A flurry of opinions on social media have already formed on a housing proposal for Concord Square, though few actually know what the proposal is, and developers said this week they haven’t even officially proposed anything with the City.
LIHC Investment Group, which currently owns the Concord Houses affordable housing building on Tremont Street and is based in Maine, has been talking to neighbors about developing market-rate housing on a parking lot behind the Concord Houses. The 725 Tremont St. property includes the parking lot, fenced/locked open space, and portion of the alleyway on which the company is seeking to construct new, market-rate rental housing.
These initial conversations, though, have led to a lot of misinformation in the neighborhood.
The gist of what is proposed would be, they said, in line with what is around the neighborhood and on land they have owned about 10 years at 725 Tremont St.
The project being suggested includes 60 market-rate rental units, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms on the parking lot space in back of 725 Tremont. The proposed building would be the same height as townhouses on Worcester Street (about 58 feet tall) and a landscaped border similar to what is found on Worcester Street now.
The proposal includes a single-level of parking on the ground floor of the building and additional parking in the rear of the building. LIHC is also planning on making improvements to the private alleyway in the rear of the site.
“The project team looks forward to continuing to meet with nearby residents, neighborhood associations, and others to gather feedback,” read a statement from company spokesperson Kelly Magee. “However, plans have not yet been filed with the city.”
LIHC and the project team began meeting informally with neighbors, elected officials, and community groups in February 2019. The proposed building has not been formally filed with the City of Boston / Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA). No date has been selected for the formal filing with the City.
That said, there will be a community meeting on the project at the June 4 South End Forum meeting, where the company will present plans to the broader neighborhood.
LIHC has owned Concord Houses for about 10 years, and recently was able to renegotiate a deal to keep those units affordable for several more decades. They said they take being a good neighbor very seriously and believe they have demonstrated that with their property in the South End.
LIHC will soon be making improvements to the exterior of Concord Houses by adding planters at the main doorways, metal canopies over the doorways, new exterior signage, and painting the fencing on the front.