Up-Front

NEI General Contracting Begins Construction on Chelsea Development

Chelsea, MA – NEI General Contracting announced it has started construction at 25 Sixth Street in Chelsea, Mass.

Selected by The Neighborhood Developers, Inc., a community development corporation founded in 1978 in Chelsea, NEI will transform a former light industrial site into a single mid-rise building with 62 new mixed-income rental and homeownership units, located on the MBTA’s Silver Line near Bellingham Square. The Massachusetts’ Legislature has committed $115 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to scale up the CommonWealth Builder Program, and 25 Sixth Street is the first homeownership project in Massachusetts to utilize the funding. The CommonWealth Builder Program is an initiative created to address the racial homeownership gap in Massachusetts by creating new homeownership and wealth-building opportunities in communities of color.

NEI was retained by TND for the demolition of an existing building and the construction of a new 5-level residential building with 56 rental units, six ownership units, and covered parking for 40 vehicles. The new building will

25 Sixth Street rendering Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley joins Chrystal Kornegay, Chelsea City Manager Tom Ambrosino, officials from The Neighborhood Developers, representatives from NEI General Contracting, and community stakeholders.

be constructed to meet passive house standards. This is NEI’s eighth passive house project in Massachusetts.

Eight of the new rental apartments will be subsidized with federal housing vouchers and restricted to households earning up to 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 36 apartments will be restricted to households earning up to 60% of AMI, and there will be 12 workforce housing units for households earning up to 90% of AMI. Three of the six townhomes will be sold to households earning up to <80% AMI, and three units at <100% AMI. There will be 27 one-bedroom rental apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, and 11 three-bedroom apartments. The building will feature a second-story roof deck courtyard.

The project team also includes Utile Architecture and Planning, architect; Winn Companies, property manager; Fraser Poly Engineering Services, civil engineer; RSE, structural engineer; Peterson, MEP/FP engineer; and Offshoots Inc., landscape architect.

“The transformation of 25 Sixth Street in Chelsea is a showcase for the missionoriented work of The Neighborhood Developers, and for our state’s leadership in deploying federal pandemic relief to create stronger and more equitable communities,” said MassHousing executive director, Chrystal Kornegay. “This development will create quality new homeownership opportunities and affordable rental housing, in close proximity to transit and jobs, and provide a platform for economic prosperity.”

“We have a long-standing working relationship with NEI and knew they would be a great partner in bringing this project to life,” said Steve Laferriere, director of real estate at The Neighborhood Developers. “The CommonWealth Builder Program is hopefully going to fuel the development of more transitoriented affordable homeownership opportunities to serve communities of color like Chelsea across the state.”

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Dellbrook|JKS Breaks Ground on Condo Development

The Harbor, rendering courtesy of NELSON Worldwide

Cohasset, MA – On Aug. 18, Dellbrook|JKS broke ground on The Harbor, a 23-unit, luxury condominium development, with Cohasset Hospitality Partners (CHP) and Nelson architects.

This project, nestled beside Cohasset Harbor’s waterfront, is comprised of three structures, each three stories tall, with parking garage spaces. The North and South buildings, which total 48,000sf, will reside together at 124 Elm Street, the site previously occupied by the Cohasset Harbor Inn. The West building, which totals 32,000sf, will be constructed at 87 Elm Street, across from its counterparts.

Amenities will include outdoor gathering areas, a fitness center, waterfront club room, and outdoor pool with Cohasset Harbor views. Project plans include the creation of a 20,000sf public park and boardwalk along the water’s edge. Additionally, in the North and West Buildings there is retail space allocated for future fit-out open to the public.

“The Harbor’s construction will transform the functionality of the waterfront area for the Cohasset community, as well as offering timeless, resort-style living to future residents,” said Patrick Finn, Dellbrook|JKS

View of The Harbor site

Project partners break ground on The Harbor in front of Cohasset Harbor project manager. “Building in a coastal environment presents unique challenges for construction, however we have a talented team that is excited to play a role in revitalizing the area and know this will be a successful project.”

CTA Construction Celebrates Topping Off

Watertown, MA – Construction on the renovation and expansion of the Lowell Elementary School in Watertown recently hit a new milestone. The town celebrated the completion of the steel structure for the new Learning Commons addition to Lowell Elementary with a topping off ceremony.

CTA Construction Managers staff joined school officials, town building committee members, project management firm Hill International and Ai3 Architects at the ceremony where the final beam, signed by Lowell Elementary School staff members, was placed on the structure.

