JUDGMENT CRITERIA PHYSICAL DESIGN
PROJECT FINANCING
INNOVATION
A former public housing complex has been reimagined for 2020. Community space with programming for kids and adults, a community garden, and large open space in the center of the complex provides various opportunities for residents to interact and build community. The Gardens opens up to McKinney Park, which is adjacent to the complex, giving kids and teenagers additional space for outdoor activities and sports. Ample bike storage and energy efficient laundry facilities encourage residents to minimize their carbon footprint. Large rooftop terraces with views of Boston gives residents a place to gather, while also accommodating solar panels that reduce the building’s carbon footprint while also reducing energy costs. Murals by local artists as well as outdoor lighting and furniture create a sense of community and encourage residents to feel a sense of belonging.
The complex financing structure allows us to build 351 units by phasing our project in three. Each phase will consist of demolishing the necessary existing buildings in order to build two buildings per phase, where each building is financed separately. Every building will be financed with a variety of sources of fundings, including either a 4% LIHTC or a 9% LIHTC. Our unit mix incorporates varying income levels in order to create a mixed-income community. All 254 units from the demolished Faneuil Gardens site will be rebuilt, plus an additional 97 units at market rate or 80% AMI that are designed to close the funding gap.
The Gardens is slated to be a vibrant, multigenerational community that the residents will be proud to call home. There is a community garden, an open green space, and murals throughout the sides of the buildings to create a sense of place.
10 | THE GARDENS | Brighton, Massachusetts | 2020 FHLB Boston Affordable Housing Development Competition
The Gardens is also a transportation hub that provides residents access to opportunity and upward mobility. Its close proximity to transit allows residents of the Gardens to easily access downtown Boston and its job market. The Gardens residential complex will partner with community-based organizations who will provide residents with workforce and education training at the Gardens’ on-site community center. The community center will also be used to after school activities and can be rented by residents and the greater Boston community.
