The last 10 acres of land available at the former State Hospital in Mattapan will be home to several new and different ways of housing community members in settings that include multi-generational buildings and key mentorships to some of the most vulnerable young people in the neighborhood, according to the designated developers for the state-owned site.

The Lena New Boston/2Life Communities offered the latest details for their proposed project– located just inside the intersection of Harvard and Walk Hill streets – at the May 19 State Hospital Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.

The former State Hospital property has been in a disposition process for almost 30 years, and the final allocation now looks to be set with the Lena/2Life team winning the designation in January.

One building on the site —the Brooke House — will house 127 units of affordable housing. A second building, known as the Tree House, would offer an innovative approach to housing several different populations that, in theory, would support one another. Tree House would have 60 units of housing, with 40 units for senior citizens, 12 units for families that have adopted foster children, and 8 units for young people who have aged out of state foster care. Such a situation is unique, with only one facility in the state like it, in Easthampton, Mass.

Lizbeth Heyer of 2Life said they plan to work with Plummer Youth Promise for the aged-out population and other providers as well to bring in wrap-around services. “One unique thing is we will always have two apartments for live-in, off hours responses,” she said. “More than 90 percent of the pull-cord calls need staff and not 911.”

Zoe Weinrobe of 2Life said that model would be in place for senior citizens as well. “One important thing to know is that all of the 40 clients in senior housing will have chosen the Tree House community to be a support to young people,” she said. “Each individual resident there will have to receive MAP training as a requirement to living there.”

MAP, or Medication Administration Program, is a state program for unlicensed direct care staff to administer or assist in the administration of medications to individuals living in residences in the community, such as group homes. 

Weinrobe added that the model seeks to have the seniors become like “adoptive grandparents” to the kids aging out of the system, to help them overcome the effects of “trauma, because that doesn’t go away.”

Plummer is a certified contractor with the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) and any residents in those units would be referred by the state.

Residents and members of the CAC were supportive of the plan, but wanted to make sure all contingencies were accounted for.

“We’re being very optimistic and hopeful,” said CAC member Glenola Mitchell. “Youth in this program might have major traumatic issues. Who will be accountable for problems?”

Heyer said the 2Life and Plummer would be responsible and are ready to be held accountable. “This is something we have been working on for seven years – to find a site because it’s something we believe in,” she said.

Added Mitchell: “As I look at things nowadays, it’s an important issue and a societal issue and we have to be able to absorb it in a way that we don’t further stigmatize them or further damage them going forward.”

The property management plan for the Lena Boston/2Life development was approved by the CAC unanimously. The state Department of Capital Assets Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) indicated the team has a Preliminary Development Agreement (PDA) and is working towards a Licensed Development Agreement (LDA).

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Funding gap emerges for Olmstead Green – Eric Van Dusen of Lena Park reported that a funding issue has cropped up for the 80-unit Phase 3 Olmstead Green project – increasing construction costs – and he called on the state to help solve that problem. A July groundbreaking for the project is now looking like August, he said, but only if the funding gap is solved. “We would have to connect those dots,” he said, adding, “the construction budgets have been dealt a tough break with construction cost increases. We’re really trying to move forward. It’s a question of how we can come together and bridge this gap.”

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Two long-time stakeholders in the CAC meetings attended their final meetings on May 19. Julie Brandlen, director of the Boston Nature Center on American Legion Highway, is retiring in June. She was part of the group for 21 years. Acting Director Erin Kelly will take her place.
Meanwhile, Frank Fazio of MassBiologics announced that after 13 years on the CAC, he will also be leaving UMass Medical Center, the parent organization of MassBiologics. Fazio has accepted a position at St. Jude’s in Memphis to work on projects that are “close to his heart,” he said.