New in the Neighborhood: East Boston
Update
08/22/19
Welcome to BLDUP’s new series, New in the Neighborhood, highlighting some of the top upcoming or newly finished residential buildings across Boston’s diverse neighborhoods. These projects are in various stages of development all offer promising prospects for residents, whether renters or buyers. The buildings have been selected through eye-catching amenities, prime location, or unique design.
This week we are focussing on East Boston, the waterfront community offering magnificent views and great green space. While the Blue Line offers an easy and quick connection to Downtown commuters working in the LMA, Seaport, or Kendall do have to switch lines making the commute a bit trickier. Also without a bridge connection to downtown, biking or walking is out of the question for many. The numerous benefits of the neighborhood, however, have outweighed this issue and residential development has greatly picked up in the past few years with around 850+ units currently under construction and another nearly 1,000 approved that have yet to break ground. These numbers also do not include the massive and neighborhood changing Suffolk Downs project still to come.
New to East Boston
A certificate of occupancy was just issued earlier this month for the Neighborhood Housing Development Inc. (NOAH) project which includes 71 residential units, 56 apartments, and 15 condo townhomes. The apartments sit on top of 3,000 sq.-feet of ground-floor restaurant space, now available for lease. Within the project, NOAH has designated 40 units as affordable (37 apartments and 3 condos). With sweeping views of the Tobin Bridge and Boston Harbor, Coppersmith Village will provide residents with copious natural light and private balconies offering residents a quiet spot to enjoy the harbor breeze. Each unit features plank/wood-style flooring and modern finishes across the kitchen, living, and bedroom areas. Community amenities at Coppersmith Village will include a community club room, laundry care suite, parking spaces, and an outdoor café and restaurant.
The Davis Companies developed project, under construction now, will include 107 condo residences with 7 designated affordable. The waterfront building is located just a few blocks from the Maverick Square T and will also offer 80 parking spaces underneath the finished building and an additional 147 bicycle spaces. The Mark aims to provide residents with a phenomenal community experience as well by offering resident amenities that will include a 5,045 sq.-foot private waterfront courtyard with designated fitness space as well as grilling and lounge areas. The building will also have a 24/7 concierge, a billiards lounge, commercial/retail space, a library, and a golf simulator for those trying to lower their handicap. Upon completion, the Mark will also introduce a new 240-foot Harborwalk along the Boston Harbor, functioning as a link between Carlton Wharf and Lo Presti Park.
Stephen Davis of The Davis Companies recently spoke to BLDUP about The Mark: “We believe that The Mark is a unique development opportunity in a number of key respects. For this boutique condominium community built to an intimate scale, we saw an opportunity to place particular emphasis on interior design and to curate a thoughtful set of building amenities which, in addition to the more standardized offerings, range from a golf simulator to a Tesla Model X for the exclusive use of our future residents. Put differently, we viewed development of The Mark as an opportunity to offer a special homeownership option that is differentiated from and elevated above, other product coming to the evolving East Boston waterfront. With nearly half of the building pre-sold ahead of a Q4 2020 delivery, we are happy to report that the buyer market seems to share this view.”
Construction underway now at 917 Bennington will result in a 5-story building to include 42 apartments. These units, which will include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedrooms, will offer stunning views of Constitution Beach through select private balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. On-site amenities offered will include a rooftop deck where residents can relax and take in the waterfront views and a 45-space parking garage. The transit-oriented project is located just a few minutes from the Orient Heights MBTA Blue Line station and maybe most importantly in this town, there is a Dunkin Donuts right next door.
This upcoming mixed-income, transit-oriented project will replace East Boston’s waterfront Clippership Apartments. The WinnCompanies developed project which is now under construction will feature 52 new residences (3-4-bedroom apartments and 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms condos) across 2 three-story buildings. According to Chris Fleming, the project director, the WinnCompanies are “excited to come into the East Boston community and redevelop 22 units of public housing on-site for the Boston Housing Authority while adding 30 for-sale units, 14 of which will be affordable per the BPDA guidelines.”
125 Sumner will also have enticing community amenities such as a 1,040 sq.-foot community room within the building, directly facing the Boston Harbor. The community room is attached to an outdoor patio again showcasing the views of the harbor and Boston Skyline. Rounding out the project will be 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space directly facing Sumner Street 19 parking spaces and copious bicycle storage.
Developed by EBCDC, and officially opened on August 13th, this 32-unit apartment project features 2 and 3 bedroom homes, all designated affordable for working families and individuals who are earning at, or below, 60% AMI. Paris Village is located in the heart of East Boston, a prime location near restaurants and a wide array of arts and cultural venues. This transit-oriented location will also place residents near downtown Boston, Logan airport, and the MBTA Blue Line.
Albert Caldarelli, of EBCDC is proud that the building will provide housing to families in need of affordable rent: “At a time when the rising cost of rents in East Boston are driving more and more working families into homeless shelters or away from our community it’s exciting to be able to invite 32 families into the new apartments at Paris Village.”
Located directly across from the Suffolk Downs MBTA Blue Line stop, the MG2 developed project will feature 38 apartments, 5 of which are designated affordable. Of the 38 units, there will be 12 one-bedrooms (averaging 701 sq.-feet), 8 two-bedrooms (averaging 1,085 sq.-feet), 15 three-bedrooms (averaging 1,168 sq.-feet), and 3 four-bedrooms (averaging 1,349 sq.-feet), making the building a great option for a wide variety of residents. While still in the early stages of construction, 11-19 Walley St will have plenty of community amenities residents can look forward to. The most notable are the top-floor fitness center, common room, and roof deck. For commuters, there will be 25 parking spaces on-site while also providing residents with bountiful bicycle storage.
This new Orient Heights, 3-story residential building features 19 condominiums with 1 one-bedroom, 16 two-bedrooms, and 1 three-bedroom. Two of these condominiums have been deemed affordable. These luxury condominiums range in size from 750 – 1,200 square feet and include European style kitchens, bathrooms with heated tile floors, LED lights, and NEST thermostats. Residents can enjoy some downtime while lounging on the community rooftop deck or hold meetings in the rooftop meeting room. 16 Boardman St also has a 27-car garage along with bicycle storage for residents. Having wrapped up construction earlier this year, 16 Boardman St is now available for residents.
LendLease’s contribution to the East Boston development boom, Clippership Wharf’s four buildings will bring a total of 478 residential units to the neighborhood when complete. The waterfront project will also include just over 30,000 square feet of retail and community space. Earlier this month a certificate of occupancy was issued for the first two buildings in the project, the Slip65 condos, and the first apartment building. Residences across the project feature oversized windows and chef-level kitchens including stainless appliances and quartz countertops. The seven-acre site will also feature restaurants, recreation, and public art along with a new Harborwalk extension and waterfront transportation dock for those who might prefer a water taxi over the nearby Blue Line.
