BRA approves 1,100 new housing units across the city, including Dot Block

In a marathon six-hour board meeting, the Boston Redevelopment Authority approved eight new residential developments on Thursday night, which will bring over 1,000 new units of housing to neighborhoods all around the city.

The majority of the housing came from two developments in Dorchester and one in Brighton, which, when combined, will bring 969 new residential units to the city.

The biggest project approved was the South Bay Town Center in Dorchester near the South Bay Shopping Center, which will include 475 units of housing in a five-building development. The BRA also approved a 130-room hotel, 125,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a movie theater, and parking for about 1,100 vehicles.

The next-largest approval was the long-awaited Dot Block in Dorchester, just about half a mile from the Savin Hill MBTA station. Set on close to five acres of land on a currently underused corner, the development will have five distinct buildings, which will contain a total of 362 residential units, along with 37,000 square feet of new retail space. The developer’s goal is to put a grocery store in part of the retail space.

Next up in large developments is 530 Western Avenue in Brighton, a 132-unit residential building with 5,600 square feet of retail space. This development came with a transportation study, as the developer is building with the goal of making residents think about alternative transportation. The building has been approved to provide “storage for 160 bicycles, a bike workshop with tools and repair parts, a digital screen in the lobby to display local transit options and schedules, and a Hubway bike share station.” If you pre-lease an apartment you will even receive a free bike.

The six other approved developments include:

• 839 Beacon Street: Set to replace two existing buildings, this development in the Fenway area’s Audubon Circle includes 45 residential units. The building will have plenty of amenities, along with a rooftop terrace.

• 64 Allandale Street: This 20-unit condo project in West Roxbury is unique for the area, as the developer is aiming for net-zero energy usage and LEED Platinum certification. It has been going through community review and receiving advice from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection because of its proximity to Allandale Woods.
• 4945 Washington Street: A second new development is coming to West Roxbury, as the BRA approved a 46-unit apartment building on the site of a former landscaping company.

• 1470 Tremont Street: The developer for this project is set to renovate existing row homes in Mission Hill, while also building some new construction to bring a total of 33 apartments to the neighborhood. The old buildings will be renovated, keeping their historic charm, while the new units will be more modern and be four to five stories tall.
• 410 West Broadway: This five-story, mixed-use building in South Boston will bring 24 condo units and 3,350 square feet of commercial retail space to the neighborhood. The site is currently vacant; it used to be the home of a church that burned down in a fire.

The BRA noted that 1.8 million square feet of development was permitted at this month’s meeting, one of the largest totals in recent months.

Seaport’s Block M, which is set to bring 733 new units across three buildings to the booming neighborhood, was already BRA approved in the Seaport Square master plan. But last night, the project was evaluated again, and the board approved design changes and an affordable housing agreement.