South End Infill and Small Developments

Blackbird said:
Do you have some sort of data or source to back this up? I always thought that cheaper buildings (like a few of the towers going up in or planned for Chinatown) are generally taller while shorter buildings (like this one) tend to be bougier.
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I don't have stats, but I think it is pretty widely accepted that taller=more expensive construction costs, but lower land costs.
 
If that's the case, then will the units in this building have much lower rents than those in the taller apt buildings in the Ink Block?
 
I hope they're not charging more for that building right next to 93 lol
Don't have a data set for average unit cost, but here's just a cost/sq ft infographic:
build-apartment-5f0fff1033bea.png


You can also factor in more prime views from up higher.

Ahhh, yeah I was actually thinking of the one on Franklin next to the library. I'm not a huge fan of that one either. It has a little bit of that dystopian vibe behind along Douglas as it looms over. But I have a sore spot for the development as a whole for its focus on ground level activation (the new mid-rise and renovation of the Columbia st neighbor are very nice). I remember looking there last year when I was moving and balking at the rates.

Also as an aside, I'm sad they aren't preserving those mature trees along the north corner. I imagine they're probably in the way though.
 
Thanks! Per the graphic, though, 6 stories and 10 stories have the same cost / square foot. I’d be happy enough with a step up to 10 stories at the corner from 6 on the rest of the lot.

And the ink block apartments must be more expensive per this metric, because they’re generally over 10 stories aren’t they? Maybe I think they look taller than they are?
 
Very true. 10 stories wouldn't scare me tbh.

I'm not actually sure. The taller volume of Inkblock is 8 but 5 for the block with the Wholefoods under. Meanwhile the Troy is 20. They would be more expensive to construct, but the rental prices are for sure hugely impacted by the location. Tufts isn't too too far, but 2 edges of highway isn't exactly appealing. This lot is pretty ideal for transit and is far enough from Mass-Cass.
 
Personally I think its completely appropriate for the location and fits great within the context. Its materials and massing blend into its surroundings, but with some nice modern black trim to set it apart subtly. Looks great! Hopefully it sets an example for some more developers to look to when designing brick low rise infill for the rest of the triple decker neighborhoods. More brick outside the core!!
 
Failing to realize nothing. The south end is not a neighborhood with vast triple decker stock. I would just like some more brick and less wood infill in my neighborhood, not a big deal.
stick n move said:
Hopefully it sets an example for some more developers to look to when designing brick low rise infill for the rest of the triple decker neighborhoods.
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Lol I was trying to help, its still a mess but I should know better than to get into this stuff
 
Suffolk 83 said:
I think he's making a point about brick facades outside downtown but he's failing to recognize pretty much all of the south end is brick so its confusing.
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Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear -- build like this all over Boston, not just in the already 6 story brick neighborhoods. I'm with you!
 
Blackbird said:
If that's the case, then will the units in this building have much lower rents than those in the taller apt buildings in the Ink Block?
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In markets with constrained/regulated supply, "price" and "cost" are not the same thing. Cost is the amount required to supply a good on the supply side, while price is the amount required to acquire a good on the demand side. Price will approximately equal cost in a market where suppliers are free to enter as they wish, but price will significantly exceed cost in a market where supply is constrained. The more supply is constrained and not determined by market forces, the less effect cost will have on price. The rent paid for an apartment is a price, and in a market like the South End rent is primarily determined by factors other than construction cost.

There is a relationship between building height and cost on the supply side and there is also a relationship between building/unit height and price on the demand side. But these are separate dynamics that do not directly impact each other, and it's not appropriate to conflate the two.

This might seem overly nit-picky but it's an important distinction! Price and cost get mixed up all the time (especially in housing and prescription drug markets) and it can lead to some bad policy outcomes.
 
Just an FYI...these prices per square foot aren't accurate.

Here's a rough breakdown.

Gut renovation for three unit (target market $700 PSF) = $250 PSF
New build = $320 PSF
Renovations in higher end markets push up to $400-$500 PSF

Hard Cost for a 25-50 unit stick built non union rental product= $300 PSF
Hard Cost for a steel frame high rise non Union= $400PSF
Hard Cost for a downtown land constrained union highrise= $700 PSF
 
HenryAlan said:
Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear -- build like this all over Boston, not just in the already 6 story brick neighborhoods. I'm with you!
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Oh I knew what he meant. I just....like wood? As a building material?
 
JumboBuc said:
Globe: Benjamin Franklin Institute will sell South End campus, relocate school
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Globe weighs in.

...
What could possibly go wrong?

Judging from the public comments sent to the BPDA, it gave some South End residents a case of the vapors over the proposed height of the senior care section — 13 stories (or 145 feet), which just happens to be the same height as the Atelier Tower across the street.
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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/14/opinion/win-win-city-project-stuck-neutral/
 
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