Dorchester Infill and Small Developments

Paletexan said:
I live in this area and while it looks strange, it’s a great way to add units. I wonder why it worked here and can the pattern be scaled across other under utilized properties?
Click to expand...
agreed! there's so many one story commercial buildings right in the vicinity that they could do this with:
Ba Le
Savin Hill Wine and Spirits
Boston Glass
many others
 

Vision for improved Codman Square Park still on the table, construction upcoming​

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“The energy to improve long-neglected Codman Square Park in the heart of Dorchester Center was so great that the community sparked the Parks Department to take action and join in the momentum.

That grassroots effort, though, was back in 2016.

After many meetings and hours of discussions about the two phases of the project, one phase on city land abutting Talbot Avenue, and the other phase on adjoining private land owned by the Second Church, excitement petered out during the long pandemic slowdowns, and then took some time to gather steam over the last year.

The good news is that the project is still on the docket, the final designs will be polished up at a Nov. 6 online public meeting, and construction on Phase 1 is likely to begin in spring 2024.

“There aren’t a lot of events happening and way back in 2016 we thought about how to reimagine the space,” said Cynthia Loesch-Johnson of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council and a sponsor of the weekly Farmer’s Market in the park.

“The city at the time had no plans to do anything with the park,” Loesch-Johnson said. “The spark here was the residents calling for something to be done with the park … It’s exciting where we’re at now. We started in a little room with a vision and now we have plans and renderings and construction on the way.”

Cathy Baker-Eclipse, director of capital planning for Boston Parks Department, has a long history with the project, previously serving as its manager. She said they are excited to get their portion of the project underway.

“We will put bids out in the winter and open them in the early spring and should break ground in the spring,” she said.”

https://www.dotnews.com/2023/vision-improved-codman-square-park-still-table-construction-upcoming


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https://www.boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/improvements-codman-square-park
 

Board holds off vote on conversion of former convent into condos in Dorchester​


By adamg on Tue, 11/14/2023 - 2:50pm
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“The Zoning Board of Appeal today deferred a vote on a developer's proposal to turn the former St. Matthew convent, 43-45 Stanton St. in Dorchester, into 14 condos - two of them affordable - to give the developer and neighbors a couple more months to try to reach agreement on the size of the project, in particular, its roof.

The board initially voted to approve the Volnay Capital's project 4-1, but that meant the project would be defeated because state law requires at least 5 votes for zoning variances. Chairwoman Sherry Dong cast the lone no vote, saying she felt Volnay and neighbors should keep trying to come to terms on the project.

The board then voted 4-1 to deny the project without prejudice, which would have let the developer submit new plans within a year, so that motion failed as well, again for lack of five votes.

Board members then agreed unanimously to give Volnay owner Ricky Belliveau and Stanton Street residents until Jan. 23 to reach some sort of agreement. Six board members were present, but member David Aiken recused himself….”


https://www.universalhub.com/2023/board-holds-vote-conversion-former-convent-condos
 

Trinity’s project at 150 Centre St. wins BPDA board support​

By Seth Daniel, News Editor
November 17, 2023
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A rendering shows the 150 Centre St. building at left. Trinity Financial image

“The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) Board voted 4-0 on Thursday night to approve Trinity Financial’s 72-unit affordable rental housing project on the Fitzpatrick Brothers Auto Body site next to Shawmut MBTA station. The unanimous decision to green-light the project came after several years of vigorous opposition from some neighbors and abutters and after concessions from the Trinity team, including downsizing the number of units from its original scale.”

https://www.dotnews.com/2023/trinity-s-project-150-centre-st-wins-bpda-board-support
 
11/26:

1970 Dorchester Avenue (56 Units)







500 Talbot Avenue (42 Units)








270 Talbot Avenue (18 Condos) & 151 Spencer Street (19 Units)








1700-1710 Dorchester Avenue (25 Units & 11 Condos)








37 Wales Street (23 Supportive Family Units)




69 Bailey Street (21 Compact Living Units)






191 Talbot Avenue (14 Units)




1854 Dorchester Avenue (9 Units)






Second Church of Dorchester Renovation




Codman Square Great Hall Renovation

 
mssrro said:
11/26:

1970 Dorchester Avenue (56 Units)







500 Talbot Avenue (42 Units)








270 Talbot Avenue (18 Condos) & 151 Spencer Street (19 Units)








1700-1710 Dorchester Avenue (25 Units & 11 Condos)








37 Wales Street (23 Supportive Family Units)




69 Bailey Street (21 Compact Living Units)






191 Talbot Avenue (14 Units)




1854 Dorchester Avenue (9 Units)






Second Church of Dorchester Renovation




Codman Square Great Hall Renovation

Click to expand...
So helpful to include # of units for each!
 
