News & Updates

BPDA Board approves final Imagine Boston 2030 document, first-ever IDP report at August meeting

Aug 11, 2017

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors approved one new development project and one Notice of Project Change (NPC) at the August board meeting. The new project represents 9 residential units, nearly 24,000 square feet, $6M in development and will create 16 direct jobs once constructed.

The Board voted to adopt Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in over 50 years. Imagine Boston 2030, which has been underway since fall of 2015 and has been shaped by the input of over 15,000 residents of Boston, is a comprehensive vision to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across the city. Mayor Walsh officially unveiled the plan on July 11th in Upham’s Corner.  The plan outlines how Boston is experiencing an economic and population boom, and, while that growth presents challenges, it also presents thean opportunity to provide additional pathways for economic mobility and avenues to improve quality of life throughout the City, while boosting affordability and resiliency. It identifies major initiatives to expand opportunity for all Bostonians, support a vibrant economy, enhance quality of life, and prepare for climate change.

The Board meeting also included a presentation of BPDA's  first ever report on the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP), the City’s program to leverage private development to preserve access to affordable housing opportunities in all of Boston’s neighborhoods, was formally presented to the Board on Thursday evening. As a result of the Inclusionary Development Policy and other efforts, under the Walsh Administration, affordable/income-restricted housing production has increased from an average of 290 units per year before the introduction of IDP, to an average of 605 per year over the last three years. 2016 was a record year, with $23.7 million paid to the IDP Fund, representing 24 percent of all payments made since the inception of the program. In addition, $42.8 million in new funds were committed to the fund in connection with 2016 BPDA Board approved projects.

Development Project

Condos, retail approved for Dorchester’s 110 Savin Hill Avenue

Live: 9 Housing Units,  One Fully Accessible Unit
Work: 40 Construction Jobs, 3 Commercial Spaces, $3 Million Investment, Grocer / Restaurant / Retail
Connect: $10,000 Community Benefits, St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children, Neighborhood Market
Project Size: 23,984 square feet

The approval of the 110 Savin Hill Avenue project will yield the construction of a two-building, mixed-use development totaling approximately 23,984 square feet. One building will be a three-story, commercial retail structure and the second building will be a three-story, residential structure. The second building will contain nine condominium units. In addition, there will be garage parking for up to 13 spaces with access via Sydney Street. Bicycle storage and a trash/recycling room will be located within the ground-level of the buildings. As currently proposed, the nine condominium units will consist entirely of market rate housing units. There will be one handicapped-accessible one-bedroom unit, six two-bedroom units, and two three-bedroom units.

Notice of Project Change

South Boston’s 340 West Second Street approved for change from rental to ownership units

Live: 29 Housing Units, 4 Affordable Units
Work: 100 Construction Jobs
Connect: 1,000 square feet of Commercial Space
Project Size: 46,527 square feet

As originally proposed in 2013, the 340 West Second Street project included 29 residential rental units, one commercial unit, 43 parking spaces, and related site improvements. Now, the board has approved a request to construct the projects as homeownership units, rather than rental units. The change from rental to homeownership does not affect the number of units, the building mass, or increase the floor area ratio or the number of parking spaces.

The project will include four units created as IDP homeownership units, of which two will be made affordable to households earning no more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and two will be made affordable to households earning no more than 100% of the AMI, as based on the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

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