The former Boston State Hospital under demolition in 1997. A plan for 367 units on the site promises a template for other projects looking to boost their numbers of minority-owned subcontractors. Photo courtesy of the Boston City Archives
A 10-acre parcel that would complete the redevelopment master plan of the former Boston State Hospital property in Mattapan could be the missing piece of the puzzle that creates a true “smart growth” neighborhood.
Little development took place in the two decades after the former mental hospital closed in 1985, and developer Kirk Sykes led a team that launched the nearly 500-unit Olmsted Green multifamily development just prior to the housing crash of 2007. That downturn – which hit low-income neighborhoods such as Dorchester and Mattapan disproportionately hard – delayed the buildout for years and influenced Sykes’ strategy for the next 367-unit phase, which could break ground as soon as 2021.
“We had huge demand for quality rentals, and a desire for homeownership units at a more affordable pricepoint,” said Sykes, whose Primary Corp. and Toll Brothers were given the tentative designation by Gov. Charlie Baker to develop the final parcel last month. “If you can sell at $130,000, it’s a bigger buyer population than $275,000, and we’re designing to that section of the market.”
Beyond affordability, the development’s success hinges on improved transit and retail options. Those elements are designed to put the Mattapan property on the radar of potential buyers from outside the neighborhood who wouldn’t typically include Mattapan in their options, Sykes said.
So, Sykes approached a pair of local minority-owned businesses – Brazo Fuerto brewery and Ripple Cafe of Dorchester – and offered them free rent to serve as anchors for the development’s retail space.
And the developers will operate a new shuttle service for up to 500 riders a day, providing trips to MBTA stations and stores, to augment the limited public transit service near the property.
Inclusive Model Gains Momentum
The MassBiologics Walk Hill campus and a Massachusetts Audubon Society nature preserve border the final development parcel, which attracted proposals from six teams. At a press conference in June, Baker described the process as taking a page from the “Massport model” that favors inclusive development teams. The requirements were used to select teams for three hotels built on port authority properties in the Seaport District, including the $550 million Omni Boston Seaport hotel now under construction.
A citizen advisory committee reviewed six teams’ proposals last winter, and while all included substantial minority participation, state Rep. Russell Holmes wasn’t satisfied.
A partnership of Boston-based Primary Corp. and homebuilding giant Toll Brothers is the tentative designated developer for the final 10-acre development parcel at the former Boston State Hospital property. Image courtesy of DCAMM
Holmes, a Mattapan Democrat, said he initially favored the Sykes team “because they had the most money,” but was hearing persistent demands from constituents for senior housing and condos along with the original plan for apartments.
“What I thought was most important was the community voice was the one that was raised the loudest,” Holmes said. “[The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance] put the proposals in the Mattapan library and up online. We knocked on doors and put out fliers to get people out to the open houses.”
DCAMM, which oversees the disposition, has not made the six final proposals public. The agency denied a public records request for the documents, saying the designation of the Sykes team is preliminary.
The conceptual plans – which require Boston Planning & Development Agency approval – call for 367 housing units, including 82 condos and 42 senior housing units. Construction could begin as soon as 2021 and will consist of 4– and 5-story buildings, some with first-floor parking podiums, Sykes said.
High Target for Minority Subs
Sykes, a former Federal Reserve Bank of Boston chairman who developed the first Black-owned Boston hotel at Crosstown Center in 2004, is hoping to attain over 50 percent minority participation among subcontractors at the Mattapan property. And he’s recruiting minority investors for a substantial portion of the project’s equity.
“We want to create opportunities for people in real estate, so we’re doing a sleeve of investment for diverse individuals,” he said.
Opportunities also include a potential first home for New England’s first brewery founded by a Black woman and a new location for an Ashmont coffeehouse. Brazo Fuerte Artisanal Beer, founded by former semi-pro rugby player and biotech executive Bev Johnson, was unable to find a suitable taphouse location because of high rents before Sykes offered to make the retail space available. Ripple Cafe, which opened a Dorchester Avenue coffeehouse in 2019, would add a second location at the hospital site.
Steve Adams
Johnson said the property’s location a mile from the Neponset River Greenway bike path is an opportunity to combine hospitality and fitness, and plans to provide STEM education and hospitality programs for local students.
“It’s really about making a connection and having a multifunctional and multigenerational space,” Johnson said. “One of the big sells for me is it’s part of the Emerald Necklace, so people can bike there, continuing the connection between downtown Boston and this community which has been missing.”
