLAN: Charlestown advisory board member strongly objected to the emphasis on the Rutherford Avenue bus lane at a recent meeting evaluating the draft plan. Developments in neighboring municipalities such as Cambridge Crossing have worsened vehicle congestion in areas such as the Gilmore Bridge, 02129 Neighbor Alliance member Dan Jaffe said.
“I can walk it faster than you can drive your bus through it, so we need to do something else,” Jaffe commented. “The routes you have supported are not rush-hour friendly.”
The plan also envisions a new 3-mile-long “Charlestown Green Loop” walking path encircling the neighborhood on public and private parcels.
Abby Jamiel, Emerald Necklace director for the Liveable Streets Alliance, said the recommendation ties into the group’s goal of creating continuous greenways for bicyclists and pedestrians.
“We can’t build more roads in Charlestown, nor should we,” Jamiel said. “This neighborhood is historic and was built before cars, and it’s an opportunity to reimagine it again.”
A final virtual hearing on the rezoning plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday before the proposal goes to the BPDA board of directors.
