South Boston store owner wants a 91-unit residential building instead
Mark Edwards, owner of C.G. Edwards Marine and Industrial Hardware and Supplies, wants to take advantage of a hot real estate market to capitalize on the value of property along Dorchester Avenue to build a 91-unit residential project.
A nine-story apartment high-rise and 18 townhouses would take shape in South Boston where a marine hardware store and a shuttered sub shop now stand, according to a new development proposal filed with City Hall.
Mark Edwards, owner of C.G. Edwards Marine and Industrial Hardware and Supplies, wants to take advantage of a hot real estate market to capitalize on the value of property along Dorchester Avenue to build a 91-unit residential project, said his lawyer Marc LaCasse.
Edwards is now searching for a development partner to help him build his proposed apartment and condo complex, a mix of 73 apartments and 18 townhouses. He plans to move his marine hardware business to another location in South Boston.
The proposed development site is not far from the West Broadway stop on the Red line and a cluster of upscale new condo and apartment buildings that has taken shape in that area. It is also in the midst of a proposed “growth zone’’ laid out by the Walsh administration with hopes of spurring new housing and other development along Dorchester Avenue.
“He has a big chunk of land,’’ LaCasse said the 20,559-square-foot site his client controls at 270 and 284 Dorchester Ave. “Now would be a good time to develop residential housing in the city of Boston.’’
The proposal calls for a nine-story apartment high-rise facing Dorchester Avenue, with the height dropping down to five stories along B Street, where the townhouses are slated to be built. Plans call for 17 studios, 41 one-bedroom and 34 two-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 450 square feet to 1,000 square feet.
One side of the project has sweeping views of downtown Boston and the Back Bay, with nothing but the South Boston Haul Road in front.
“There is a huge expanse of space on the side facing the city and the views are just spectacular,’’ LaCasse said.
The new residential complex would also come with a two-level, underground parking garage for 123 cars and 8,350 square feet of retail and commercial space. Edwards is reserving a spot for Ultimate Self Defense, a long-time neighborhood business he rents space to, with hopes of attracting a small food store and/or other neighborhood-style retail for the remainder.
Edwards aim is to build housing for the middle of the market, as opposed to luxury apartments, LaCasse said. The project will also include 12 subsidized units to be rented at below-market rates for lower-income renters.
“He is definitely shooting for the middle-range of the market,’’ LaCasse said.
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