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Nearly 200 new units eyed in Brighton public housing overhaul
Faneuil Gardens is in ‘poor condition’ and 'deeply energy inefficient,' developers say.
A Brighton public housing complex that has forgone major improvements over its seven-decade lifetime could soon get a massive overhaul — and a nearly 200-unit expansion.
The Boston Housing Authority is seeking city approval to demolish the existing 10 buildings that make up Faneuil Gardens — the 7.5-acre complex that sits a stone’s throw south of the Massachusetts Turnpike — in favor of five new facilities, plans filed with the Boston Planning and Development Agency in late January show.
Files submitted by The Community Builders, the Boston-based nonprofit developer tapped by the BHA for the project, say the redevelopment would, if approved, ultimately usher in 441 residential units — notably more than the “undersized” 258 currently there.
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The cramped quarters are among one of several outdated features of Faneuil Gardens as it exists now, with its layout dating to the late 1940s, developers say.
“The existing buildings and infrastructure on the site are deteriorating and in poor condition, the result of nearly 70 years without major capital improvements,” a project notification form says.
The units are “substantially smaller” than the square footage set by city and state guidelines; the buildings lack accessibility and a second means of egress; and the complex is “deeply energy inefficient,” developers say.
“Most materials and systems are beyond the end of their useful lives,” the form says.
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All of the new units would be income-restricted at a variety of levels set by the area median income (or AMI) from 30% to 120% AMI, the filings state.
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Most would be at least two or more bedrooms, in keeping with the needs of the significant number of families who make up the 600 current residents, according to the proposal.
There are also plans for 17,500 square feet of potential community and retail space, in addition to open space at the site, which is “designed to connect Faneuil Gardens to its surrounding neighborhood, spatially, socially, and visually,” the project notification form says.
Plans call for 154 parking spaces and indoor covered bicycle parking as well.
In a statement to Boston.com on Tuesday, Kenzie Bok, BHA administrator, said the proposal “will bring much-needed investment to an essential public housing community at the heart of Brighton.”
“The project at Faneuil Gardens would not only provide all 258 of our current public housing residents there with new, healthier homes to improve their quality of life, it will also create … 200 additional units of income-restricted family housing that the Brighton neighborhood desperately needs,” Bok said.
“This is the kind of transformational investment we need to make in public housing to anchor our communities in place.”
Developers say the project would be completed in phases to mitigate the impact of demolition and construction on the BHA’s current tenants.
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“The construction phasing will maximize one-way moves, meaning most families will be able to move directly from their current existing apartment into newly constructed replacement units,” a letter of intent filed in December states.
“A relocation team will provide counseling and support to all households, and all relocation costs will be covered by the redevelopment budget.”
A public hearing on the project is slated for Feb. 28. The BPDA is collecting public comments through March 15.
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