Pulling down and building up. Rarely has Jamaica Plain seen the amount of construction it has in the past year.
Eight projects are under construction. Three are permitted, but have not begun yet. Two more projects are in the works. Eleven of the projects are multi-family buildings totaling 891 apartments and townhouses.
Two new communities are literally rising up at Forest Hills and South Huntington Avenue.
The recently completed Olmsted Place at 161 South Huntington Ave. has 196 apartments bringing the total of new housing in Jamaica Plain in the next two years to 1,o87 units. The two housing developments still in community review total another 142 units.
The Casey Overpass is No More, New Parkway Coming This Year
Richard Heath
It is now ground level roads where the Casey Overpass once stood.
Richard Heath
The Shea Circle by Franklin Park is being rebuilt to be the Shea Square.
A crowded and contentious public hearing on January 21, 2015 opened last year with sides predicting havoc or heaven. The wrecking ball struck the first giant concrete pier on May 15 at the South Street corner. In four months the bridge was gone. The valley of Stony Brook is now a wide and open stretch of land unseen since Frederick Law Olmsted staked out the Arborway in 1892.
The upper busway on Washington Street completed in 1987 was pulled down in October 2015. Preparations for a new bus platform over the Hyde Park Avenue surface parking lot have been completed and will be built when the construction season begins this spring.
The boring but essential work of setting in enormous water pipes, in part connected to the Stony Brook culvert, as well as sewer and gas lines has been underway for the past few months and Shea Circle at Franklin Park has been bulldozed to make way for the Shea intersection at Forest Hills Street, a return to the 1892 Arborway design.
Despite delays caused by debate over Shea Circle's historic value chaired by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and multiple February blizzards, completion of the $61 million new parkway is still aimed for September 2016.
The Commons at Forest Hills -- 3593-3615 Washington St.
Richard Heath
The Commons at Forest Hills has changed the skyline of Forest Hills.
UTILE architcts
A design for The Commons at Forest Hills.
Richard Heath
The second housing cluster of The Commons at Forest Hills being built.
Formerly the Hughes Oil Co. storage tank yard, this 2.8 acre property will see the biggest housing development in the history of Forest Hills when completed. Also, the most expensive at $95 million.
A small village with 283 apartments, it will include four 6-story buildings in two clusters. The second cluster will be connected by a housing arcade of 3-story walkups with ground floor retail and underground parking.
Site demolition took place in Nov./Dec. 2014 with construction coinciding with the site preparation of the Casey Arborway throughout 2015.
On January 21, 2016 the BRA restricted income lottery opened for the 39 affordable units in the complex. Income limits for mostly 1- and 2-bedroom apartments range from 50% to 100% (a one person occupant at 50% area median income could earn no more than $39,400). Deadline for lottery applicants is March 9, 2016.
Developers: John M Corcoran Co; The Brennen Group
Architect: Utile Architects, Colin Kerr, project manager
Landscape Architect: Offshoots, Kate Kennen, principal designer
Jamaica Plain Branch Library, 12 Sedgwick St.
Richard Heath
Jamaica Plain Branch Library is currently under construction. A new glass reading room will be built facing South Street.
UTILE architects
The new glass pavilion as planned for the Jamaica Plain Branch Library on South Street.
Richard Heath
The original Jamaica Plain Branch Library South Street entrance. The new addition is being built on the South Street side.
The branch closed on August 1, 2015 to make way for the renovation of the library originally built in 1911, which was last remodeled in 1963. A groundbreaking occurred on Sept. 25, 2015 for this $10 million project. Construction is ongoing for a a 700 sq. ft. glass reading room addition facing South Street. The foundations were poured before Thanksgiving 2015.
Architect: Utile Architects, Michael LeBlanc, principal designer
The Serenity, 105 A South Huntington Ave.
Richard Heath
Foundations being dug for the 13-story tower of 105A SouthHuntington Ave.
Prellwitz Chiillinsky architects
The Serenity
Thirteen stories tall and overlooking Leverett Pond. This will be the tallest building in Jamaica Plain since the Jamaicaway Towers opened a half century ago in 1965. There will be 195 apartments with ground floor Huntington Avenue retail. The developers agreed to contribute multi-year contributions to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Groundbreaking was December 2015.
Developer: Cedar Valley Development:
Architect: David Chillinsky of Prellwitz Chillinski Associates
Landscape architect: Copley-Wolff
75 Amory Ave.
Tise Architects
A design preview of 75 Amory Ave., a $15 million, 4-story apartment house with 39 apartments, manager's office and community room.
