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Contact: Lydia Agro,Communications Director, 617-988-4109
Location: West Broadway Development
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Mayor Thomas M. Menino broke ground for the start of construction of 133 new affordable, public housing apartments in South Boston today.
“This redevelopment effort is yet another step in the City’s efforts to make Boston affordable and livable for everyone,” said Mayor Menino. “These new units will allow more than 100 families to obtain affordable housing and participate in all that Boston has to offer.”
The new housing units will provide decent affordable housing for families of low and moderate income in the City of Boston and will complete the redevelopment of the West Broadway housing development. Eligible residents must have an income of not more than 80% of Area Median Income. The apartments will be townhouse style with private yard space for many of the ground-floor units and private deck space for the upper-floor units. Each new block of houses will have its own play area. In addition, applicants will have the option to apply to a site-based waiting list on site or at the Boston Housing Authority’s downtown office. The apartments will consist of approximately 24-one bedroom, 45-two bedroom, 56-three bedroom and 8-four bedroom units.
“We are very excited to be able to announce the redevelopment of the final piece of West Broadway,” said BHA Administrator Sandra B. Henriquez. “The BHA, in concert with its sister agencies, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Department of Neighborhood Development, is doing all it can to bring new units back on line and help ease the current housing crunch, particularly for those families who need affordable units.”
This project is part of Mayor Menino's Leading the Way Housing Strategy. The apartments will be redeveloped through a financing concept designed by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) which will raise private capital for the modernization of state-aided public housing. DHCD designed the leveraged financing program to complement the commitment of state resources in funding public housing modernization and construction. Other financing sources will include bond funds and tax credits, city funding, along with DHCD capital and operating subsidy.
The cost of the redevelopment is approximately $36 million. The BHA and DHCD selected ICON Architecture to design the new apartments and Environmental Demolition Services to do the demolition. Construction is expected to begin in July with occupancy expected in late 2004. The 133 new units are taking the place of 244 long-term vacant and boarded up units at West Broadway. These are the last long-term vacant units at that site.
“DHCD is pleased to partner with the City of Boston on the first project in the pipeline to be financed through the state's leveraged financing program,” said DHCD Director Jane Wallis Gumble. “The construction of 133 new apartments at the Boston Housing Authority's West Broadway development will provide a major resource of much needed affordable housing in South Boston.”
As part of this project, the Boston Housing Authority also dedicated and leased approximately 40,000 square feet on the site to the Labouré Center, which is operating a new Community Services Center for the community at-large. The Labouré Center is a community based service center of Catholic Charities, which began in 1907 as a community effort by the people of South Boston to respond to the needs of newly arrived immigrants. The Labouré Center currently provides comprehensive health, education and social services to more than 6,000 children, teens, families and elders in South Boston and surrounding communities.
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