TLee Development said it is preparing to start construction on an affordable housing development at the old Gallagher Insurance building, which abuts the Fields Corner MBTA Station just down the street from the Post Office building.

Work on the 5-story, 29-unit rental project will likely start in “mid-October,” according to Travis Lee. The building will house three tiers of affordable rental units and include ground floor retail.

Since being approved for that development and waiting for construction to start, the site and the building were used for a variety of unique things, including the Dorchester Community Fridge and an art mural project dedicated to social justice that was temporarily on the side of the building.

The bright pink and yellow paint job drew some attention in the interim. “We used it for all sorts of fun community-oriented things,” Lee said. “It’s not an impressive building, but it has served us well in the meantime.”