Boston is ramping up for millions of square feet of new development; a mixture of office, residential, commercial, retail and hotel space. As a Buyer in the Boston market, you need to know what’s going to be built in your neighborhood and the appreciation potential on your home. Luxury residential space can add significant marginal value, so it’s in your best interest to buy in before the development sells and reap the benefits later.  There are hundreds of projects that have reached Boston Redevelopment Board Approval and even more projects waiting for approval. Each week I will be zoning in on one neighborhood in Boston and giving you all the details you’ll need to know in order to make an educated decision on where to buy and when.

Here we go:

333-339 West Broadway
This 5-story project will consist of 15 condominiums with two affordable units, approximately 21,500 square feet of combined living space, 23 below-grade parking spaces and 1 commercial space on the first floor. The building will consist of one bedroom and two bedroom units, all with exterior decks.

The property is located across the street from Shenannigan’s. The location is just two blocks from the Broadway T Station and a 20-30 minute walk into South End, just over the West Fourth Bridge, which makes this project perfect for downtown commuters.

The project is being developed by  Paul Adamson and Mark Cummins along side the design group TJA Architect LLC. The most recent project from Adamson and Cummins was 257 West 3^rd Street, which sold very quickly in May 2008, ranging from $599,000-$635,000.

This project is centrally located in a plethora of other projects- from approval to completion.  There a little over a dozen projects underway from the south, 2.5 million square feet of new construction coming from the Seaport District, just north East of the project and several other projects on the western side of Southie along Old colony and D street.

First + First
This project consists of 22 single family town homes. This project is extremely unique in it’s concept of “vertical living” – a unique way of laying out a home in a vertical fashion that maximizes space. Each home will consist of a ground floor with a full sized two-car garage and sufficient storage space, laundry room and entry hall. The first floor will have an open layout for versatile living and a European style kitchen with an island and breakfast bar. The second floor will have two bedrooms with ample closet space and the third floor with be the master bedroom with an ensuite bath, large closets and a spacious outdoor terrace.

The developer Trocadero is a boutique- style company that has done several projects in South Boston.  They are working along side Utile, Inc an architectural group to maximize design asceticism. The developers are working to meet environmentally responsible standards and seeking to achieve LEED certification.  The properties will feature energy efficient Bosch and GE appliances, Energy-efficient windows and recyclable building materials, as well as other requirements set forth by LEED standards.

Currently six of the twenty-two homes have sold as pre-construction sales. The prices range from $559,000-$599,000

The Distillery
This project is by far one of the most interesting projects I’ve seen yet. The development will contain 65 residential units, including a mix of artist live/work, loft-style and conventional units, 147 parking spaces, an art gallery, greenhouse, and small scale retail space.  Existing Distillery building will be preserved and the project will happen adjacent to the current Distillery site at the 1966 bottling plant. Designed with Icon Architects, it will ultimately include artist live/work studios, loft style residences, underground music practice rooms, an open courtyard venue for performances, a restaurant, a market, a greenhouse, galleries, retail space, an artist residency program, rooftop gardens, open green space, and public artworks.

The new Distillery building will be Passive House certified, and will use approximately 10% of the energy of an ordinary new building, a figure that far surpasses the benchmarks set by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system which has become the standard in this country. In addition to these energy reduction figures, the building will incorporate numerous other green technologies such as cogeneration of electricity, recycled gray water, drain heat recovery, strategic daylight shading, community gardening and food production, and composting.

While Passive House is quickly becoming common in Europe, the Distillery development will be the largest Passive House building in the United States. The project aims to set a precedent for sustainable building while fostering a growing creative community.

In conjunction with this new development, the developers and affiliates are working on improving the efficiency and environmental impact of transportation to and from The Distillery and the neighboring buildings. A collaboration with the MBTA is in the works to reroute a downtown bus line to stop at our site, in as well as additional Zip Cars, new electric car charging stations, and networked community carpooling.

Pricing is not available at this time. If you’d like to be on a list for updates, please visit my website.

Other Projects to look out for:
There are dozens of other small-scale projects underway in this community. I’ve created a list below. If you have any questions, or would like more information on any of these projects, please visit my website and place an inquiry. I would be more than happy to send you more information.

1. 11 West Broadway- 50 Residential rental Units and 8,000sf of ground floor retail

2. 360 West Second- 4-story structure for the provision of 25 rental units and 25 parking spaces.

3. Channel Wharf- 45 units of housing and 68 parking spaces.

4. 371 D Street- 585 residential condominium units in 4 buildings with approximately 724 parking

5. 339 D Street- 24 units and 30 parking spaces within a 4-story building.

