The Boston Planning Department has approved three housing projects in Roxbury that will bring more than 200 units of housing to the area, the majority of which will be income restricted.
The board approved projects on Harrison Avenue, Malcolm X Boulevard and Shawmut Avenue at its October meeting.
980 Harrison Ave., Credit: Boston Planning Department
980 Harrison Ave.
The 980 Harrison Ave. project approval is for phase one of the redevelopment of parking lots owned by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. It will include a six-story building with 45 new income-restricted homes. In alignment with the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan and PLAN: Nubian Square, which aim to maximize affordable housing, improve multimodal accessibility and use public land for public good, the project will include several area improvements. They include widening area sidewalks and creating a tree canopy around the site.
Future phases of the project will include more public open space, as well as four more buildings that are yet to be designed and permitted.
10 Malcolm X Blvd. Credit: Boston Planning Department
10 Malcolm X Blvd.
Also approved was a project to bring both rental and homeownership units to 10 Malcolm X Blvd. Once complete, it will include a six-story building with 111 housing units, as well as a three-story building with 12 homeownership units. Twenty-one income-restricted units will be split across the two buildings.
The transit-oriented development is just a tenth of a mile from the MBTA Nubian Station Bus Terminal for easy access to downtown Boston and is within walking distance to the MBTA Orange Line. There will also be at least one bike parking space per unit and additional visitor bike parking. A bus shelter will be installed in front of the project on Malcolm X Boulevard.
More than $350,000 from the project will be allocated for public realm improvements, including enhanced lighting, widened sidewalks, new retail space, public art and a new plaza featuring trees and seating. Fifty new trees will also be planted to improve the area’s appearance and reduce the urban heat island effect.
The project will also contribute $123,000 to the Fund for Boston Parks and Recreation to support nearby parks and open space improvements.
There will also be a new 15-bike Bluebike station on site, and the project will contribute $60,000 to support the city’s bikeshare program.
726 Shawmut Ave. Credit: Boston Planning Department
726 Shawmut Ave.
The third Roxbury project approved this week will bring 38 income-restricted units to 726 Shawmut Ave.
The New Madinah Cultural Mixed Use Project is a much needed expansion to the Society of Islamic Brotherhood. bringing more than 14,625 square feet of commerce, community and worship space to the area, backers said.
The New Madinah project will redevelop six lots that right now are mostly parking into 38 housing units and more than 14,000 square feet of ground floor cultural, commercial and service space, including a multi-purpose event space, cultural cafe and bookstore, as well as access to the mosque currently onsite and educational spaces above.
The project also brings with it sidewalk and streetscape improvements, including curb extensions and ADA-compliant ramps at nearby crosswalks, and will contribute $16,330 to the Boston Transportation Department for the city’s bikeshare program.