Image courtesy of EGA Architects
Major residential projects in East Boston, Roslindale and Mission Hill won approval from Boston Planning & Development Agency directors, including a conversion of a former assisted-living facility into 103 apartments.
The 85 Parker Hill Ave. project in Mission Hill prompted some city councilors to warn of a potential incursion of off-campus student renters competing with existing residents for housing.
Allston-based Savage Properties plans to expand the 4-story, 67,829-square-foot building by 15,487 square feet to create 103 apartments, including 41 studios. The project is estimated at $18 million.
District 6 Councilor Benjamin Weber said Savage Properties has promised to market the apartments to professionals who work in the Longwood Medical Area, seniors and families. Weber said residents are concerned that the building will be leased to graduate students.
District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan said she helped extract community benefits and mitigation from the development team, including a new raised crosswalk and promises to improve maintenance of their other properties in the neighborhood.
“We need to have a larger conversation about gentrification, and about other projects that have been approved in the neighborhood that have not come to fruition,” Durkan said.
Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy opposes the project because of the potential for adding student housing in the neighborhood, a staff member told the board.
Acknowledging elected officials’ concerns, Deputy Chief of Planning Devin Quirk said the department received legal advice against an agreement limiting the amount of student housing.
“The Planning Department continues to encourage local colleges to increase on-campus housing and off-campus residence halls rented directly to students with appropriate oversight,” Quirk said, alluding to major projects such as Northeastern University’s 840 Columbus Ave. tower being developed by American Campus Communities.
“The number of students in Boston isn’t changing whether or not we approve this project,” Quirk said.
The board also issued a certificate of completion for another college-affiliated housing project at 39 Dalton St. in Back Bay: Hawkins Way Capital’s conversion of the former Sheraton Boston Hotel’s south tower into 856 student housing beds for Northeastern.
BPDA Board Approves 501 Housing Units
The Mission Hill project was one of seven developments totaling 501 housing units approved by the BPDA board at its July meeting.
In Allston, Brookline-based developer Thunderdome LLC received approval for 58 apartments at 1100 Soldiers Field Road. The 6-story building would replace a 3-story commercial building on the 18,000-square-foot parcel.
At 34-36 Pratt St. in Allston, two apartment buildings totaling 39 units by developer Edge Real Estate Investments LLC were approved. The 0.3-acre site includes three parcels occupied by three small residential buildings.
In Dorchester, developer Adam Sarbaugh received approval for a 6-story, 42-key extended-stay hotel and restaurant at 275 E Cottage St. Attorney Joseph Hanley said the facility will increase the range of lodging options in the neighborhood beyond Airbnb-type accommodations.
At 9 Chelsea St. in East Boston, Burlington-based DND Homes received approval for a 120-unit apartment complex with a resident roof deck and two ground-floor retail units.
Two projects totaling 170 housing units were approved in Roslindale.
At 4301 Washington St., Needham-based Alpine Property Group plans to construct 15 home ownership condominiums in a 4-story, 24,483-square-foot building that conforms with the Roslindale Village Squares + Streets rezoning initiative.
And at 3841 Washington St., developer Joseph Vozzella received approval for a 7-story, 141,925-square-foot apartment building containing 165 units. The estimated project cost is $60 million.
The board also approved changes to the previously approved 3326 Washington St. project, increasing the unit count from 43 to 46.
