Roxbury Infill and Small Developments

Developer proposes 36 apartments in three buildings on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury

By adamg on Thu, 08/17/2023 - 12:40pm
Rendeirng of two of three proposed buildings on Blue Hill Avenue



“A developer has proposed replacing a couple of parking lots and a "dilapidated" former storefront church on Blue Hill Avenue at Southwood Street in Roxbury with three four-story apartment buildings.

In a filing with the BPDA yesterday, Joel Rubiera's Edge Real Estate Investments of East Boston says the project will include 18 parking spaces in two smaller lots and help revitalize what it called an "underdeveloped" section of Roxbury, about midway between Grove Hall and Nubian Square.
At least five of the units would be rented as affordable.
Special attention was paid to enlivening the streetscape and improving the pedestrian experience along Blue Hill Ave, Southwood Street and Edgewood Street. Specifically, plantings and individualized unit entries work to make the structures feel more inviting and residential in nature. The Proposed Project also provides a variety of transportation options including ample parking, bike parking, public bike use via the Bluebike Station and access to multiple modes of public transportation, making it convenient for commuting professionals. Along with the access to transportation, this Project provides two distinct open spaces for residents to gather in and make use of.
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Edge hopes to begin construction this spring.”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/developer-proposes-36-apartments-three-buildings
 
The city should do whatever it takes to streamline developments like this. The developer claims in the filing that they'll need zoning relief for FAR, height, setbacks, and parking, which is insane for a 36 unit 4-story development on top of a desolate surface parking lot. Hopefully there are no holdups. Only wish they could've had access to the adjacent vacant lots to the west.

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DEVELOPER RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR PARKER TERRACE IN ROXBURY


Parker Terrace


“With support from MOH and other funders, the project will create 40 income-restricted homeownership condominiums, each deed restricted for moderate-income households falling within the 80% to 100% range of the area median income (AMI).

The development plan features a large amount of green and open space: The Trustees of Reservations will shepherd the creation of a new 14,000 square foot community garden which will extend the activities of the existing Mission Hill Community Garden and will offer space to an eager waitlist of gardeners. The community garden will include youth programming developed through existing partnerships with the Roxbury Community College and Nubian United Benevolent International Association (NUBIA), a Sudanese immigrant-led nonprofit focused on solving food insecurity through urban farming. The project will also create a 15,000 SF pocket-park along Parker Street that aims to restore and enhance open green space in the neighborhood by facilitating gathering spaces at different scales, from park benches to open areas for small performances…”

https://www.boston.gov/news/latest-updates-mayors-office-housing-august-11-2023
 

75-81 Dudley Street​

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“The 75 Dudley Street Homeownership project is a 20-unit, four-story affordable condominium development with ground-floor commercial space and a bike storage room that sits at the highly visible corner of Dudley and Guild Row. The Proposed Project will not contain designated parking on site.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/75-81-dudley-street
 
stick n move said:

75-81 Dudley Street​

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“The 75 Dudley Street Homeownership project is a 20-unit, four-story affordable condominium development with ground-floor commercial space and a bike storage room that sits at the highly visible corner of Dudley and Guild Row. The Proposed Project will not contain designated parking on site.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/75-81-dudley-street
Click to expand...
This is a NPC ONLY because they were asked to save 5 trees...
Changes to the project include reducing the building’s footprint from 5,800 S.F. to approximately 4,165 S.F., reducing building
size from approximately 24,000 S.F. to approximately 18,040 S.F., reducing the unit count from 20 to 15, and eliminating the
first-floor retail space.
 
sm89 said:
This is a NPC ONLY because they were asked to save 5 trees...
Changes to the project include reducing the building’s footprint from 5,800 S.F. to approximately 4,165 S.F., reducing building
size from approximately 24,000 S.F. to approximately 18,040 S.F., reducing the unit count from 20 to 15, and eliminating the
first-floor retail space.
Click to expand...

That's wild.
 
There is something hilariously dystopian about this paragraph. Trees are good, love them, we need more of them. But what in the world is a (capitalized) Tree Warden, and how do they have the force of zoning laws? Like, is this a full time job? Do they have business cards? These are just "acting" wardens, mind you, maybe the full-timers are awaiting their senate hearings before being sworn in.

Our request to remove five silver linden trees along Dudley Street and Guild Row was denied by Liza Meyer and Max Ford-Diamond, the acting Tree Wardens at the time. With further discussions with the Tree Warden, the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH), and BPDA staff, we were instructed to redesign the project with the ultimate goal of preserving the trees while maintaining a functional building and the addition of an elevator.
 
