Boston: Planning Department Advances Largest Downtown Office-To-Residential Conversion

~ The Boston Planning Department has recommended the approval of a new office-to-residential conversion project to the BPDA Board this month. The project, which represents approximately 219,200 square feet, is set to create 255 new homes in the heart of Downtown Crossing.

According to the recommendation, 52 of these units will be income-restricted, providing affordable housing options for residents. In addition to the new homes, the project is expected to support approximately 203 construction jobs and 18 permanent jobs.

This marks a significant milestone for Mayor Michelle Wu's successful office-to-residential conversion program as it is the largest project of its kind to be approved by the Board. The program aims to convert empty office spaces into much-needed housing units in the city.

Mayor Wu and Chief of Planning Kairos Shen also took this opportunity to celebrate Dr. Ted Landsmark's retirement from the BPDA Board and his contributions during his tenure. Dr. Landsmark has been a member of the Board since September 2014 and is currently its longest-serving member.

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Under his leadership, nearly 60,000 new housing units have been approved by the Board, including almost 16,000 income-restricted units. These projects represent a total investment of $48.7 billion and cover an area of 138 million square feet across Boston.

In recognition of his impact on the city's growth and development, Mayor Wu expressed her gratitude towards Dr. Landsmark stating that his influence can be seen not only in Boston's skyline but also in the generations of planners, architects, and advocates he has mentored.

The approved project at 280-300 Washington Street will see vacant office space being transformed into new homes for residents living in Downtown Boston. The project will also retain existing retail space on its ground floor.

Thanks to updated zoning regulations in Downtown Crossing, this project will not require any zoning relief and can be completed more quickly. It is one of 24 applicants to Mayor Wu's Office-to-Residential Conversion Program, which aims to convert 29 buildings and 1.5 million square feet of empty office space into over 1,700 new homes in Downtown Boston.

In addition to this project, the Board also approved an update to a previously approved project at 69 A Street in South Boston. The project will now convert the approved office space into 24 units of housing, further contributing to the city's efforts to provide more housing options for its residents.

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