October 19, 2017
The Boston Planning and Development Board (BPDA) last week approved a 36-unit mixed-use project at 233 Hancock St. Developers ARX Urban, through their 233 Hancock LLC, have filed plans to construct a 29,465-square foot, five-story building on a Glover’s Corner site now occupied by two auto body repair shops. The LLC purchased the property in April for $1.2 million.
Of the 36 rental units – mostly market-rate with five affordable units – 12 are studios, 12 are one-bedrooms, 8 are two-bedrooms, and 4 are three-bedrooms. The affordable units will be made available to households earning between 80 percent and 120 percent of the area median income, or about $50,000 to $100,000 in annual income. Also in the plans is a street-level garage that includes 22 off-street parking spaces. Separate ground floor areas are allocated for about 38 bicycles and a designated trash/recycling room.
Along the streetscape, about 1,250 square feet of interior retail and gallery space will be curated by the Dorchester Arts Collaborative or a comparable community arts organization. The LLC also proposes 3,000 square feet of “usable open space” behind the building.
“The gallery space and green space at the rear of the building will also be available to community organizations for events and meetings, up to eight times annually, by appointment,” according to a memo from the BPDA board.
The project still needs Zoning Board of Appeal approval for use, insufficient off-street parking and loading, and excessive size.
Included in the proposal are $15,000 in community benefits, with $5,000 each allocated for St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children’s Women@Work Plus program, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Youth Connect Program, and Cape Verdean Community Unido.
Other benefits, the team said in an initial proposal, include replacing industrial and commercial automotive uses that cause pollution, noise, and traffic congestion, removing billboard signs, improving the streetscape and widening the sidewalks, and encouraging alternative modes of transportation through bicycling and walking.
The site is about a 10-minute walk from the Savin Hill T station.
The project is just outside an ongoing city planning study area for the Dorchester Avenue spine of Glover’s Corner. Across Hancock Street, the large mixed-use Dot Block project is expected to bring new amenities and a public walkway connecting it to Dorchester Avenue.
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