United South End Settlements (USES) announced Wednesday it plans to sell the Harriet Tubman House Community Center at 566 Columbus Avenue to developer New Boston Ventures. The firm intends to build mixed income housing and commercial space on the site in a development it is calling “Tubman Place.”
The sale, which representatives from both USES and New Boston Ventures peg in the range of $14-18 million, is the lynchpin of USES leadership’s plan to rejuvenate the cash-strapped social services provider. While USES leadership says the sale is necessary for its survival, the decision to offload the property has sparked anger among some residents, who portray it as a cash grab at the expense of a cherished neighborhood institution.
USES President Maicharia Weir Lytle says New Boston Ventures was chosen as the so-called “preferred buyer” from among nine bidders because of the firm’s understanding of the sensitivities surrounding the property. She cites the project’s inclusion of mixed-use housing, diversity on the development team and the company’s commitment to preserving the building’s iconic <I Hi-Hat> mural.
“We received a number of competitive bids,” Weir Lytle told <I The Boston Guardian>. “But the details of what a potential buyer might have in mind for the project and whether their vision aligns with our goals was one of our primary considerations.”
The proposed Tubman Place would feature an estimated 65 residential units over six floors, with 5,000 square feet of street level commercial space, according to New Boston Ventures Principal David Goldman. Central to the proposal, the building’s mix of low income housing would exceed city requirements. Goldman says 17% of the units will qualify as “affordable,” more than the city-mandated 13%. At least one of those units will be designated as artist housing.
771 Harrison
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