6. 902 East Second- 44 residential units and 49 parking spaces

7. 881 East Second- 16 units and 34 parking spaces in a new 4-story structure.

8. Patriot Homes- 24 new units of affordable housing for veterans and includes the adaptive reuse of the former D Street police station building and the construction of a new building.

9. 395 West Broadway- 24 rental units and 20 parking spaces with ground floor commercial space in the former South Boston Tribune building at 395 West Broadway.

10. Saint Augustine’s at 205 E Street- Conversion of Saint Augustine’s School building into 39 residential units and 47 parking spaces.

1. 1391-F Hyde Park Ave, Hyde Park : $249,000- 2,050 square feet of raw loft space. This unit was developed by a prolific metal sculptor. The unit features industrial grade mezzanines, metal landed staircases, velux skylights and radiant heating. The unit comes with one garage space. These spaces are an incredible value, with very close attention to the industrial detailing.

2. 336 Saratoga St, East Boston: $300,000- 1,579 square feet of tri-plex loft space. With 18-ft ceilings, exposed brick, skylights and an expansive open kitchen/living space, this loft recreates the open loft concept into a much softer feel with traditional railings lining the staircase, light hardwood flooring and two separate sleeping quarters. The Master suite has a walk-in closet and private bath. Perfect for the person that likes to keep the feel much softer, but enjoys the open loft concept.

3.83-85 Brookside Ave, Jamaica Plain: $499,000- This expansive 1,924 square foot loft pulls in a contemporary twist with sharp modern edges, white washed walls against the striking hardwood floors, 18-ft ceilings with floor to ceiling windows bringing in an abundance of light. This property also offers tastefully renovated kitchen and baths, exclusive roof rights and one off-street parking space.

4. 289 Devonshire St - Unit PH 5, Financial District: $725,000- This 1,564 square foot hidden gem can be found smack dab in the heart of the Financial District. A rare find amongst the soaring skyscrapers, office space and swarms of dark suited business men . The high ceilings, funky track lighting and hardwood flooring makes this space the perfect midtown loft.

5. 9 W Broadway, Seaport District: $735,000- This 1,454 square foot southwest facing, corner loft offers dramatic views of the Back Bay skyline. 10 oversized windows line the expansive living/dining space. The loft has two private sleeping quarters with two full baths. One of the baths is built out of the old smoke stack. Very cool! This property comes with a garage parking space and has building amenities such as; gym, swimming pool, courtyard, lounge, concierge and security. Hotel amenities, without the hotel, cookie-cutter feel.

6. 26 Stillman Street, North End: $839,000- 1,336 square foot lofts are a rarity in the North End. This spectacular property features the exposed brick and beam work, with a modern twist of hardwood flooring, high-end stainless steel kitchen appliances, chic cabinetry and beautifully renovated baths. The property has dramatic Downtown views out of its thirteen windows lining the generous living/dining space. Their is a common roof deck as well with fantastic city views.

7. 35 Channel Center Street, Seaport: $899,000- 1,914 square feet of gorgeous raw loft space designed by a Boston architect. A raised platform divides the dining/living space. The custom storage tastefully separates the living from the sleeping and study quarters. The entire unit was renovated with high end classic finishes. The unit comes with a deeded parking space.

Seven of the most beautiful and unique lofts spaces in the city are just waiting for the right Buyers. If you’d like more information on these properties, please feel free to contact me.

Andrea McDonough
Bushari Group Real Estate
Luxury Residential Specialist
Cell: 617-733-1238
Email: andrea@bushari.com

Call Elad Bushari at 617-529-7079 for more information or to schedule a preview.

Information and photos courtesy of Lawrence Shevick, Otis and Ahearn.

For a limited time only – FREE GARAGE PARKING when you purchase this home * (*P & S signed by 11/15/2009)

Don’t dig your car out of the snow again!

Previously listed at $445,000 this home is now only $405,000 and garage parking will be included*

Brand new loft-style condominium

1,300 Square Feet of living area

16 foot ceilings

Modern-designer kitchen

Central A/C

Washer/Dryer hookup

Elevator building

The exceptional new homes at DNA Lofts, located only steps from the JFK station on the red line, offer urban dwellers true loft living ready for their own style and personality.

With a remarkable choice of open floor plans, spacious living areas, contemporary kitchens and baths and very cool finishes, DNA Lofts present endless possibilities.  Featuring soaring ceilings, huge windows flooded with natural light, private balconies, city views, deeded parking and a common landscaped courtyard, community room and an expansive roof deck, DNA Lofts offer everything you need to live in a space that is unique and convenient.