CTA Construction was awarded the contract in March to renovate the existing historic school and complete two new additions. “We are very happy with the progress our combined teams have made,” said Jeff Hazelwood, principal at CTA Construction. “The teams are now installing underground utilities prior to preparing for placement of concrete slabs at the addition. The renovation work is wrapping up demolition activities and commencing mechanical trades as well as starting installation of interior walls to facilitate the next phase of construction.”

The new addition, designed by Ai3 Architects, “will foster the students’ educational engagement within a 21st century educational environment,” said Daren Sawyer, partner at Ai3 Architects LLC.

This will be CTA Construction’s 41st school project in Massachusetts and second project for the city of Watertown. CTA previously built the public works facility that is located near the school.

Lowell Elementary School topping off

Sasaki Celebrates ADA Day at Boston City Hall Plaza

Boston – On Aug. 31, the City of Boston held its annual ADA Day celebration at Boston City Hall, where city officials and disability advocates remarked on the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and highlighted the accessibility of Boston-based global design firm Sasaki’s City Hall Plaza renovations approaching completion nearby.

Boston Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh spoke at the ADA Day event.

Since its opening in 1968, the plaza had been largely inaccessible to people with disabilities. Its original design required people to navigate a 26-foot descent from Cambridge Street to Congress Street across several sets of stairs, broke wheelchair bearings with its rough and widely-spaced bricks, and only had one accessible entrance to City Hall itself. When Kristen McCosh was appointed as disability commissioner of Boston in 2010, these barriers still persisted, 20 years after the passage of the ADA. McCosh said, at the beginning of her term as the city’s chief accessibility officer, “people with disabilities felt like they literally had no path into City Hall.” One of the first things McCosh and other advocates on the Disabilities Commission Advisory Board successfully pushed for was the installation of an asphalt ramp leading to the building’s entrance.

Sasaki’s renovation of Boston City Hall Plaza integrates accessibility into the foundation of the space, rather than creating a separate experience for people with disabilities. Every area will be universally accessible. The 26-foot slope of the site is no longer navigated by a series of steps but by a sweeping and gently sloping promenade designed to tie the whole plaza together, linking Cambridge Street to Congress Street with a new, fully-accessible route. For the first time, all primary entrances to City Hall are universally accessible as well, connected to gathering spaces by gradual inclines rather than circuitous ramps. And while maintaining the plaza’s original material palette, the new design uses bricks that are tightly jointed, stabilized by edge restraints, finely detailed, and deliberately patterned to prevent mobility aids from getting stuck in cracks, a notable problem with the unprotected bricks of the old plaza.

Other new accessibility components include more than 10 companion seating arrangements in performance spaces across the plaza, a public indoor Civic Pavilion that overlooks Hanover Street, and a 12,000sf accessible playscape designed to provide equal opportunities for children with different abilities to

Sasaki principal, Fiske Crowell, spoke about the accessible components of the plaza’s design. reach the play elements. The playscape features transfer spaces for children to get out of a wheelchair and gain access to elevated elements, accessible operating wheels and buttons to operate play elements, and an accessible path through the entire play area. Sensory components, including interactive water runnels, interactive chimes, and play cubes with varied concrete textures etched with letters and numerals, also provide a range of experiences for children with sensory disabilities.

Sasaki’s designers say they hope the new City Hall Plaza, which opens this fall, serves as an inspiration for universal accessibility projects across the city.

Sasaki designers chatted with ADA Day attendees about the accessibility improvements to the plaza.

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Loan Secured for First Residential Building at Suffolk Downs

Amaya / Renderings courtesy of The HYM Investment Group, LLC

Revere, MA – National Real Estate Advisors, Cathexis and The HYM Investment Group announced they have secured a $150 million construction loan for Amaya, a 475-unit, 415,000sf multi-family residential building, the first of many set to be delivered at Suffolk Downs. The funding was secured by JLL and provided by Ullico, a labor-owned insurance company that invests in highquality construction and commercial real estate projects across the country.

Situated steps from the MBTA Blue Line Beachmont Station, Amaya was designed by ICON Architecture and will feature a range of apartment styles from micro studios to two-bedrooms. The property will also feature 34,000sf of amenity space and 24,000sf of ground-floor activated retail space. The building’s outdoor amenities will feature two landscaped courtyards with a pool, fire pits, and outdoor kitchen with grilling stations. Indoor amenities will feature a fully-equipped fitness center and yoga room, as well as a game room and arcade. Amaya is set to be delivered in Q2 2024.

John Moriarty and Associates, Na-

Amaya courtyard

tional, Cathexis and HYM broke ground on Amaya in May 2022 along with 100 Salt Street, a 280,000sf life science facility that will also be completed in 2024. The groundbreaking ceremony served as the official kick-off for Suffolk Downs and began the transformation of the 161acre underutilized site into a new urban district that will serve the communities of East Boston, Revere and beyond.

