Boston – Boston’s Planning Department recently recommended approval of five new development projects. All were approved.
Flint Cleaners, a family-owned and operated dry cleaning business located at 170-172 Western Avenue in Allston, will be redeveloped to include housing above the dry cleaners and extra commercial space on the ground floor. The new mixed-use development will be eight stories and include 20 homes, three of which will be income-restricted. The ground floor will include the dry cleaners and a beauty salon.
An existing multi-family, six-unit building at 24 Mt. Everett Street in Dorchester will be renovated and added on to with another ten units of housing. The exterior of the current building will remain the same, but bike parking will be added on the ground floor. In support of the bikeshare system, the project will contribute $4,400 to the Boston Transportation Department.
The 11 Avenue De Lafayette project will convert the existing office space of a 5-story building into 70 new homes, including 11 which will be income-restricted. This project is one of 26 applicants to Mayor Wu’s Office-to-Residential Conversion Program, which is on track to convert 31 buildings and 1.5 million sq. ft. of former office space into 1,785 new homes.
The 662-666 East Broadway project will bring 21 new homes to South Boston, four of which will be income-restricted. The new 4-story building will have ground floor retail space, and is consistent with the neighborhood context while providing housing. As a transit-oriented project, multiple bus routes in the area provide access to the MBTA Red Line. The project will also improve the public realm with new bike parking spots and better sidewalks.
The 776 Summer Street Phase 2 Development Plan, located in South Boston, is part of a larger redevelopment and reimagining of the historic Boston Edison power plant into a waterfront destination. The Phase 2 development plan includes four new buildings and the rehabilitation of and adaptive reuse of the 1898 Turbine Hall along 6.8 acres of formerly industrial land. Those four buildings will include up to 636 residential units. The buildings will also include a mix of hotel and conference space, a bank and post office, healthcare facilities, offices, restaurant and retail space, and research and development space.
Additionally, the BPDA board of directors awarded final designation to the Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association for the redevelopment of 48 Townsend Street in Roxbury. The vacant land at 48 Townsend Street will be converted into a community garden. The garden will serve local residents, families, seniors, and nearby students by providing opportunities to grow fresh produce, learn sustainable gardening practices, and participate in community programming.
The Zoning Commission also recently adopted new zoning for the Chinatown neighborhood, as well as comprehensive new zoning for signs in the city of Boston. The new zoning for Chinatown is designed to make it easier for people to open small businesses, protect the historical row houses in the neighborhood, and improve the climate resilience of the neighborhood. New citywide zoning for commercial signs is designed to make the process for small businesses to put up signage more simple by setting clear rules for signs, streamlining the process, and eliminating unnecessary review wait times.
The City of Boston also recently celebrated the graduation of the first ever cohort of the City’s Planning Academy. City staff developed and led the Planning Academy to equip residents from different backgrounds and neighborhoods with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to meaningfully have a voice in city planning processes. This cohort included 25 Bostonians of all different backgrounds and ages, selected to participate out of almost 400 applicants.
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In addition to these projects, the board approved:
- A contract with Weston & Sampson to restore the structural integrity of the Chain Forge Building in the Charlestown Navy Yard, and a separate contract with Weston & Sampson for environmental remediation of the site, paid in part by a $4 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
- An RFP for the Little Mystic Harborwalk Extension to close the gap in the Boston Harborwalk and provide continuous access to the waterfront, as well as safe pedestrian transit, avoiding a busy truck route that lacks sidewalks.
- A contract with Mackay Construction Services Inc. for the realignment of Fid Kennedy Avenue in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park.
- The Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget.
