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Business & Tech

WSANA Hears Plans for Northampton Square Site

The Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association heard a detailed account of plans for 35 Northampton St. from the developer on Tuesday.

The Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association (WSANA) heard a detailed account of plans for the redevelopment of the Northampton Square complex at a meeting at Boston Medical Center on Tuesday night, according to the Boston Globe.

The site is currently owned by the Boston Public Health Commission and is home to one 29-story building (35 Northampton St.) and one 12-story structure (860 Harrison).

Not only does the project entail rehabbing both existing structures, but also building a 24-story tower on the corner of Northampton and Albany Streets.

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According to the Globe report, some residents raised concerns over the visual appeal of the project, but a great number of those who attended on Tuesday were more concerned with the loss of a pool at the South End Fitness Center on Northampton Street—precisely where the new tower is slated to stand.

Some residents spoke in defense of the pool, citing the high volume of users, according to the Globe.

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Hank Keating, vice president of design and construction for the developer, Trinity Financial, said the fitness center would be rebuilt, but the pool would not, because of the high cost involved in doing so. 

Keating did, however, speak about the potential benefits to the neighborhood the new development would bring, including rooftop gardens and more affordable housing.

According to Trinity Financial, once the project is completed, the site would have close to 64 percent affordable housing.

Units in the two existing structures are classified as affordable, but the new 24-story tower would consist of “luxury” apartments, according to the Globe report.

The tower would include 215 luxury apartments, consisting of one and two bedroom units. The tower is estimated to cost $85 million to build, while the total cost of the project is estimated at $154 million.

Keating said that no changes would be made to the 539-car parking garage that currently serves the two existing buildings, and that they plan to start rehabbing and adding units to 35 Northampton by the end of the year.

Trinity Financial representatives said the project still has a long way to go, however, and the WSANA did not take a formal vote to support or oppose the plan.

The developers, which are reportedly on the verge of submitting Large Project review documents to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said they would be back before the board before any shovels hit the ground.

Other Business

The WSANA also heard from Tom Mayloczki and Jason Vickery regarding the proposed redevelopment of a single-family structure at 658 Massachusetts Ave. 

According to the Globe, Mayloczki wants to completely redo the interior and turn the structure into a seven-unit “luxury” rental building.

“It has been neglected for a number of years and it is in really poor shape,” said Joseph Hanley, attorney for Mayloczki and Vickery, in the Globe report.

Also planned are rear decks, a headhouse, the removal of the existing gable and the installation of a flat roof.

The finished product would be a building with seven units, consisting of two-bedroom apartments on the top floors and a studio and one-bedroom on the ground floor.

According to the Globe, residents reacted positively to the plan, but raised concerns over trash and management of the building. Mayloczki said he would occupy a unit in the building and trash would be housed in a dumpster behind the structure, which seemed to allay most of the concern.

Mayloczki and Vickery said they want to start work by the fall, and estimated it would endure for around six months. Before any work can begin, however, they must appear before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals for a variety of variances.

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