The redevelopment of Suffolk Downs will ultimately deliver over 10 million sq. ft. of residential development (approximately 10,000 units) which will be the largest single delivery of housing in Greater Boston’s history. These residential buildings will include a mix of apartments, condominiums, senior housing and affordable housing.

“This project is a win for a great Boston neighborhood, for the creation of family-sustaining, career-building union construction jobs, and for investors who will benefit from the highly-skilled and trained crafts-workers required for a successful Suffolk Downs,” said Edward M. Smith, president and CEO of Ullico Inc.

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BPDA Approves Plans for Roxbury Prep High School

Boston – Roxbury Prep, a public charter school that currently serves over 1,500 Boston students across five campuses, has received approval from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) to move forward with plans to build a new high school in Boston’s Newmarket neighborhood.

Founded in 2015, Roxbury Prep High School has sought for four years to build a permanent campus to welcome all high school students under one roof. Currently, Roxbury Prep’s 650 high school students are separated by five miles and between two buildings in Hyde Park and Roxbury.

“The opportunity to have all our students in one building, after years of moving and separate campuses, in a neighborhood that is welcoming, reflective, and inclusive of our school community will strengthen learning, success, and our school community,” said Shradha M. Patel, founder, Roxbury Prep High School.

Located on Proctor Street, the new site will provide the school with space to build a state-of-the-art facility that meets the needs of its students, staff, and community. It is in close proximity to multiple public transportation options, and will be designed to offer students a permanent, well-equipped learning environment to help build community and create a complete high school experience. The 83,000sf facility will accommodate all students in grades 9-12, and will include a full-sized gymnasium, cafeteria, performing arts spaces, and high-tech science classrooms.

The new building will also serve as a foundation to build and strengthen community. Roxbury Prep High School will join the neighboring Mason Elementary School, Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School, nonprofit organization The Base, student meal provider City Fresh Foods, as well as the newly established Newmarket Business Improvement District. This new location also offers students and staff multiple options to utilize public transportation, including four bus lines and the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line’s Newmarket stop, which are essential to the 80% of students who currently take public transportation to get to and from school.

Roxbury Prep will partner with Suffolk Construction, a Newmarket headquartered business, on development of the new high school. The school will seek LEED Gold certification, and include high efficiency lighting and electrical systems, electric vehicle charging stations, bike storage, and rooftop solar. Roxbury Prep High School will also invest in public realm enhancements. To enhance multimodal transportation options and ensure accessibility, the project will replace deficient sidewalks, add pedestrian crossings, add accessible ramps, and increase street lighting. Roxbury Prep will also add new street trees and benches to the Magazine Street area for improved public realm amenities.

Roxbury Prep High School / Rendering courtesy of SMMA/Roxbury Prep

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Topping Off Held for Condos with Focus on Health, Wellness

Brighton, MA – As New Boston Ventures and RISE celebrate the topping off of Nevins Hill in Brighton – placing the last steel beam atop the residential building – the team also announced that Nevins Hill will come to market with significant post-pandemic health and wellness design considerations.

Located atop an expansive hill with views of Brighton, this project consists of 55 luxury condominiums, with indoor and outdoor amenity space, enclosed parking, and private roof deck access for penthouse residents.

New Boston Ventures worked closely with RISE for preconstruction, design review and budgeting. J. Garland Enterprises is the architect, and Charlesgate Realty is the exclusive brokerage agency.

The building features several significant amenities and facilities that support healthy living in a post-pandemic era and is on schedule to be one of the first to come to market with this healthy building focus. Innovative technology solutions to achieve healthy lifestyle standards include robust individual unit HVAC systems. In addition, common areas such as shared corridors, lobby,

Nevins Hill renderings and amenity spaces will utilize heating and cooling units with added purification systems via ultraviolet light to reduce airborne and surface bacteria, viruses, and common allergens. A mobile app will allow residents touchless elevator travel. KONE Elevator Call is a cloud-based solution that allows a user to call an elevator with their smartphone, without touching elevator buttons. Interior features also include three Zoom Rooms in the ground floor common area with desks and acoustically designed walls and finishes. Additionally, 21 of the larger units will offer sleek glass spaces that can be used as a den or home office.

Nevins Hill features outdoor community green space with BBQ offerings, and an outdoor wellness and gym area. A common roof deck will be accessible to all building tenants. Nevins Hill offers Boston skyline views from units and roof decks.

Beyond the health of tenants, Nevins Hill was designed with a concerted effort to minimize impacts to the environment. For instance, 14 electric car charger locations will be available in and around the building.