The New Residential Conversion Thread

[bigpicture7]

We have a "New Retail Thread" and a "New Office/Lab Thread." Now I think it's time to launch a "New Residential Conversion Thread."

The reason: we've initially been discussing these in threads specific to geographic-specific parts of the city/surroundings, or the topic-specific threads about the pandemic / future of downtown. As things settle out, however, it seems likely that these Residential Conversion projects are going to pop up here and there, including in neighborhoods outside the downtown core. Further, some will be rather small in square footage, so probably don't deserve their own project-specific threads. So, alas, here is The New Residential Conversion Thread.

Kicking it off with this recent article, which tallies the number of Boston office-to-residential conversions in-pipeline to 13 (citing City of Boston, as of June 25, 2024).
This one discusses a proposed conversion at 95 Berkeley St. on the South End borderlands:

Office to residential conversions gain traction in Boston - Marketplace

With office vacancies rife, creating apartments may help the city's housing shortage and declining values. Subsidies are part of the equation.

www.marketplace.org

 

[HenryAlan]

I worked in an office at 95 Berkeley Street many years ago. At the time it was owned by Community Builders and even back in the aughts, they were talking about doing a residential conversion. It's just the sort of building for which such an idea is viable. And there are probably dozens like it spread about the city.

 

[thepixelnation]

It's just the sort of building for which such an idea is viable.

Interesting that the location was warehouse -> offices -> residential. One would think the warehouse bones of the building easier to convert to residential than a lot of more purpose-built office buildings that are more commonly discussed when it comes to residential conversion.

 

[curcuas]

Interesting that the location was warehouse -> offices -> residential. One would think the warehouse bones of the building easier to convert to residential than a lot of more purpose-built office buildings that are more commonly discussed when it comes to residential conversion.

It was meant to be resi, but WeWork bought it for a fortune and started converting it to Office. Then WeWork went bankrupt.

 

[BostonObserver]

Way before that it was supposed to be art galleries

 

[bigpicture7]

Reposting here (thanks, @stick n move ):

18 Residential Units Planned for Downtown Commercial Building​

“Plans are in the works for the redevelopment of 295-297 Franklin Street in Downtown Boston, the former home of Umbria Prime. The 5-story brick building could be converted to 18 rental units with help from the city's tax incentives for residential conversion. Plans include 13 studios and five one-bedroom apartments.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/18-residential-units-planned-for-downtown-commercial-building

 

[Justbuildit]

Love this building. There are some great gritty alleyways on this section around Broad, Franklin, Oliver etc. Happy to see a handsome brick building get a new life.

 

[stick n move]

IBA Plans to Convert South End Office to Affordable Housing​

“Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción is planning to transform its office building at 2 San Juan St. in the South End into 44 affordable housing units. The project will receive $1M in funding under the new state housing law and the project could also qualify for a tax incentive under Boston's office to residential conversion program.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/iba-plans-to-convert-south-end-office-to-affordable-housing

 

[stick n move]

Suffolk Files Plans for 101 Tremont Conversion​

“Suffolk has filed plans for the conversion of the existing 88,000 SF office building located at 101 Tremont Street into a residence hall for students consisting of up to 280 beds. The University acquired the property in June for $30M. Plans call for 67,170 SF of dormitory space with approximately 8,938 SF of ground floor/below-grade retail/restaurant space (existing to remain). The renovation will also add a student housing reception area, laundry room, student lounge space, and study rooms – all of which will be secure and accessible only to students of the University.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/suffolk-files-plans-for-101-tremont-conversion

 

[jdrinboston]

So the Beantown Pub survives? Wouldn't mind seeing something like this for the buildings on the corner of Winter/Tremont streets

 

[bigpicture7]

Approved by Zoning Board of Appeal:

Plan to convert three downtown Boston office buildings into housing moves forward - The Boston Globe

The city’s zoning board of appeal unanimously approved a proposal to convert three adjoining buildings into one building with 95 rental apartments, officials said.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[shmessy]

Approved by Zoning Board of Appeal:

Plan to convert three downtown Boston office buildings into housing moves forward - The Boston Globe

The city’s zoning board of appeal unanimously approved a proposal to convert three adjoining buildings into one building with 95 rental apartments, officials said.

www.bostonglobe.com

LFG!!!!

 

[CBCArch61]

Beantown Pub is such a staple, and hopefully it does remain. Had my first date with my wife there and have an amazing photo of it framed in my house here in Nashville. Really hope it sticks around

 

[BronsonShore]

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a shot in hell that a university would maintain a bar in one of its dorms.

 

[sean99090900]

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a shot in hell that a university would maintain a bar in one of its dorms.

Potentially unlikely but I know brown university gives at least one example of a bar built into a dorm building

 

[Stlin]

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a shot in hell that a university would maintain a bar in one of its dorms.

I mean... Here it'd be the university acting as landlord for a private bar/restaurant, and it'd hardly be the first university to have a bar on campus in the Boston area.

BU has the Fullers Pub, MIT has the Muddy and R&D, Harvard has the Cambridge Queens Head. UMass Amherst for years had the UPub, and built a new bar/restaurant into its new Worcester DC, all of which are operated by their respective institutions.

 

[BronsonShore]

I mean... Here it'd be the university acting as landlord for a private bar/restaurant, and it'd hardly be the first university to have a bar on campus in the Boston area.

BU has the Fullers Pub, MIT has the Muddy and R&D, Harvard has the Cambridge Queens Head. UMass Amherst for years had the UPub, and built a new bar/restaurant into its new Worcester DC, all of which are operated by their respective institutions.

Harvard just closed the Queens Head, and all of the others are, in practical sense, much more like event spaces that are used solely by members of the university community than actual bars (in fact, I'm pretty sure you need to have college IDs to enter all of them?) The Beantown Pub isn't really analogous at all.

 

[DBM]

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a shot in hell that a university would maintain a bar in one of its dorms.

Hey do you want to meet up at the Back Deck tonight? It's on West St., just a 3-minute walk from Beantown Pub. It's been there for a decades, a tenant of Suffolk University, at the base of Suffolk's 10 West St. dormitory. We can toast how spectacularly wrong you are!

 

[HenryAlan]

BU has the Fullers Pub

I'm pretty sure the Dugout is also in a BU owned building. Regardless, it's certainly in the heart of the campus.

 

[BronsonShore]

Hey do you want to meet up at the Back Deck tonight? It's on West St., just a 3-minute walk from Beantown Pub. It's been there for a decades, a tenant of Suffolk University, at the base of Suffolk's 10 West St. dormitory. We can toast how spectacularly wrong you are!

As long as we can also discuss why you're spectacularly rude.