12/1-12/2:

9 Leyland Street (43 senior housing units)






951-959A Dorchester Avenue (38 units)




1463-1469 Dorchester Avenue (29 compact living units)






10-32 Bowdoin Street (28 units)






185-191 Geneva Avenue (27 units)




706 Dudley Street (26 units)




734 Dudley Street (25 units)




1121 Dorchester Avenue (21 units)




22 High Street (15 units)




120-122 Hancock Street (15 units)




141 Westville Street (14 compact living units)




19-23 Clapp Street (9 condos)




171-179 Bowdoin Street (9 units)




9-11 Greenmount Street (4 condos)




31 Savin Hill Avenue (3 units)



331 Columbia Road (3 units)




3-11 Bowdoin Street

 

Board approves Fields Corner housing proposal that is about as transit-oriented as you can get​

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“The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans for a five-story building with 14 studio apartments on a lot that ends at a wall for the Fields Corner Red Line stop in Dorchester.

The project needed variance for, among other things, not having any parking spaces. Develop Hiep Chu said the vacant lot at 22 Freeman St., where a house burned down in the 1980s, isn't big enough - roughly 40 feet by 80 feet - to support both parking and 15 new apartments, even small ones…”


Board members, however, said that was fine in this case. "I think the density feels right," board member Hansy Better Barraza said. "It's right next to a train station."

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/fields-corner-housing-proposal-about-transit

Board approves plans for six-unit condo project in Dorchester but only if developer works with planners to reduce the amount of parking so the entire backyard isn't a parking lot​

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“When residents said Onyx Management and Development's plans for six condos in three attached buildings at 45 Milton Ave. in Dorchester would lead to parking woes on the street, the company responded with a proposal for nine parking spaces in a backyard that would be taken up almost entirely by a driveway and the spaces, with room for just three or four potted shrubs.

The Zoning Board of Appeal approved the project today - but with the proviso the developer work with the BPDA to reduce the number of spaces to seven, so that at least some of the backyard could be used for plantings. That would still be one more parking space than the BPDA would prefer, company attorney Ryan Spitz told the board….”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/board-approves-six-unit-condo-project-dorchester

Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center wins approval for new home on Old Road​

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“The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans for a new three-story home for the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center on Old Road between Ellington Street and Michigan Avenue in Dorchester, basically to the rear of its existing facilities on Blue Hill Avenue.

The new building will consolidate all of the health center's medical and dental offices and exam rooms in roughly 42,3000 square feet of space. The ground floor will include a community room that the center hopes to use partly for such things as vaccination clinics but which will also be open for meetings by community groups…”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/harvard-street-neighborhood-health-center-wins
 

Celebration hails Dot Crossing’s rise in Fields Corner landscape​


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“Whether it was pandemic-related supply chain issues, or even the war in Ukraine, any number of setbacks seemed likely to thwart the construction of Dot Crossing, the five-story apartment building and bookstore at 1463-1469 Dorchester Ave. in the middle of the Fields Corner business district. But none did, and last Thursday TLee Development and its many partners celebrated getting the 29-unit all-affordable building up and occupied.

The property is on the lot where a small Gallagher Insurance building had stood adjacent to the T station for decades.
Said Travis Lee, president of TLee Development: “I’ve been working in construction in Boston for 17 years and I’ve never been part of a project this challenging. The construction was to take 15 months, but instead took two full years – the longest construction project I’ve ever been on.”

“The project verged on the unique with its use of a new and innovative formula to allow community members to purchase shares of the building, own a small piece of the property, and share in its governance – with Crowdfund contributions of between $200 and $2,000 per person.

One perk of that was that investors were able to vote on the use of the ground-floor retail space. They chose a bookstore/gathering concept brought to them by Porsha Olayiwola (Boston’s Poet Laureate) and Bing Broderick.

Both were on hand last Thursday and treated the gathering for the building as the groundbreaking for their enterprise – Just Bookish bookstore and Words and Worlds gathering space. They said they are waiting for the building permit and hope to be open in five months.”

https://www.dotnews.com/2023/celebration-hails-dot-crossing-s-rise-fields-corner-landscape

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A grand reopening at IBEW’s Dot campus​


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The renovated JATC of Greater Boston building on Freeport Street.


“A much improved $10 million Joint Apprentice Training Center (JATC) is now open on the Dorchester campus of the IBEW Local 103, where some 2,000 apprentice electricians are learning state-of-the-art technology in expanded classrooms and collaborative spaces.

Union officials gathered on Dec. 7 to celebrate the re-opening of the space at 194 Freeport St. that it shares with the National Electrical Contractors Association.

“The building was over 30 years old,” said Lou Antonellis, business manager and financial secretary at Local 103. “Like any building that age, it kind of needed some refurbishment and for it to be updated. It’s been in the plans for five years or so, it’s really exceeded all our expectations.”
The union’s mission is to provide Greater

Boston’s developers with the best electricians and telecommunication specialists. While there are currently around 2,000 apprentices at the JACT Electrical Industry Training Center, Antonellis thinks the new resources and renovated space will only increase the number of students.”

https://www.dotnews.com/2023/grand-reopening-ibew-s-dot-campus



How it looked before
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How it looks now.
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Irish bakery in Adams Village wins approval to build new space and nine condos​


By adamg on Tue, 01/09/2024 - 1:38pm
Rendering of proposed Greenhills Bakery and condos


“The owners of the Greenhills Bakery, 780 Adams St. in Dorchester, today won approval to raze their current store to replace it with a larger bakery topped with three additional floors with nine condos.
Dermot and Cindy Quinn have run the bakery for 33 years now. Their attorney, John Pulgini, said they are looking for temporary space nearby to keep the bakery open during construction.

