Planning Department Advances First Squares + Streets Plan in Roslindale Square

The newly approved development projects represent approximately 295,003 square feet (SF), will create 226 new residential units, including 91 units that are designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 258 construction jobs and 11 permanent jobs. The advancement of Squares + Streets and these development projects demonstrate the City’s commitment to increasing a diversity of housing options, and making Boston more resilient, affordable, and equitable.

Planning and Zoning

Squares + Streets Small Area Plan for Roslindale Square

The BPDA Board of Directors formally adopted the Roslindale Square Squares + Streets Small Area Plan. This is the first Squares + Streets plan adopted since the launch of the citywide planning and zoning initiative last year. The initiative focuses on expanding access to housing in Boston’s neighborhood centers that have strong transportation, cultural, and commercial resources. In the Roslindale Square plan area, there is significant opportunity to build more housing options for Bostonians to support beloved local businesses, and stimulate demand for new small businesses. The main goals of this plan are to strengthen community connections, activate public spaces with more diverse social opportunities and mixed-income housing, and to encourage growth in Roslindale Square while adapting existing buildings with historic and cultural significance to serve modern-day needs. These goals emerged as the focal points of the plan after more than a year of engagement with the Roslindale community, including numerous types of events and interactions, such as pop-ups at places of community gathering, coffee hours, staff attendance at seasonal events, and hands-on virtual and in-person workshops. 

The plan recommends strengthening connections in the plan area by expanding and enhancing the pedestrian infrastructure in the Square, and encouraging small-scale retail stores that will naturally create more foot traffic and bolster connectivity in the area. The plan also recommends activating public spaces to serve the diverse community in Roslindale through new public art, local programming that facilitates opportunities for gathering, allowing a variety of different ground floor uses, and encouraging more mixed-income housing. In addition, the plan identifies sites for larger buildings and land uses that would best serve the neighborhood such as entertainment or recreation venues. This plan will guide staff review of future development and capital investment projects in this area, and lay the foundation for zoning updates that will help realize this vision. The rezoning process will begin tomorrow with the release of a draft zoning map and community engagement events will continue over the next several weeks.

Development Projects

New income-restricted housing at 639 Warren Street in Roxbury moves forward

Housing: 63 income-restricted units: 54 rental and 9 homeownership units

Jobs: Approximately 79 construction jobs, commercial space

Community: New open space on site, new bikeshare station, close proximity to multiple bus routes

Sustainability: LEED Gold, Passive House, solar-ready

This project will convert land in Roxbury that has been vacant for at least 50 years into a new mixed-use development which includes 63 new income-restricted homes and commercial space. There will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. The development site is in close proximity to multiple bus routes and the commuter rail, and the building will include indoor and outdoor bike parking. In addition, this project will contribute $49,000 to the Boston Transportation Department to support the City’s bikeshare system and a new bikeshare station. 

Office building at 4 Liberty Square to be converted into housing

Housing: 36 units, 7 income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 27 construction jobs

Community: Close proximity to public transportation

Sustainability: All-electric building, adaptive reuse of existing structure, compliant with Stretch Energy Code

As part of the City’s Office to Residential Conversion Program, this project will renovate what is currently a seven-story office building downtown into 36 new homes, including studios, one-, and two-bedroom units. Seven of the units will be income-restricted. The current ground floor restaurant will remain. This project will contribute to the overall revitalization and vision for a more vibrant, mixed use Downtown. 

New homes to be built at 142-146 St. Mary’s Street in the Fenway

Housing: 85 units, 13 income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 96 construction jobs

Community: Close proximity to public transportation, new connections to MBTA Green Line, new street trees

Sustainability: Passive House, commitment to purchase Boston Community Choice Electricity, all-electric heat pump systems

This project will turn a parking garage in the Fenway neighborhood into a new six-story apartment building with 85 new homes, 13 of which will be income-restricted. There will be a mix of studios, one-, and two-bedroom units. This transit-oriented development will make significant improvements to the public realm by expanding sidewalks in the vicinity, enhancing pedestrian access, and creating a new pedestrian pathway that will connect the development to the MBTA’s Fenway stop. As part of the community benefits for this project, it will contribute $150,000 to the Brookline Green Space Alliance for maintaining and enhancing nearby Monmouth Park in the Fenway neighborhood. In addition, the project will contribute a bikeshare station near the development and $49,000 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the bikeshare system.

2-8 Bowdoin Street project will bring new housing and retail space to Dorchester

Housing: 22 residential units, 4 income-restricted units

Jobs: Restaurant space, approximately 31 construction jobs

Community: Enhanced sidewalks and lighting for pedestrian safety, new landscaping,

Sustainability: All electric units, Passive House, using cross laminated timber to reduce embodied carbon

Located in Dorchester, this seven-story mixed-use development project will include 22 units of housing, four of which will be income-restricted. There will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. The ground floor will include commercial/restaurant and retail space. Bike parking will be available on site. This project will improve the public realm by widening the sidewalks in the vicinity and adding new lighting for pedestrians. As part of the community benefits, the project will contribute $6,050 to the Boston Transportation Department in support of the bikeshare system, and $22,000 to the City’s Fund for Parks.

141 Addison Street project will build new homes in East Boston

Housing: 20 homeownership units, 4 income-restricted units

Jobs: Approximately 25 construction jobs

Community: Public realm improvements

Sustainability: Passive House, design will meet coastal flood resilience guidelines

Located in East Boston, this project will build a new four-story building with 20 new homes, including a mix of one-, two-, and three bedroom homes. Four of these units will be income-restricted. This project will improve the public realm by adding new street trees, fixing the sidewalks in the area, and providing bike parking for visitors. 

In addition to these projects, the board approved:

• An update to the West Site of the previously approved 60-80 Kilmarnock Street project. At 69-81 Kilmarnock, they will add more income-restricted units, introduce patient-family housing tentatively to be leased to Boston Children's Hospital, and modify the building's exterior design.
• An update to a previously approved project at 280-290 Warren Street, also known as One Waverly Place, to increase the overall size of the project.
• The disbursement of $140,000 in varying amounts to 22 community organizations serving the Dorchester neighborhood from contributions made by the South Bay project.