| BOSTON
- Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - Mayor Wu today joined Harrison
Affordable, LLC (a joint venture of Beacon Communities LLC and the Chinese
Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England), the Massachusetts
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the Massachusetts
Housing Partnership, local elected officials, other organizations and
residents for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pok Oi development located
at 288 Harrison Avenue. This new mixed-use, transit-oriented development,
which expands the existing Tai Tung Village in Chinatown, consists of a
six-story multifamily residential building. Upon completion, the project
will transform a previously State-owned parking lot into an 85-unit
income-restricted development located at the entrance of the neighborhood.
“Boston’s
Chinatown is a cultural anchor for the entire region, and it’s an important
victory to boost affordable housing in this historic neighborhood,”
said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful to join Beacon
Communities, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New
England, and all of our partners to break ground on a development that will
help ensure that residents and families can stay in Chinatown for
generations to come.”The
first floor of the Pok Oi building will be designated for retail,
community, and cultural purposes, serving the Chinatown community. All
apartments will be subject to income restrictions, only available to
households with earnings no higher than eighty percent of
the Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the US
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"This
groundbreaking ceremony is another demonstration of our work to preserve
Chinatown as a neighborhood where residents can afford to live, walk to
work and raise their children, taking advantage of the many educational,
cultural, and recreational opportunities that are available,” said Sheila
Dillon, Chief of Housing. "By transforming this former parking lot
into green, transit-oriented homes we are building a strong city that will
serve future generations.”
"Seeing
this project be funded in part through the Neighborhood Housing
Trust is a great validation of the transformative
tangible impact of our linkage fees on new income-restricted
development," said Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison.
"This development, which is currently an empty lot, will also help
realize the goals of the BPDA’s PLAN: Downtown, which recommends improved
access to housing for a range of incomes."
The
building will offer a variety of apartment sizes, including one-bedroom,
two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units, all of which will be
income-restricted. The development will allocate 22 units for households
earning up to eighty percent of the AMI, 18 units for households earning up
to sixty percent of the AMI, 28 units for households earning up to fifty
percent of the AMI, and 17 units for households earning up to thirty
percent of the AMI. As part of the income-restricted units, the building
will provide housing for nine households experiencing homelessness.
“We
at Beacon are delighted to bring much-needed affordable housing options to
Boston’s Chinatown community,” said Beacon CEO Dara Kovel. “We
are immensely grateful to our partners, especially CCBA, for making this
project a reality.” The
project's financing is made possible in part through the City of Boston’s
Neighborhood Housing Trust Fund, the Community Preservation Act Fund,
federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), state LIHTCs, operating
subsidies from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD),
now known as the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
(EOHLC), funding from the LIHTC equity from RBC Capital Markets, a first
mortgage from Massachusetts Housing Partnership, tax-exempt bonds issued by
MassDevelopment, and construction financing from Citizens Bank. Beacon and
the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association have affordability tiers
deeper than those mandated by the state's Qualified Allocation Plan.
“CCBA
is thrilled to have partnered with Beacon Communities and our partners on
this project,” said CCBA President Felix Lui. “Through our
partnership, we will be able to transform a former parking lot into a true
community asset.”
The
project has been meticulously planned to adhere to
LEED Gold certification standards and has received pre-certification
from the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS).
Sustainability is at the core of the project’s design, with a strong focus
on reducing energy consumption and tackling high-temperature events. Key
sustainable design elements include a high-performance building envelope
and windows, energy recovery systems, a light-colored roof with excellent
solar reflectance, highly efficient HVAC equipment, and measures to
mitigate air pollution.
Furthermore,
the project embraces the principles of smart growth and transit-oriented
development. It benefits from its strategic location in close proximity to
MBTA subway and bus services, multiple Blue Bikes stations, and a range of
amenities. This thoughtful integration with transportation options and
community resources further enhances the project's sustainability and
accessibility.
In
fiscal year 2023, Mayor Wu made more resources available to address housing
in Boston. Of the $200 million committed by Mayor Wu
in ARPA funds for housing; $60 million is designated for
affordable homeownership development and financial assistance for
first-generation homebuyers; $57 million for strategic acquisitions to
combat displacement and create deeply-affordable homeownership on
City-owned land; $20 million for a pioneering pilot program for energy
retrofits in triple-decker and other multi-family homes while maintaining
affordability; $20 million to develop new permanent supportive housing with
specialized services for people with substance use disorder; $16 million to
sustain low-threshold shelter sites in response to the Mass-Cass
humanitarian crisis and $33 million for upgrades to Boston Housing
Authority properties.
In
addition to the increased resources, this administration launched an action
plan called "Welcome Home, Boston" to audit available lots and
optimize the utilization of City-owned land. It has updated the Linkage
policy which requires commercial developments to set aside funds for
affordable housing and has also updated the inclusionary zoning policy to
make it easier to build affordable housing. The Mayor also signed an
Executive Order related to speeding the process by which affordable housing
is created.
Mayor
Wu's legislative package includes filing a Home Rule Petition with the
Massachusetts Legislature regarding rent stabilization, tenants’ rights to
purchase their homes, a real estate transfer fee, and senior property tax
relief |
沒有留言:
發佈留言