Development

Mixed-Use Centre Street 18 Rental Unit Development Approved By BPDA

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The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors approved a mixed-use 18-rental unit, 4 commercial unit development on Centre Street earlier in February

Back in 2017 a one-story building was razed at this location and it's been a slow construction process since then. There is currently a four-story shell of a building at the site. The new development will include approximately four income-restricted units, seven parking spots, one electric vehicle charging station, 18 interior bicycle storage spaces for residents, and eight exterior bicycle storage spaces for visitors. The BPDA cited community benefits of projects include the eight bicycle storage spaces along Centre Street for use by the public, and accessibility improvements to the nearby sidewalks and pedestrian pathways.

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Development

3390 Washington St. Impact Advisory Group Meeting on Feb. 1

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The impact advisory group (IAG) for a proposed 160-residential unit development with a first floor restaurant will meet on Feb. 1. The owner of BMS Paper, a store on the site, would redevelop the site to add the mixed-use building. The proposal includes off street parking for 195 vehicles. The eatery would be a "moderately priced neighborhood style restaurant," and the total project would be in 199,000 sq.

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Development

BPDA Giving Update of Plan: JP/ROX at JPNC on Jan. 21

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The Boston Planning & Redevelopment Agency (BPDA) will be at the next Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) to provide an update on how development projects have contributed to meeting the goals of Plan: JP/Rox. The BPDA will be providing an update, and collecting feedback from the community on the implementation of the plan. The guidelines outlined in Plan: JP/ROX were adopted by the BPDA's Board of Directors on March 2, 2017. The plan provides recommendations and strategies on developing former industrial sites, affordable housing, jobs and businesses, guidelines for urban design, and suggestions for improvements to transportation, connections, open space, sustainability, and the public realm. The plan was created after an intense 2.5 year planning process that engaged the community to plan the area between Forest Hills, Egleston Square, and Jackson Square.

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Business

Chase Bank Complies with Protestors’ Preferred Renovation Designs

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A group of protesting residents will get their desired and proposed renovation details for Chase's new branch on Centre Street after the bank agreed with the city to the community's demands. The group protested during Saturday's dreary rain outside of the new business at 701 Centre Street. Previously, Jamaica Plain residents, business owners and neighborhood associations came together questioning the process that allowed Chase Bank to make unpermitted renovations to its new location. On Dec. 13, Chase Bank representatives met with community members, staff from the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), Inspectional Services Department (ISD) and District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley's office, to find a resolution to issues that have been raised and understand the next steps.

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Business

Chase Redoing Storefront After Renovations Out of Character Rest of Area

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Jamaica Plain residents, business owners and neighborhood associations banded together questioning the process that allowed Chase Bank to make unpermitted renovations to its new Centre Street location. Led by a triumvirate of licensed architects, who were either chairpersons or members of the former Jamaica Plain Centre/South Main Street's Design Committee, the permit process was doubted. After doing their own research, Ed Forte, Michael Epp, and current Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council member Gert Thorn, learned that Chase Bank was doing work that required a design review, which had not taken place. They also felt that the renovations, specifically the metallic-look, was out of character of the area of 701 Centre Street. The trio wrote to a plethora of city departments, city officials, and elected officials, to voice their concerns.

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Development

Review of ZBA Announced After BPDA Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery

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Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said that the city has hired a law firm to review how the Zoning Board of Appeals conducts business after a city employee pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to influence the ZBA. On August 30, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that John M. Lynch, 66, a former Assistant Director of Real Estate at theEconomic Development Industrial Corporation (EDIC), a division of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), pled guilty to accepting $50,000 in bribes from a Boston real estate developer. Lynch was supposed to use his official influence to secure a ZBA vote that favored the real estate developer on his federal tax return. The real estate development project was not in Jamaica Plain. Sullivan & Worcester LLP, a law firm outside of Boston, will conduct the review of the ZBA, starting with the rules and regulations in place that dictate how the board conducts business on behalf of residents, and those with matters before the board.

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Development

BPDA Board Approves 21-Unit Stedman Street Project; All Units to be Rentals

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The Boston Planning & Development Agency board recently approved a three-story, 21-unit rental residential building for Stedman Street. The project will consist of six one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units, and four of the 21 units will be income-restricted.The income-restricted units are expected to be one one-bedroom and three two-bedrooms, said BPDA spokesperson Bonnie McGilpin. One of the affordable units will be for a household not earning more than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) as dictated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One unit will be for households not earning more than 50 percent of the AMI and two will be affordable to households not earning more than 70 percent of the AMI. Sited at 50 Stedman St., the building will be approximately 31,216 sq.

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Development

General Heath Square Development Update Meeting on Oct. 17

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There will be two public meetings to discuss the General Heath Square Apartments development and provide updates of the 4 story, 47 affordable units project on Oct. 17th. Uncharacteristic of most Boston developments, the project has remained the same size since at least 2015. It is a 56,290 square foot, 4 story, 47 affordable housing unit sited for 61 Heath Street in Jamaica Plain. The Boston Planning & Development Agency board previously approved the project that is regarded as a "transit oriented structure" with 10 units at or below 30 percent area median income (AMI), 30 units at or below 60 percent AMI and 7 units at or below 80 percent AMI.

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Development

BPDA Board Approves Plans to Double Size, Add Turf Field at Jackson Square Rec Center

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The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) board approved new plans for a proposed Jackson Square Recreational Center that vastly increases the size of the center and adds an additional floor. The BPDA board approved plans on March 17 that call for a 75,000 square foot recreation center at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Ritchie Street across the street from the Jackson Square MBTA Station in Jamaica Plain. Earlier plans had the project at 34,000 square feet, said BPDA spokesperson Bonnie McGilpin. The size increase is due to an the addition of another floor to the project. The recreation center would be a three-story multi-use indoor space with an ice rink on the first floor 10 months of the year, with a mezzanine level (regarded as the second floor) that includes bleacher seating for the ice rink.

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Government

PLAN: JP/ROX Public Event on Wednesday Night

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The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) will host a public event for residents to learn about the priorities of PLAN: JP/ROX, and for the community to provide comments about the PLAN's recommendations. PLAN: JP/ROX is a study to actively engage the community to create a new vision and plan for the area between Forest Hills, Egleston Square and Jackson Square, generally bounded by Washington Street, Columbus Avenue, and Amory Street, according to the BPDA's website. The plan encompasses approximately 250 acres and more than 6,000 residents. Since July 2015 there have been nine community events, 12 public advisory group meetings and more than 25 small group and stakeholder meetings, according to the BPDA website. The goal of the PLAN is to create recommendations that will be adopted in a subsequent zoning phase that will involve the community.

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