In the name of being “green” theyll save 5 trees but in the process knock back this proposal by 5 units causing 10+ ppl to have to drive from brockton and back for their commute cuz theres nowhere closer to live thats cheap enough. Multiple this across the entire metro area thousands of times over and its death by a thousand paper cuts. It all really is so ass backwards.
 
I'm not sure I'm reading this documents right, but it looks like this kind of about more than the trees.
It looks like the sidewalks there have been reduced to basically nothing. They might less than 4ft, with trees in the middle. It doesn't look like you could really walk down that sidewalk, and certainly couldn't fit a wheelchair, at least on Dudley St. And that means the trees in the sidewalk are right next to the property line. The older plans had this building going almost to the property line, which would have been great, and that's why it had a bigger footprint. But that would have put the building right up against the trees, and there would be no functional sidewalk going to the entrances along Dudley St.

The fix should have been simple: expand the sidewalk into the street and plant new trees. I mean, that should be done regardless whether this is built or not, so that there's a real sidewalk there. On that block, it would require removing two on-street parking spots on the Dudley side. But I can't find that this was considered. Instead, it looks like the sidewalk will get expanded onto the private property, so the building has to shrink.

I feel like I've seen this kind of thing in a lot of plans, where a bike lane or expanded sidewalk or trees end up on the private land, and the building has to shrink because of it. And that happens because we're not willing to remove a couple of parking spaces in the street.
 
Approved

24-34 Notre Dame Street​


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“The Proponent is a local developer and an experienced minority-owned business operator and builder who seeks to revitalize the Project Site with a new five (5) story multifamily residential building of approximately 28,357 gross square feet, including 26 units of homeownership, 15 onsite parking spaces, roof decked, terraced, and ground level open spaces, amenity areas and related sidewalk, landscape, pedestrian, and vehicular access improvements.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/24-34-notre-dame-street
 
A few miscellaneous projects (as of 12/2):

387-397 Dudley Street (24 units)






55-115 Hampden Street (F. W. Webb warehouse)






69-71 Proctor Street (Roxbury Preparatory Charter School)




100-114 Hampden Street (commercial production facility)




90-100 Robey Street (3 single-family rowhouses)

 

280-290 Warren Street, Phase 2​

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“The Phase 2 portion of the project, to be known as One Waverly, which was originally approved for 44 units of elderly multi-family residential housing is now being proposed for a total of 48 units of affordable multi-family rental housing for households with incomes below 30% of average median income (AMI) and up to 120% of AMI. There will be 3,483 sf of available commercial space at the ground floor, and 24 garage parking spaces. In addition, the Phase 2 building will meet Passive House sustainability requirements.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/280-290-warren-street
 
A few snaps from my GoPro while biking by Dudley Crossing--apologies if there is a separate thread but I couldn't find one. Intersection of Dudley and Hampden Streets:

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All-electric Affordable Housing Development Completed in Roxbury​


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“Boston – In the Fountain Hill neighborhood of Roxbury, an affordable housing development, Saige on Fountain, recently debuted as the city’s first all-electric, multi-unit residences. Developed by a Boston-based partnership that includes Oxbow Urban with collaborators DVM Housing Partners and Our Village Initiative and designed by Cambridge-based architecture and interior design firm PCA, the homeownership units fulfill the vision of the development team, the City of Boston, and the Fountain Hill neighborhood to create affordable and transit-accessible ownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers.

“So many community residents in Boston were historically denied the opportunity to own a home and build wealth and home equity,” said Laura Homich, principal with PCA and the lead architect for Saige on Fountain. “Seeing the enthusiasm and pride of ownership as first-time buyers move in is tremendously rewarding for everyone on the team who worked through all the obstacles and now celebrate this joyful opening.”

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Designed with the intention of creating intimate spaces that provide a strong sense of home within a multifamily setting, Saige on Fountain’s 40 affordable units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom residences, feature modern finishes, abundant daylight, and amenity and outdoor spaces for social and community gatherings.

The long vacant parcel of land, cleared as part of the Washington Park Urban Renewal efforts more than 50 years ago, was previously owned by the Fountain Hill Square Condominium Association. Association trustees sought a buyer dedicated to affordable homeownership. Oxbow Urban acquired the land and worked closely for years with the neighborhood and the Mayor’s Office of Housing to make the development a reality.”

https://www.high-profile.com/all-electric-affordable-housing-development-completed-in-roxbury/
 
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