Dorchester, MA Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm, has begun work on a five-story, 41,335 s/f building at 9 Leyland St. on behalf of a partnership between Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) and Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL). Designed to meet Passive House and LEED Silver certification, 9 Leyland will feature 43 units of affordable rental supportive housing and enriched services for seniors to promote healthy aging and a high quality of life. Construction started in January and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

The development includes 41 one-bedroom, two two-bedroom units, and five units will be accessible to persons with mobility impairments. The building will have a multi-purpose room for residents and community members, a bike room that accommodates up to 26 bikes, two laundry facilities and a roof terrace on the fifth floor. Nine surface parking spaces including two accessible parking spaces, and connections to surrounding amenities such as playgrounds and gardens will be provided for residents. The project will bring significant neighborhood improvements by activating an underutilized site to provide much needed affordable senior housing.

“This is our third project with Kaplan Construction. They have extensive experience working with Community Development Corporations (CDCs) around Boston so we knew we would be in good hands hiring them as our construction manager for our latest development in Dorchester,” said Perry Newman, CEO at DBEDC. “Dorchester Bay is deeply committed to reducing the impacts of climate change on our communities, which suffer from higher incidence of asthma and other health inequities. The design and construction of 9 Leyland help to further our goals of energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.”

The project team includes:

• Sponsor/developer: DBEDC;

• Sponsor/management: HSL;

• Owner’s pep: HTP-CS2C/NE;

• Construction Manager: Kaplan Construction;

• Architect: Davis Square Architects;

• MEP/FP Engineer: Petersen Engineering;

• Civil Engineer: Meridian Associates;

• Structural Engineer: RSE Associates; and

• Landscape Architect: Deborah Myers Landscape Architects.