The Smith South End

Groundbreaking Held For The Smith South End

The rain held off just long enough for local officials, neighbors and project stakeholders from Leggat McCall Properties, Bentall Kennedy, and Suffolk Construction to officially break ground on the Harrison Albany Block development.  While work has already started on the site for the foundation and 650 underground parking spaces the event served as a milestone in the project as the official name, The Smith, was unveiled.  Bill Gause, Executive VP at Leggat McCall Properties, explained the name speaks to the rich history of the craftsmen who lived and worked in the South End. He stated the building is designed for the future but with reflections of the past.

In total, The Smith will bring 650 units of housing, including 65 affordable, 20,000 square feet of retail and cultural space, and 75,000 square feet of new and renovated office space to The South End.  The development will also feature a 1-acre community park bisecting the site set to bring walkability and vibrancy so this section of the neighborhood.

Site Work Underway at Harrison Albany Block

Site work continues on the upcoming four building, mixed-use Harrison Albany block project.  The three-acre site in the South End is set to include around 650 apartments, 80,000 square-feet of office space, and 20,000 square-feet of retail.  The development will also increase public open space in the neighborhood and liven the streetscape with the retail storefronts.

Initial demolition underway at future site of Harrison Albany Block development in South End

Demolition of existing buildings is underway at the future three-acre site of Harrison Albany Block, a 710,000-square-foot mixed-use development in the South End. A total of four buildings are being demolished to make way for Harrison Albany Block’s two new-construction 11-story buildings. Two existing buildings at 575 Albany Street and 660 Harrison Avenue (Gambro Building) will be retained and improved as part of the project. In total, Harrison Albany Block will feature approximately 650 apartment residences, 80,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The following is a video of demolition underway at Harrison Albany Block:

. @universalhub insane demo of 123 East Dedham St today. #HarrisonAlbanyBlock #SouthEnd #Demolished pic.twitter.com/zXkvz6sOcV

— John Hanzl (author) (@JohnHanzl) November 25, 2017

Construction starting on 710,000-square-foot Harrison Albany Block development in South End

Initial demolition work to make way for the 710,000-square-foot Harrison Albany Block mixed-use development in the South End is scheduled to begin this Tuesday (August 22nd). Three existing buildings will be demolished over three weeks, after which work will begin on the foundation of the development’s first phase. The foundation will feature a slurry wall, eliminating the need for noisy driving of piles or foundation sheets in the residential neighborhood. Slurry wall work is expected to commence in November. Suffolk Construction will be Harrison Albany Block’s general contractor.

Phase 1 of Harrison Albany Block, which will construct the first of two new 11-story buildings, will take 28 months to construct. Construction of the second 11-story building, Phase 2 of the project, could commence in the middle of Phase 1 depending upon market conditions. Two existing buildings at 575 Albany Street and 660 Harrison Avenue (Gambro Building) will be retained and improved as part of Harrison Albany Block. In total, the development will feature approximately 650 apartment residences, 80,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Harrison Albany Block, 700,000 square foot mixed-use development, approved in South End

Harrison Albany Block, a new 4-building mixed-use development featuring approximately 650 residential units and 80,000 square feet of office space in addition to ground-floor retail, was approved at last Thursday (March 2nd)’s Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board Meeting. The development team anticipates to start construction of the project in the second quarter of this year.

Harrison Albany Block proposed height decreases, massing increases

The Harrison Albany Block development team has submitted a Draft Project Impact Report (DPIR) to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) for the proposed Harrison Albany Block mixed-use development project in Boston's South End with a revised development program and updated renderings; the following is a link to the DPIR. Most notably, the peak height of Harrison Albany Block, which would have been the tallest development in Boston's South End, has been reduced from 200 feet to 120 feet. The total development has increased from approximately 710,500 square feet to 722,000 square feet. Residential units have decreased from approximately 710 units to 687 units. Office space has increased from approximately 40,100 square feet to 76,800 square feet. Retail space has increased from approximately 14,100 square feet to 19,700 square feet. The number of proposed spaces in Harrison Albany Block's underground parking garage has decreased from approximately 745 spaces to 703 spaces.

The existing five-story 575 Albany Street, previously proposed to be renovated to include office space, would now include residential units along with a new five-story vertical addition. The existing three-story 660 Harrison Avenue (Gambro Building), previously proposed to be retained as is, would now be renovated and improved with an addition on the building's east side and a two-story vertical addition; 660 Harrison Avenue would continue to contain office space. Associated adjustments have also been made to the project's open space plan; proposed open space has increased from approximately 41,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.

The development team anticipates that construction of Harrison Albany Block will commence in the second quarter of 2017. Improvement of 660 Harrison Avenue would occur in no less than seven years following expiration of existing leases. The following are renderings of Harrison Albany Block:

The following are elevations, sections and aerial views of Harrison Albany Block:

An official project website has been created for the Harrison Albany Block project with information and renderings. The Expanded Project Notification Form (EPNF) filed on Monday is also now available. The Bozzuto Group is serving as the project's development advisor; CBT Architects is the project's architect. Construction could commence in the first quarter of 2017. The following are renderings of Harrison Albany Block:

The following are aerial views and site plans of Harrison Albany Block:

The Boston Globe reports the developers of the Harrison Albany Block in Boston's South End have submitted a filing to the city with additional proposal details. Two new buildings—one with 11 stories, another with 19—are currently proposed; two existing buildings at 575 Albany Street and 660 Harrison Avenue would be retained. The developers of the Harrison Albany Block submitted a Letter of Intent for the project in November 2015; the developers acquired the project site in December 2014 from Boston Medical Center for $80 million.