BOSTON—Two additional development firms filed plans with the Boston Redevelopment Authority before year's-end and will therefore not be subject to possible tighter affordable housing regulations imposed by Mayor Martin Walsh that began on Jan. 1.

Related Beal and a development team led by Boston developer David Rafferty filed plans with the BRA on New Year's Eve that call for residential projects in the South End and Beacon Hill districts respectively.

While few details concerning the projects were highlighted in the developers' respective letters of intent with the BRA as was the case with a number of other 11th hour development filings in the last week of 2015, both projects call for residential development.

Related Beal COO Kimberly Sherman Stamler in the firm's Dec. 31st Letter of Intent, informed the BRA that it plans to develop 370 Harrison Ave., the former Ho Kong Bean Sprout Co. property, and the former Quinzani's Bakery at 380 Harrison Ave. in the South End. Both industrial properties have been acquired by Related Beal affiliates and are currently vacant.

The project calls for a total of 300,000 square feet of mixed-use development, including residential and ground floor retail and commercial space. The scope of the project was not revealed in the company's Letter of Intent. Stamler states in the correspondence to the BRA that it intends to file a Project Notification Form to begin review of its proposal in the next new months.

The project in Beacon Hill by JDMD Owner, LLC if approved would redevelop properties at 33-61 Temple St. Sean T. O'Donovan, an attorney representing JDMD Owner, states in the Letter of Intent to the BRA that the project would redevelop two buildings currently being used by Suffolk University into residential space. JDMD Owner is managed by Rafferty, Matthew Snyder and David Ridini. The team also includes The Architectural Team and EBI Consulting.

As detailed in its letter, the firm would redevelop the existing six-story building at 61 Temple St. known as the Gleason L. & Hiram J. Archer Building and the existing building at 33-51 Temple St., known as the Franklin J. Donahue Building, into a 75-unit residential condominium development. Currently, both buildings are being used for classroom and administrative functions by Suffolk University.

O'Donovan tells the BRA in its letter that it intends to file an Expanded Project Notification Form "providing significant additional details and plans for the proposed project within approximately 90 days…"

The Related Beal and Beacon Hill projects were the latest of a host of projects that were filed in late December for major development projects in the city. While no party stated its reasons for filing at that time, the projects will not have to conform with tighter affordable housing regulations that come with higher fees in some cases. The BRA approved Mayor Walsh's new affordable housing regulations on Dec. 11. The new regulations went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

Boston Properties filed a Letter of Intent on Dec. 29th for 1.4 million square feet of mixed-use development on Dartmouth Street by the Back Bay station. Cronin Holdings LLC filed a Letter of Intent on Dec. 21st for its $200-million residential tower at 150 Seaport Blvd. The Mount Vernon Company, Inc. also recently issued a letter of intent to the Boston Redevelopment Authority to build a mixed-use project on Western Avenue and Waverly Street in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston.

Another project filed in late December was by Northeastern University for an 800-bed student dormitory building on Burke St.

Related Beal told Globest.com in late December that the beginning of construction on its $230-million workforce housing project at the Parcel 1B site in Bullfinch Triangle was imminent.

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John Jordan

John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.