Photo courtesy of Copper Mill Development
Boston planning officials approved a new hybrid industrial development in Newmarket and office-to-residential conversions in the downtown and North End neighborhoods.
At their monthly meeting Thursday, Boston Planning & Development Agency board of directors approved the first North End property to participate in Boston’s downtown office to residential conversion program. Boston-based Copper Mill Development is overseeing the 123 North Washington St. project, converting the 5-story, 40,000 square-foot office building into 45 apartments.
Newton-based Dinosaur Capital Partners received approval for 110 apartments at 16-18 Hawley St. The 11-story building totals 86,730 square feet and includes a U.S. Post Office branch which will remain on the ground floor.
Since its launch in late 2023, the conversion program has received applications to create 762 housing units in 20 largely vacant office buildings.
Developers have until Dec. 31 to submit applications to participate in the program. Approved projects qualify for payment-in-lieu-of-taxes payments that provide 75 percent property tax abatements for up to 29 years. The Healey administration also has dedicated $15 million in funding to subsidize conversion projects in Boston.
At Thursday’s monthly board meeting, directors also approved a Brookline developer’s plans to convert the former Iron Mountain record storage warehouse on Hampden Street into self-storage space.
The 107,607 square-foot project includes construction of a 6-story addition to the warehouse, and will add office and ground-floor retail space.
The development reflects the goals of the BPDA’s PLAN: Newmarket rezoning, said Kevin Deabler, a principal at RODE Architects. The 2024 rezoning seeks to preserve the city’s last purely industrial neighborhood while encouraging a broader mix of commercial and creative uses.
A 32,327 square-foot addition will be built on the 120-126 Hampden St. portion of the site, while the existing building will be converted into self-storage space and be updated with a new metal facade.
Casper Bahlmann, a principal at Brookline-based developer Bahlmann Capital Group, said owners are in talks with potential office tenants including nonprofits. Developers also agreed to provide one year of free rent to a retail tenant, estimated at $100,000.
Before developers can break ground, approval for the self-storage use is required by the Zoning Board of Appeal.
The BPDA board also approved a scaled-down version of plans to redevelop the Alexandra Hotel property in Roxbury. The latest version calls for 68 hotel rooms, while expanding the existing building by 12,100 square feet.
