Work is set to begin on the first of five phases to redevelop the Boston Housing Authority’s Faneuil Gardens public housing development in Brighton.
At its October meeting, the Boston Planning Department gave the project the greenlight to move forward on phase one.
The first phase will replace 114 units at 55 Faneuil St. with new units in a new six-story building, which will also include an amenity space for residents and a new courtyard.
Faneuil Gardens is a state-funded public housing development managed by the Boston Housing Authority. It’s located on nearly 7.5 acres and was originally built in the 1940s. Due to its age, the existing buildings are well beyond their useful lives, according to the filing. The units are also substantially undersized compared to modern standards. Additionally, none of the units are accessible.
The developer, TCB, was awarded the project in April 2022 to “preserve and enhance the public housing while transforming Faneuil Gardens into a modern, energy-efficient, comfortable and beautiful community.”
The entire project will be completed in five phases and when complete will consist of five new buildings containing 441 residential units, 258 of which will be one-to-one replacements for the existing public housing units. The rest will be net-new housing, which will also be income-restricted. The majority of the units will be family size, “maintaining Faneuil Gardens’ status as one of the few areas in Brighton with a large concentration of families,” the initial filing said.
Most, if not all, of the units will be designated income-restricted for households at
a range of incomes from 30% of Area Median Income to potentially 120% AMI — making for a truly mixed-income residential community, the filing said.
The final project will also include a mix of outdoor spaces, connections to neighborhood assets, a new community center, site-wide amenities and more.
The project is also expected to be adaptable to climate change and include inclusive, accessible spaces both indoors and out.