$300M South End Project Moves Forward

A rendering of the Harrison-Albany Block project.

BOSTON—A partnership of Leggat McCall Properties and Multi-Employer Property Trust has filed an Expanded Project Notification Form with the Boston Redevelopment Authority on its more than $300-million mixed-use project in the South End. The joint venture partners filed a letter of intent with the BRA back in November 2015 on the Harrison/Albany Block proposal. Bill Gause , EVP of Leggat McCall Properties, told Globest.com at that time that the project would likely cost more than $300 million to complete. The developers state that they will seek LEED certification on the project. The letter of intent was filed with the BRA after the joint venture partners reportedly acquired buildings at 660 and 720 Harrison Ave., 575 Albany, 100 East Canton, and 123 East Dedham streets in late 2014 from Boston Medical Center for $80 million, as part of the institution’s consolidation and renovation of its campus. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to take an underutilized site and create additional housing, public open space, and a bustling street life,” Gause says now that the expanded project notification firm has been filed. “We are committed to integrating the project with the vibrant fabric of the neighborhood, including the introduction of ground floor cultural space.” The development will feature two buildings of 11 and 19 stories that will include 710 apartment units, 14,000 square feet of retail space and 40,000 square feet of office space. The rental apartments will feature a mix of market rate and affordable units. A portion of the retail space will be devoted to cultural-oriented uses. The project site spans the block between Harrison Avenue and Albany Street, and between East Dedham and East Canton streets. In addition to the development of new buildings, the existing building at 575 Albany St. will be rehabilitated. The existing parking lots will be removed and replaced with underground parking. “We are pleased to be a part of the transformation of the South End, and to further invest in the city of Boston,” says David Antonelli , EVP and MEPT portfolio manager at Bentall Kennedy . “Thoughtful, contemporary development will assist in the South End’s ability to continue to attract employers in the creative, health, and educational sectors, and this project will provide a variety of options for future and existing neighborhood residents.” Real estate equity fund MEPT is being advised by Bentall Kennedy. Bozzuto Development Co . is serving as a development advisor on the project. A spokesperson for the developer tells Globest.com that it is hopeful to begin construction on the project sometime during the second quarter of 2017.