Colliers facilitates $5.775 million sale of auto repair site for housing development

Boston, MA Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company, arranged the $5.775 million sale of 1590 Blue Hill Ave., a 1.63-acre site in the city’s Mattapan neighborhood. A partnership between the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, a nonprofit housing developer affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston, and JGE Development acquired the property from the McKeen family. It has secured city approvals for a six-story building with 105 affordable homes. The McKeen family operated an auto repair business at the site dating back to 1976.

Colliers executive vice president Jeanne Pinado has served as a trusted advisor to the McKeen family over the past two and a half years when Colliers was engaged to market the property. Her experience developing multifamily properties in Boston was key to marketing the site to developers of affordable and mixed-income housing.

“I am proud of my role in the eventual development of 105 affordable homes for Boston families by the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, which is serving as a catalyst for social justice through its work in housing development and neighborhood revitalization,” said Pinado. “This project will carry forward the McKeen family’s decades-long commitment to Mattapan, creating a lasting legacy with homes that will serve Boston families for generations.”

Located in the Mattapan Sq. business district, the property offers access to bus and rapid transit service, including nearby MBTA Mattapan Station. The surrounding neighborhood provides access to the Neponset River Greenway, grocery stores, neighborhood retail and the Mattapan Community Health Center. The planned development will add public realm and streetscape improvements and bring more foot traffic to the business district.

“For 50 years, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs has developed innovative approaches to create affordable housing and vibrant communities and developed nearly 3,000 homes,” said William Grogan, president of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. “We look forward to the groundbreaking on our newest project, 1590 Blue Hill Ave., in partnership with Jonathan Garland, that will add 105 homes for Boston families, where affordable housing is in critical need.”

Its redevelopment aligns with PLAN Mattapan, which aims to expand housing along major corridors such as Blue Hill Ave. and direct investment to Mattapan Sq. The sale also underscores the city’s appeal as a gateway market, where strong investor demand supports a liquid, consistently high-volume commercial real estate market.