Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced that the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Board of Directors approved the following four projects at its meeting last night. 185 Franklin Street in the Financial District, an existing office building, will receive a substantial renovation. 691 Mass. Ave. in the South End will redevelop vacant parcels into 40 new condominium units. 252-254 Adams Street in Dorchester will be redeveloped into 15 rental housing units. The Neponset Field project in Hyde Park will create 99 new residential units, 50 of which will be affordable elderly units.

“I’m delighted to see these residential and office projects move forward. The residential projects will bring more than 150 new units of housing online,” Mayor Menino said. “Even in this economic climate, the BRA continues to plan for the growth of our city.”

185 Franklin Street Gets Approval to Move Forward with Renovations

The BRA Board today granted approval for the rehab of the 185 Franklin Street office building located in Boston’s Financial District. The development team proposes to substantially renovate the existing office building by expanding and renovating the existing lobby areas, converting the first floor office space into approximately 15,500 square feet of retail space. Additionally, the team will convert the existing basement level into a parking garage for 110 cars, enhance the existing building façade and roof structure, and undertake supporting utility work and sidewalk improvements. Verizon will continue to own their 112,000 square-foot unit within the building.

Specifically, the project includes new glass retail windows, a new lobby entrance/exit, and an improved lobby area for the Franklin Street façade, which faces Post Office Square Park. The façade changes, as well as the addition of retail space on the ground-floor of Franklin Street, will help to enliven the pedestrian experience, activate the streetscape and visually connect the building to the Post Office Square Park. The Franklin Street façade improvements will also create more transparency and a sense of openness in the lobby. Approximately 400 square feet will be added in connection with the new retail windows. The project also includes a new glass lobby entrance/exit at the corner of High Street and Congress Street, as well as the addition of a vertical bay of windows to the High Street façade, which is currently a blank wall. The new lobby on High Street and Congress Street will replace the existing service area and loading dock.

The development team consists of 185 Franklin Street Investment LLC and CV 185 Franklin I LLC. 185 Franklin St. Investment LLC is led by Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. CV 185 Franklin I LLC is an affiliate of Commonwealth Ventures, LLC. Elkus Manfredi is the project architect; Halvorson Design Partnership is the landscape architect; MacRostie Historic Advisors, LLC is the historic advisor; Commercial Construction Consulting is the construction, mechanical and electrical engineer; Goodwin Procter, LLP is the legal counsel; Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. is the transportation consultant; McNamara/Salvia, Inc. is the structural engineer; and Suffolk Construction is the construction manager.

The development team expects to begin construction in the second quarter of 2010 with an estimated completion date in the second quarter of 2011. Total project cost is approximately $32-39 million. The project will provide approximately 350 construction jobs.

691 Massachusetts Ave. Project in the South End Moves Forward

The Board granted approval for a residential redevelopment located at 691 Mass. Ave. in the South End. The project will transform six vacant parcels with the addition of 40 new condominium units. The project site is located near the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Harrison Avenue and is the only underdeveloped, vacant parcel situated between residential buildings on the block. A different project at this site was previously approved with a prior owner.

The 40 units include a mix of studio to 2-bedroom units, including a few ground-floor “SoHo” or Small Office Home Office units, which can accommodate professionals who have a home office or artists who would like to create a small gallery. The bedroom breakdown is as follows: 4 one-bedroom SoHo units, two two-bedroom SoHo units, four studio plus units, eight one-bedroom units, 16 one-bedroom plus units, four two-bedroom units, one one-bedroom penthouse unit and one two-bedroom penthouse unit. Fifteen percent of the market-rate units will be affordable.

The project’s design is a result of close collaboration between the design team, the BRA’s Urban Design team, various neighborhood groups and the South End Landmark District Commission. The design emphasizes the distinction between bays as opposed to creating one aesthetically unified building. The design responds to the feedback that was received during the BRA’s small project review process and utilizes elements typical to the South End while incorporating contemporary construction methods.

Urbanica Design & Development is the redeveloper of the project. Studio Luz is the design consultant; Turnkey Development, Inc. is the general contractor; and McDermott, Quilty & Miller, LLP is the legal counsel.

The development team expects to start construction in the winter of 2010 with an estimated completion in 2011. The project will create approximately 80 construction jobs. Total project cost is approximately $14 million.

Media Contact: Jessica Shumaker, 617.918.4446.

Release Date: November 18, 2009