First Building at the Smith Opens with Optimism on Leasing: Developers Expect to Begin Second Building Sometime Soon

The first building in what will be a fully developed block between E. Dedham and E. Canton Streets in the South End has opened and leasing if going better than expected, officials from Leggat McCall said.

The Smith opened this month with the first 300 units in the lifestyle campus now up for lease, and things are going well so far.

“Leasing is going great and everyone is excited about the amenities,” said Sam Reiche, vice president and partner at Leggat McCall. “Building one leasing is real encouraging. We’re leasing better than anticipated. We are 30 percent for market-rate units one month after opening. We’re very optimistic about that.”

The Smith also includes affordable cultural space for a tenant, and Reiche said they are working with the City now to identify the right tenant.

Some of the features for The Smith include a rooftop pool with 360-degree views of the City, a 10th floor sky lounge packed with amenities, a private courtyard and green space, floor to ceiling windows in the units, and flexible work spaces – something that has been made even more plentiful now given the remote work plans for COVID-19.

“The courtyards are very exciting,” said Reiche. “Both buildings will have an internal courtyard for residents and they will be separated by a public green space.”

The project came in as a Planned Development Area (PDA) several years ago, and it includes the new construction of a second building and rehabilitation of a third, smaller building on the Albany Street end. The full parking garage with more than 400 spaces has already been completed for both buildings.

Reiche said now that the first building is open, they are beginning Phase 2 and will be following a similar timeline for the new building – which will contain 303 units – and the rehabilitated building, which has about 52 units.

“For Phase 2, we’re in the final stages of filing for a building permit and getting a couple of things worked out with the BPDA,” he said.

The project is fully designed.

According to The Smith website, units start above $2,000 per month.

A studio on the third floor with 478 sq. ft. was listed at $2,535; a one-bedroom on the fifth floor with 539 sq. ft. was $2,895; and a two-bedroom, two-bath on the 10th floor with 958 sq. ft. was $4,273 per month.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.