This is $15 million, 4-story apartment house with 39 apartments, manager's office and community room. This is a 100% affordable apartments with up to 60% of residents to be area median income. Groundbreaking occurred in September 2015.
Developer: Jamaica Plain NDC
Architect: Tise Design
38-42 Hyde Park Ave.
Richard Heath
There will be a 3-story mixed use building with six apartments and ground floor retail at 38-42 Hyde Park Ave. All apartments will be three bedrooms. Demolition is scheduled to begin March 2016.
Arthur Choo, architect.
A preview design of 38-42 Hyde Park Ave.
This is a 3-story mixed use building with six apartments and ground floor retail. All apartments will be three bedrooms. Demolition is scheduled to begin March 2016. This is formerly Yang's Martial Arts studio that opened in 1985 and moved to Roslindale in 2012.
Developer: City Realty Development
Architect: Arthur Choo
3521-3529 Washington St. at McBride Street
This is at the former Flanagan + Seaton Motor Car Co. It will be three buildings with 132 units. There will be one 5-story mixed use apartment house at Washington and McBride streets, one 5-story apartment building at Burnett Street and one 4-story self storage building on McBride Street (facing English High School).
This development has taken a five-year process with the Stony Brook Neighborhood Association. Developers agreed to three community benefits: a community room, a community garden and an extension of the Southwest Corridor Park bike and footways. Demolition began in January 2016.
Developer: SSG Development and New Boston Ventures
Architect: BL Companies and Studio 3.0 architects.
3383-3389 Washington St.
A $3.5 million 4-story apartment building with 21 apartments and ground floor commercial space. Demolition of the existing buildings began in November 2015 and site work is ongoing.
Developer: Boston Property Development, Peter Mc Laughlin
Architect: Studio 47 Architects
Projects Approved, But Have Not Begun Construction
3200 Washington St./52 Montebello Road
Richard Heath
3200 Washington St. at Montebello Road
Richard Heath
There were protests about the 3200 Washington St. development. Two apartment buildings are planned for this site.
There will be three buildings at the former Economy Plumbing and E+J Auto Centre sites. E+J Auto would be relocated to 1891 Columbus Ave. This development was approved by the BRA in August 2015, and approved the Zoning Board of Appeals in September 2015.
Two apartment buildings, one five stories and six stories, on Washington Street and three townhouses on Iffley Road totaling 76 units. Also six additional units in an adjacent, formerly city-owned building at 52 Montebello Road. The total development cost is estimated at $23 million.
Developers: 3190 Washington St LLC, Exchange Authority LLC. Paul Iantosca, Dan Mangiacotti and Justin Iantosca
Architect: Kevin Deabler, RODE Architects
Bartlett Square II, 450-456 Amory St.
This is a 4-story apartment building with 15 units, including ground floor business and commercial space. This was approved by the BRA in November 2015 and approved by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council Zoning Committee in December 2015.
Developer: MapleHurst Developers, Christopher DiSisto
Architect: Cherly Tougias, Spaulding Tougias Architects
Parcel U. Hyde Park Avenue between Ukraine Way and Tollgate Cemetery
There would be nine 3- and 4-story row house clusters at 119-159 Hyde Park Ave., and a 5-story, 76-unit apartment building at Hyde Park Avenue and Ukraine Way, totaling 124 units. The estimated cost of this project is $63 million on a 1.3 acre lot, which was originally the site of a brick car barn and repair shop for the MBTA Orange Line. It was sold by Mass Department of Transportation to Urbanica for $1.03 million in 2013. This development was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in February 2015.
Developers: Urbanica and The Community Builders
Architect: Urbanica Design Architects
In the Works and Undergoing Community Process
201 South Huntington Ave.
This would be at the site of the Goddard House, a former nursing home built in 1926-1927, which closed in September 2012. Eden Properties and Samuels Associates plan to renovate the building into 110 apartments, and add a separate building with 57 units. There would be 167 apartments on a two-acre site. A project notification form was filed with the BRA on Nov. 2, 2015.
Architect: David Chilinski, Prellwitz Chilinski Associates
Project Notification Form filed with the BRA on Nov 2. 2015.
58-76 Stonley Road
This proposal is for a 5-story apartment house with 32 apartments on cul-de-sac. This is first development proposed in anticipation of the future subdivision of the Arborway Yard.
Developers: John Morrissey, Bryan Austin and Michael Forde
Architect: Lucio Trabucco, Nunes Trabucco Architects