This Week's Boston Deal Sheet
In partnership with an Allston congregation, a nonprofit developer plans to build a senior housing project with new church program space.
The Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. proposed a four-story, 49-unit senior housing project at 279-283 N. Harvard Ave. in Allston, according to an Aug. 15 filing with the Boston Planning Department. The project would renovate and expand on the site of the Hill Memorial Baptist Church.
The development would also include an office for the Brighton Allston Elderly Housing Authority, which would manage the residential services on the site while the developer would act as property manager.
The site is home to the church and an adjacent single-family home, Banker & Tradesman reported. The community developer purchased the site in 2023 for $4.8M.
The church closed its doors in 2023 due to declining membership, which prompted the partnership, Rolling Out reported. This proposal follows a broader trend coined the "Yes In God's Backyard" movement, in which religious organizations work with developers to build much-needed housing.
SALES
United Properties acquired a vacant 125K SF building in Malden for $7.8M, down from the $40.5M seller The RMR Group paid in 2010. The five-story property is at 75 Pleasant St.
United plans to move its own office into the building and renovate the upper floors for smaller businesses. Newmark's Robert Griffin, Edward Maher, Matthew Pullen, James Tribble, Samantha Hallowell, Joseph Alvarado and Casey Valente represented the seller and procured the buyer.
LEASES
Israel-based Hiper Global moved its U.S. headquarters to Lupoli Cos.' King Street Crossing development in Littleton, the Boston Business Journal reported. The tech company will take on 72K SF at the 2.3M SF project. Hiper is relocating from Ozzy Properties' Osgood Landing in North Andover. The approved project will bring 1,100 units of housing, a 150-room hotel and more than 600K SF of office and research space.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
BXP, formerly known as Boston Properties, proposed a 312-unit apartment development at 17 Hartwell Ave. in Lexington, the BBJ reported. The 5.25-acre site has an existing one-story building and surface parking lot, which BXP plans to demolish to make way for the apartment building and a 4.5-level parking garage.
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Vantage Builders completed a 10K SF corporate headquarters expansion for NEOLab. The orthodontic lab company will take up space on the second floor of 3 Riverside Drive in Andover, a 93K SF research and development facility. An entity linked to Buffalo, New York-based Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. purchased the property in 2022 for $20M, according to public records.
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The Boston Planning Department approved three new development projects totaling 131K SF, including 45 residential units. The projects are a 15-unit homeownership development at 55-57 Belgrade Ave. in Roslindale, a 62K SF manufacturing facility in West Roxbury, and a 30-unit condominium building at 231-245 Grove St. in West Roxbury.
The Planning Department also approved a new request for proposals for the redevelopment of Pier 5 in Charlestown, and it recommended the tentative designation to a development team for the redevelopment of 21-29 Fernboro St. in Dorchester.
