Boston Redevelopment Authority approves DJ Properties’ plan for mixed-use Washington Village

Washington Village - South Boston, MA

South Boston, MA The Boston Redevelopment Authority board of directors approved the plan for Washington Village, a mixed-use community to replace an unused industrial site near Andrew Sq. with 656 residences, retail and commercial space, 2.4 acres of new public space and new connections to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Washington Village, recalling the 19th-century name for the same area at Old Colony Ave. and Dorchester St. near Dorchester Ave. will turn five acres of vacant buildings into an eight-block community with live, shop, and play features for residents of the neighborhood.

DJ Properties LLC, developer of Washington Village, has been in conversation and collaboration with the Andrew Sq. Neighborhood Association and others in the local community for six years, assessing what they desire for the mostly abandoned industrial blocks.

Washington Village, when completed over three phases, will fulfill that vision with new streets and plazas, apartments and condominiums with some affordable units and many aimed at middle-income families, a grocery store, parking for residents and visitors, a 6,000 s/f public green, and more than 150 new trees.

The project is in keeping with the goals of the administration of mayor Martin Walsh to add much-needed housing to the city and to do it in particular in areas where public transportation is available. The Boston Redevelopment Authority is currently advancing the public process to rezone the Dorchester Ave. corridor from Andrew Sq. to Broadway Stations on the MBTA’s Red Line.

DJ Properties LLC, a partnership including Core Investments Inc., which has extensive experience in the Boston real estate market, owns and is developing the 235 Old Colony Ave. property and adjacent parcels.

The architect for the development Prellwitz Chilinski Associates Inc.

The new blocks are being designed to include the central meeting space and shaped on a walkable scale that will foster a sense of community. It is a short walk from public transit at the MBTA’s Andrew Station and is served by MBTA bus routes 5, 10, and 16, in addition to others that serve Andrew Station.

Buildings will range in height from three and four floors, adjacent to existing residential buildings, to 21 floors, with six buildings ranging from 40 to 70 feet in height. Three residential buildings, at 13, 18  and 21 floors, will be 170, 206 and 226 feet in height, respectively.

Washington Village will create about 110 affordable units, or 17 percent of the total, with some aimed at middle-income families.

Washington Village will have about 650 parking spaces in garage floors on the lower levels of the taller buildings. There will be eight additional parking spaces on the street.

About half of the developed site, or 2.4 acres, will be open to the public, including about a mile of wide sidewalks that meet the City’s Complete Streets guidelines.

“After working with and listening to the community in and around Andrew Square for more than five years, we have a project that we think will be a huge improvement to the neighborhood in many ways, from the new middle-class homes, to places to shop and eat, and in addition a large place for people to meet,” said David Pogorelc, a partner of DJ Properties.

“The goal is to bring economic vitality to Andrew Square by creating a walkable neighborhood with community-focused businesses, improving the overall quality of life for residents of the Andrew Square and nearby neighborhoods,” Pogorelc said.