Whether it was pandemic-related supply chain issues, or even the war in Ukraine, any number of setbacks seemed likely to thwart the construction of Dot Crossing, the five-story apartment building and bookstore at 1463-1469 Dorchester Ave. in the middle of the Fields Corner business district. But none did, and last Thursday TLee Development and its many partners celebrated getting the 29-unit all-affordable building up and occupied.

The property is on the lot where a small Gallagher Insurance building had stood adjacent to the T station for decades.
Said Travis Lee, president of TLee Development: “I’ve been working in construction in Boston for 17 years and I’ve never been part of a project this challenging. The construction was to take 15 months, but instead took two full years – the longest construction project I’ve ever been on.”

One example from the list of delays involved a mandatory discussion with the city for approval of a special exterior terra cotta product that was new to the Boston market. Once the okay was granted, however, world events took over.

“As soon as we were ready to order the material in February 2022, the war broke out in Ukraine, the only place where the product was made,” said Lee. It took us months and months to get approval and then we find out we couldn’t get it anywhere.”

Other delays included things like subcontractor issues and the securing of the electric meters for utilities.

One positive story shared by Lee is about the only abutter – Hung Nguyen – who was more than happy to accommodate the larger building called for by the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA) if his friend, former property owner John Gallagher, would get the maximum benefit from the sale of his property. “It blew me away,” said Lee.

Views from the top floor of the building offer a clear view of the iconic National Grid gas tank.

The project verged on the unique with its use of a new and innovative formula to allow community members to purchase shares of the building, own a small piece of the property, and share in its governance – with Crowdfund contributions of between $200 and $2,000 per person.

One perk of that was that investors were able to vote on the use of the ground-floor retail space. They chose a bookstore/gathering concept brought to them by Porsha Olayiwola (Boston’s Poet Laureate) and Bing Broderick.

Both were on hand last Thursday and treated the gathering for the building as the groundbreaking for their enterprise – Just Bookish bookstore and Words and Worlds gathering space. They said they are waiting for the building permit and hope to be open in five months.

Porsha Olayiwola, left, and Bing Broderick discuss what the Just Bookish store and Words as Worlds gathering space will be like when it opens.

“We want to build collaboration and get into some good trouble; we believe literature is one way to do that…and we believe sharing stories can push the world,” said Olayiwola, who noted that they intend to offer light bites, and maybe introduce a bar concept down the road.

Jessica Boatright, of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, shared with the gathering that Dot Crossing is the first space to benefit from the city’s new Commercial Assistance Fund – meaning they will have subsidized rents for 10 years.