Officials from National Development appeared at the Old Dover Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday, March 20, to pitch their last and most-innovative residential building for the Ink Block section of the neighborhood.
Ted Tye of National Development said they are preparing to file the project with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) for what is called ‘7 Ink,’ a co-living residential building on the corner of Herald and Albany Streets.
“This is our newest and definitely our last project at Ink Block,” said Tye, noting that the Siena condo building will open on April 1 at Ink Block.
The 7 Ink building will be a 250-unit, 14-story building at the corner, with an opening on the corner to activate what is now no man’s land. An additional design element will include a pass through on the first level for trucks going into Whole Foods.
There will be no parking included in the building, but Tye said they can accommodate those who want to have cars at Ink Block. He predicted that most of those living there would not want to have a car.
“This is not at all oriented to vehicles; it’s oriented to people,” he said. “This is the least friendly place to walk right now…but it’s still a major route into the city and South Station. Our typical resident will not have a car. We won’t have parking in the building, but we will have 175 spaces within Ink Block. The way the world is going now, I think we know that is to not have a car. If people have a car, we can accommodate them, but we don’t think they will. This building is made for the pedestrian.”
The building units are largely made up of studios around 500 square feet Some 79 percent are studios, but there are some one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. The units are pre-furnished with many amenities in the building, including cleaning services and a social function director. They are partnering with a company, Ali, to administer the co-living function, and Tye said it’s a concept that is a new trend across the country. It appeals to those who are looking for a lower market price and want the social experience that comes with co-living.
“This would be the first in Boston,” he said. “The living space is the entire building. The second floor and first floor are public spaces. The whole first floor is just communal space. They will look like luxury apartment, but the truth is people are living differently.”
Tye added that they will have 12-month leases to prevent transiency, and they will also restrict the use of any of the units for AirBNB within the lease documents.