Gerding Edlen breaks ground on 259-unit 6 New Street development

A new addition for residential living to the local waterfront broke ground on Dec. 3 at 6 New St. Gerding Edlen will invest $132 million to create a sustainable and repurposed urban development. Located at the intersection of Sumner and New Sts., the project spans nearly four-acres of waterfront property that had long been inaccessible to the public. "Gerding Edlen is committed to Boston and transforming unique neighborhoods into dynamic communities where people live, work and explore," said Kelly Saito, Gerding Edlen's president. "We are excited about our latest project on the East Boston waterfront and embracing the captivating culture and pride of this historically rich and authentic neighborhood." Embracing the many attributes of waterfront living with the feeling of an evolving neighborhood and population, 6 New St., and its public spaces, will integrate into the fabric of the community with the Harborwalk at its front door. Built by Suffolk Construction, the 259-unit apartment complex will provide direct access to LoPresti Park, a city green space. The residences and its 5,000 s/f of ground-floor, publicly-accessible commercial space, are located within walking distance to public transit and the newly refurbished Maverick Sq. T as well as being accessible to the arts district and working shipyard. "The East Boston waterfront is quickly becoming one of the most attractive areas for investment and development in the city of Boston," said mayor Martin Walsh, who has pledged to create 53,000 units of new housing in Boston by 2030. "The 6 New St. project, thoughtfully designed by Gerding Edlen, will help us get hundreds of units closer to our housing construction goals. The retail amenities, connections to green space, and activation of the Harborwalk are benefits for the entire East Boston community." The 6 New St. complex, when complete, will feature a 16-story tower, an adjacent four-story addition and an attached parking garage. The site is now home to three, multi-story industrial buildings. Modern day amenities for the "unscripted urbanite" include a communal chef's kitchen, rooftop pool, conference rooms, gallery exhibition spaces, dog wash and spa and water sports, to name a few. The development team's commitment to the highest green building standards means the transit-accessible community will have indoor bike storage, a range of car sharing options and an expanded water taxi station. The 6 New St. development designed by ADD Inc, which will be complete in 2016, will generate more than $750,000 in new property taxes each year. The building phase will generate 340 construction-phase jobs, while the completed complex will create 20 new permanent jobs in the city. Shown (from left) are: Vivien Li, president of the Boston Harbor Assn.; Carlo Basile, representative East Boston; Salvatore LaMattina, city councillor District 1; Anthony Petruccelli, senator East Boston; Martin Walsh, mayor of Boston; and Kelly Saito, president of Gerding Edlen.