South Boston continues to transform, and its developers hope it’s wicked smaht.
Boston-based Core Investments has submitted a proposed plan for a 11-building large-scale development on a 21-acre site along Dorchester Avenue, boston business journal. The program will focus on residential, life sciences and office space.
Dubbed “On The Dot,” the project initially launched in early 2021 with four buildings on nine acres near the Andrew MBTA station. Plans for the new expansion seek to transform the area into a bustling center of laboratory activity and multifamily housing.
A recently submitted draft master plan outlines the redevelopment of much of Dot Avenue, replacing the current low-slung industrial cluster with buildings 200 feet or taller.
The proposal is divided into four phases with a total development area of nearly 4 million square feet.
About one-third of the space will be dedicated to residential use, with more than 1,000 units. The proposal still requires the approval of the master plan and each individual building from the Boston Planning and Development Authority. The permitting and construction process is expected to take years, possibly more than a decade.
Core Investments isn’t the only real estate firm with plans for the area. National Development and other companies have their own projects to revitalize Dot Ave. Core’s proposal covers land on the west side of the road, starting at Southampton Street and extending north to the intersection of Dot Ave.-Old Colony Avenue.
Additionally, Core is working with Samuels & Associates and Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. on the 1 million-square-foot mixed-use Washington Village development near Andrew Square, with the first apartment building scheduled to open later this year.
John Cissel, Core’s president of development, is excited about the proposal, saying it offers multiple uses that meet the needs of the area’s residents in the 21st century.
The first phase, to be unveiled in 2021, includes a 325-unit apartment building and open spaces. Subsequent phases involved the construction of residential buildings, laboratory/office space, and other residential and commercial buildings.
Architecture firm Stantec is leading the masterplan and design of the life sciences building, while Utile has been selected to design the project’s first residential tower.
— Ted Glazer