The new bakery would have 2,000 square feet on the ground floor, with a 1,200-square-foot kitchen in the basement, Pulgini said.

The condos would range between 627 and 861 square feet. One would be sold as affordable. The new building would have no parking of its own, but Pulgini said the owner of a parking lot behind their building has said he has up to 20 spaces available for rend to new residents. He added the building is a five-minute walk from the Mattapan Line and seven minutes from Ashmont station.

However, parking proved to be a bone of contention at the hearing.”

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/irish-bakery-adams-corner
 

Owners of Savin Hill home win approval to expand house into three condos; some neighbors object​


By adamg on Wed, 01/10/2024 - 9:55am
Rendering of proposed new three-family house on Savin Hill Avenue


“The Zoning Board of Appeal yesterday approved plans by Pauline and Tony King of 164 Savin Hill Ave. in Dorchester to enlarge their single-family home into a three-condo building.

Pauline King and her son's plans call for adding a three-story addition to the current 2 1/2-story house, with four below-ground parking spaces.

The proposal needed variances because, among other reasons, it would have three units in a three-story building on a lot zoned for two-family homes no more than 2 1/2 stories tall, because the new building would be denser on the property than allowed.

The Kings' architect, Nicholas Landry, said the project - originally proposed as four units - would keep much of the existing house so that the project "meets the esthetic and feel of the neighborhood as much as possible."

But nearby Savin Hill Avenue residents said they were "vehemently" and "extremely" opposed, saying variances require proof of hardships and special conditions, that the proposal does not show that and that the Kings could obtain the legal "reasonable use" of their 4,400-square-foot lot by expanding their house into a two-family structure….”

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/savin-hill-homeowner-wins-approval-expand-house


-This is a pretty cool idea. I like it much more than the accessory dwelling unit option of densifying existing detached houses, though that has its place too. The triple deckers are pretty spaced out and this is a clever way to fit more units into the same lot. Id love to see a lot more developments like this. You could fit a huge amount of housing into the outer neighborhoods by utilizing the space like this.
 
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stick n move said:

Owners of Savin Hill home win approval to expand house into three condos; some neighbors object​


By adamg on Wed, 01/10/2024 - 9:55am
Rendering of proposed new three-family house on Savin Hill Avenue


“The Zoning Board of Appeal yesterday approved plans by Pauline and Tony King of 164 Savin Hill Ave. in Dorchester to enlarge their single-family home into a three-condo building.

Pauline King and her son's plans call for adding a three-story addition to the current 2 1/2-story house, with four below-ground parking spaces.

The proposal needed variances because, among other reasons, it would have three units in a three-story building on a lot zoned for two-family homes no more than 2 1/2 stories tall, because the new building would be denser on the property than allowed.

The Kings' architect, Nicholas Landry, said the project - originally proposed as four units - would keep much of the existing house so that the project "meets the esthetic and feel of the neighborhood as much as possible."

But nearby Savin Hill Avenue residents said they were "vehemently" and "extremely" opposed, saying variances require proof of hardships and special conditions, that the proposal does not show that and that the Kings could obtain the legal "reasonable use" of their 4,400-square-foot lot by expanding their house into a two-family structure….”

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/savin-hill-homeowner-wins-approval-expand-house

-This is a pretty cool idea. I like it much more than the accessory dwelling unit option of densifying existing detached houses, though that has its place too. The triple deckers are pretty spaced out and this is a clever way to fit more units into the same lot. Id love to see a lot more developments like this. You could fit a huge amount of housing into the outer neighborhoods by utilizing the space like this.
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The results of the neighborhood association vote were: Support: 6 Opposed: 21 Abstain: 1 Invalid: 5.
You can only vote if you attend (in person or online) and you can't submit votes before or after the meeting if you're busy that night. Live vote only via in-person or google sheet in the meeting chat. They don't "cure" invalid votes. So yes, 28 people who were free on a Tuesday night in a neighborhood subsection of thousands are definitely a great barometer of whether this should have been approved or not.
 

4-20 Cheney StreetUpdate 01/19/24​

cheney


Construction to Begin for Dorchester Affordable Housing Development​

“A $22M building permit has been issued to begin work at 4-18 Cheney Street in Dorchester. Plans call for 48 affordable elderly units, and 12 affordable homeownership units, with 37 parking spaces. The project also includes a roof deck and multi-use courtyard.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/construction-to-begin-for-dorchester-affordable-housing-development

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/cheney-street-apartments
 
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