Richard Heath
Demolition work at the former Flanagan & Seaton Motor Car Co. site on Washington Street; English High School is in the background.
Demolition work is well underway on the prefab metal buildings at the former Flanagan & Seaton Motor Car Co. site at 3521-3529 Washington St., making way for 132 units of housing, retail space and a four-story self-storage building.
David Williams, director of market development at SSG Development, told Jamaica Plain News this week that the buildings will be razed down to the foundation. Soil testing and remediation, as necessary, will then begin; the level of possible contamination is unknown at this time, he said.
SSG is building the self-storage building on McBride Street opposite English High School, and is doing prep work for the condos to be built by New Boston Ventures. A five-story, mixed-use building at the corner of Washington and McBride streets (designed by BL Companies) will include 88 condominiums and 25,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Off Burnett Street, a four-story townhouse row (designed by Studio 3.0) will have 44 condominiums.
The $80 million development will include a community garden, in response to a request by the Stony Brook Neighborhood Association during its review of the development during the past two years. SSG and New Boston Ventures also offered to either donate $60,000 to the SNA or to build a community room in the self-storage building; at its Dec. 14 meeting, the SNA voted in favor of the community room.
Burnett Street resident Tobias Johnson has had a front-row seat for the construction work. "The change over the last few days has been dramatic!" he said. "Our little street is excited to see the warehouse come down, and thrilled with the planned housing and retail. ... It will be well worth the short-term noise, dust and inconvenience."
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http://jpnews2018.wpengine.com/2015/04/22/132-unit-mcbride-street-development-clears-final-hurdle/11057
http://jpnews2018.wpengine.com/2014/11/14/mcbride-street-development-green-lit-over-neighborhood-council-objections/6872
http://jpnews2018.wpengine.com/2014/09/23/neighbors-praise-big-mcbride-street-project-push-for-more-affordable-units/4739
Richard Heath
A view of the construction from Burnett Street looking toward Washington Street.
Richard Heath
A sign notifies passersby of plans for the Washington Street site.
SSG/New Boston Ventures
A five-story building on the site will feature retail on the first floor and 88 condos on the upper levels.
Richard Heath
One of the community benefits of the project, urged by the SNA, is an extension of the Southwest Corridor Park walkway along the project site.