What we know so far about the proposed affordable housing at 84 Warren St.
The project would bring 65 new, deed-restricted rental and homeownership units. Continue reading at RealEstate.Boston.com.
With record high rent and home prices, it’s clear Boston is in need of more affordable housing. It’s a problem the city has been trying to address for years, but with mortgage rates reaching their highest levels since 2019, there’s an increased sense of urgency.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is attempting to tackle the issue on two fronts: through a transfer fee that would tax the most expensive real estate transactions in the city and through the creation of a rent stabilization program.
The issue is especially critical in neighborhoods that have faced significant gentrification, including Roxbury. Fortunately, some developments, like the one at 84-88 Warren St. in Nubian Square, are slated to help plug holes in the affordable housing market.
The project, proposed by Madison Park Development Corp. and Origin Property Group, would bring 65 new deed-restricted rental and homeownership units to the neighborhood– without razing existing housing.
Here’s what we know about the development so far:
The Property
The property at 84 Warren St. is home to the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, a nonprofit providing job and skills training for adults facing racial, social, and economic barriers. It’s an affiliate of the National Urban League, which was founded in 1910 to empower Black and other underserved communities.
The 20,193-square-foot space includes the two-story building and a surface parking lot at the edge of Nubian Square. The existing building is across the street from a Boston Public Library branch and the Boston campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
The Project
The proposal has two goals: improving programs and increasing housing opportunities in the area. One piece of the plan involves updating the Urban League space, a task long overdue at the decades-old building.
“The Urban League of Massachusetts has been around for 100 years, and they are looking to modernize their space for the next 100 years,” Intiya Ambrogi-Isaza, the director of real estate at Madison Park Development Corp., said. The plan calls for the modernization of the ULEM office, as well as updated programming space.
“They’re an anchor in the community, and so it’s important to keep them in their space and prepare them for the next 100 years in that location,” Ambrogi-Isaza said.
In addition to the revamp, the project would create 65 units of affordable housing: 43 rentals and 22 homes for purchase. On the rental side, the proposal calls for 15 one-bedrooms, 20 two-bedrooms, and eight three-bedrooms, Ambrogi-Isaza said. The breakdown is similar for homeownership units, with 10 one-bedrooms, 10 two-bedrooms, and two three-bedrooms. The units, which would all be income-restricted, available to those making up to 100% of the Area Median Income ($84,600 for one person, $120,800 for a family of four).
Part of what makes this project unique is what the developers referred to as “development without displacement” in its Letter of Intent.
“It’s the idea that we continue to serve and expand housing opportunities for lower-income residents of Roxbury, and there is no housing there that’s being demolished or to do this,” Ambrogi-Isaza said.
In addition to housing, the plan calls for a garage with space for 24 vehicles, as well as 15 new street trees.
Construction on the project would begin in 2023 and end in late 2024 (pending Boston Planning & Development Agency approval), according to the project notification form. Ambrogi-Isaza said the development team expects the project to take roughly 18 months and cost around $29 million.
The Developer
The proponents on the development are two local organizations: Madison Park Development Corp. and Origin Property Group.
Origin Property Group is “a family-based local development company” that has been in Nubian Square for the past decade, according to the Letter of Intent. The company focuses on creating new housing opportunities that are “accessible to a wide variety of citizens,” its website says.
Madison Park, originally Lower Roxbury Community Corp., was founded in 1966 in response to the city’s urban renewal plan, which had led to the demolition of dozens of homes and businesses in the neighborhood, according to the organization’s website.
Since then, Madison Park has led several affordable-housing development projects in Roxbury, the South End, and Mattapan, including the recently completed 16-unit property at 2451 Washington St. The organization helps house 3,000 residents in 1,212 low- or moderate-income units, according to its website.
The public comment period on the development ends April 1.
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