A rendering from the city RFP document showing a hypothetical massing of a development on the site. Image courtesy of Boston Planning & Development Agency
The second major opportunity under Boston’s surplus properties sell-off seeks developers for a mixed-use project on 4.4 acres off Harrison Avenue in Roxbury.
The Boston Planning & Development Agency is seeking submissions by Feb. 28 for the Water and Sewer Commission parking lots.
The offering includes 16 parcels on Harrison Avenue, Thorndike Street, Newcom Street and Lenox Street.
In a request for proposals, the BPDA said it seeks projects that comply with the PLAN: Nubian Square and Roxbury Strategic Master Plan, including housing affordability, job creation, ground-floor activation that benefits the community and a diverse development team.
Priorities for the multifamily component include affordable housing for families and seniors, affordable home ownership opportunities and a rent-to-own model, the request states.
Noting that 70 percent of households in the surrounding neighborhood earn $50,000 or less, the BPDA will give preference to developers that reserve one-third of units for households earning a maximum 50 percent of area median income, and another third for those earning 51 to 70 percent of AMI. The minimum requirement is 60 percent of units reserved for households earning 80 percent of AMI for apartments and 100 percent of AMI for home ownership units.
Sample development scenarios call for buildings ranging from 3 to 12 stories. Developers will be eligible to apply for subsidies through the Mayor’s Office of Housing, including federal ARPA funds scheduled to be awarded by the end of 2024.
The property will be awarded through a 99-year ground lease, and the fair market value is appraised at $3.50 per square foot of floor area. Offers as low as $100 will be accepted, however, and price is only one of the selection criteria.
The disposition is part of Mayor Michelle Wu’s program to generate housing production on underutilized municipal properties.
In November, BPDA directors awarded Boston-based Trinity Financial the designation to develop 686 apartments and condominiums on the Bunker Hill Community College parking lots on Austin Street in Charlestown. Trinity Financial estimates a $495-million project cost. The project would reserve 60 percent of the units as income-restricted.
