Storied Church to be Converted to Housing

BOSTON—The Boston Redevelopment Authority approved plans for development projects totaling $75.3 million Thursday evening, including an ambitious venture to convert a former church on Shawmut Avenue into residential housing.

The BRA Board also approved a plan to build a new charter school in Hyde Park and an affordable housing development in Dorchester.

The largest project approved by the BRA is the adaptive reuse of the shuttered Holy Trinity German Church at 136 Shawmut Ave. in the South End. The church, built in the late 1870s, was closed by the Archdiocese of Boston and later sold. The storied church and rectory has been vacant for approximately five years.

David Goldman, principal of New Boston Ventures, plans to create 33 new units of housing at the site in a project valued at $47 million, including $7 million for the acquisition of the property late last year from the Archdiocese of Boston. The adaptive reuse and expansion of the church involves demolition of the existing interior space in order to accommodate a new eight-story glass and steel building with 28 basement parking spots. The façade of the church will be restored, Goldman tells Globest.com. He says his firm hopes to break ground on the project this September.

Finegold Alexander & Associates' design attempts to marry modern steel and glass elements while preserving the historic character of the existing structure and exterior masonry. Lighting features will enhance the church's spire and highlight the classic architecture of the building, BRA states.

New Boston Ventures and Feingold Alexander completed several years ago the adaptive reuse of the old historic Salem Jail project in Salem, MA. The project saw the development of 23 apartment units and a restaurant at the former jail. A future phase of another 13 housing units there is possible, Goldman says.

In connection with the Holy Trinity Church project, the developer will voluntarily contribute $500,000 to support Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, a non-profit community-building organization in the South End, in addition to providing $20,000 to the Friends of Peters Park as community benefits.

Also given the green light was the $24-million Boston Preparatory Charter Public School to be built in Hyde Park. The 48,800-square-foot three-story building will replace leased space the charter school currently operates out of. The school, which serves grades six through 12, has 400 students and more than 60 teachers and staff members.

Studio G Architects designed the school. The project is expected to break ground by October and be completed by March 2017.

The BRA board approved a proposal from Brookview House Development Corp. to construct an all-affordable development at 35 Hansborough St. in Dorchester. Brookview House III will consist of 12 residential rental units within a three-story building.

Plans call for nine two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. One of the two-bedroom units will have handicap accessible features. All twelve units will be made affordable to households earning up to 30% of area median income, which equates to less than $30,000 per year for a family of three. The developer will seek public funding to ensure that all units can be restricted as affordable in perpetuity, the BRA states.

The project will also include more than 4,000 square feet of programming space for residents and members of the adjacent community. The space will feature classrooms for afterschool enrichment programs as well as space for adult education, training, and counseling services.

Watertown-based J.C. Cannistraro received a six-month designation by the BRA to redevelop Parcel N at 25 Fid Kennedy Ave. in the Boston Marine Industrial Park. The plumbing and HVAC company plans to re-use much of the existing, but currently vacant, two-story structure to construct a new facility for storage, fabrication, assembly, and distribution of HVAC and fire suppression systems. J.C. Cannistraro expects to close its suburban manufacturing facilities and relocate more than 100 jobs to the site in the Boston Marine Industrial Park.