A crumbling apartment complex in Boston’s Allston neighborhood could become a mixed-income development with pedestrian connections to the Charles River.
The Community Builders (TCB) of Boston filed plans last week with the Boston Redevelopment Authority for 400 units. Under the proposal, the 213-unit Charlesview Apartments at Western Avenue and North Harvard Street would be razed and replaced on two nearby sites with 282 affordable units and 118 condominiums.
Last year, Charlesview’s board of directors and Harvard University agreed to a land swap that allows construction of the new apartment community on a 7-acre parcel that the school owns on Western Avenue a half-mile from the 37-year-old apartment complex on Barry’s Corner.
“I’m proud that this agreement will extend the life of Charlesview for many years to come and bring more housing choices to Allston, for a variety of income levels,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “I want to thank the Charlesview board for their dedication to providing affordable housing in the city. I look forward to beginning a dialogue with the community to ensure that this project benefits them.”
If approved, TCB would build housing on parcels owned by the university. The first is a 6-acre parcel on a portion of the underutilized Brighton Mills Shopping Plaza on the south side of Western Avenue. The developer plans five 4- to 6-story buildings and five 4-story townhouses. A nearby parcel on Telford Street would provide affordable and market-rate condominiums in four 10-story buildings.
Harvard has not filed plans for reuse of the old Charlesview site, which it received in the land swap.
Charlesview and Harvard agreed that the deterioration of the apartment complex and the chronic failure of its systems led to a decision that a reconstruction of the apartments is necessary to maintain the viability of the housing into the future.
Paul Berkeley, president of the Allston Civic Association, said he is concerned that the project may include too many units and the buildings are too high.
“We sent a clear message to Harvard that we don’t want buildings more than 5 stories and now this developer comes along and wants to build 10,” he said. “We’re also worried that doubling the number of units at Charlesview is too dense for this neighborhood. People are looking to trim it. But overall, people are okay with the land swap.”
Public hearings will be held Monday, March 10, and Monday, March 24, at 6 p.m. in the second-floor cafeteria at the New Balance Office building on Guest Street.
