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Contact: Tom Philbin, Department of Neighborhood Development, 617-635-4802
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Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined Chief Economic Development Director Mark Maloney, Department of Neighborhood Development Director and Boston Housing Chief Charlotte Golar Richie, Inspectional Services Department Commissioner Kevin Joyce, Boston Housing Authority Director Sandra Henriquez, housing advocates and local residents at Charles Street Gardens townhouses in Charlestown to announce the housing production numbers for the year 2000. Mayor Menino said, “Boston’s housing production increased almost 30 percent, while statewide housing production dropped last year for the second year in a row, and the metro area’s increased by only 6 percent. Boston will continue to produce the housing we need and preserve the affordable units we already have. Every affordable unit matters to the working families who are living pay check to pay check. We have to remember that we’re not just building housing units, but neighborhoods.”
In his 1999 State of the City Address, Mayor Menino made a bold commitment to more than double housing production in Boston that year—from 888 units in 1998 to a target of 2,000 units in 1999. The city exceeded that goal with 2,061 housing units permitted by the end of that year. This represented a 132% increase at a time when metropolitan area housing production grew by only 1.4% and statewide housing production fell by almost 6%. Today, the city reported that it increased its housing production again with 2,655 new units permitted in 2000 - a 29% increase over 1999. New affordable housing was the fastest growing segment of Boston’s housing production. Affordable housing production grew by 56% from 648 units in 1999 to 1,012 units in 2000. By comparison, new market-rate housing production increased by only 16% over last year. In total, the city has been able to increase overall housing production three-fold since 1998. The city is also preserved another 1,454 existing affordable units from going to market rates. This is a 2.4% increase over 1999, when the city preserved 1,420 units.
Mayor Menino increased the number of dormitories in the city to take pressure off the rental market. He also streamlined the city’s approval process and identified new housing resources that will enable the city to keep moving forward in this important area.
Today’s event took place at the Charles Street Gardens in Charlestown at the corner of Main and Charles Streets. The vacant lots consist of approximately 68,678 square feet, and are adjacent to the Sullivan Square Community Garden and the Charlestown Working Theater in the Charlestown Renewal Area. On December 22, 1999, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) conveyed the land to Charles Street Gardens LLC (Redeveloper) by a Land Disposition Agreement and Deed for the purpose of constructing the Charles Street Gardens Project.
The project consists of 21 (14 market rate & 7 affordable) fee simple townhouse ownership units, not more than 59 surface parking spaces, a “Triangle” parcel, open space areas, and existing cobblestones. Each unit, consisting of three stories, is approximately 1,500 square feet. The unit mix for the project consists of five two-bedroom units and sixteen three-bedroom units with 2 1/2 baths per unit.
Each townhouse has a private open space in addition to the project site’s shared open space on-site. The project includes common walks, landscaped areas, and appropriate lighting. The Charles Street Gardens LLC plans to retain the existing cobblestones from Main Street up to Bunker Hill Street. The “Triangle” parcel, located on Parcel P-2D, which is adjacent to the Charlestown Working Theater, will be improved by landscaping, by planting trees and shrubs, and by providing three parking spaces for use and/or lease by the Charlestown Working Theater.
The 13 buildings located on Charles Street and the improvements have been completed. The remaining eight buildings and the improvements to “Triangle Park” are expected to be completed by April 2001.
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