TYPE:
Mixed-Income Rental, Public Housing
TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COST:
$100 Million
COMPLETED:
Phase 1: 2010 / Phase 2: 2011
The original 266-unit Washington Beech housing project was built by the Boston Housing Authority in the early 1950s. Developer Trinity Financial demolished and replaced the aging complex with an attractive community of 206 rental units, with lower density and a site design that is more in keeping with the surrounding neighborhood in the Roslindale section of Boston.
A variety of unit types replaced the existing institutional walk-ups, including garden apartments, duplexes over flats, and townhouses. Homes have individual entrances and decks, with private backyards for families with children, while new roads were laid out so that all unit entries front on a street and residents can park nearby. All of the development’s one-bedroom apartments, for seniors and singles, are located in a mid-rise elevator building located at a prominent street corner for easy access to local shops and services; the building also houses a community meeting room, computer center, kitchen and food pantry, and offices for management and tenant services. A central green space provides play facilities and park benches for residents of all ages.
Construction of Washington Beech occurred in two stages to accommodate the relocation and re-housing of existing residents. Total project cost was approximately $100 million, with $20 million provided through federal HOPE VI funds and $10 million through federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. Other funders included the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the HOME, HSF and AHT programs, the City of Boston’s Neighborhood Housing Trust Program and Department of Neighborhood Development, and private equity generated from the syndication of Low Income Housing Tax Credits through RBC Capital Markets.
*NOTE Project completed by Mathieu Zahler as an employee of Trinity Financial.
