Boston, MA The transformation of an 1880 Back Bay double-wide brownstone into five luxury condominiums is now underway. The residences, known as “Maison Commonwealth,” located at 260 and 262 Commonwealth Ave., are being built by Nauset Construction for developer Chevron Partners. The buildings were originally constructed as single-family residences, and most recently served as student housing for Bay State College, and were acquired by Chevron Partners in 2017.

The historic renovation project includes a fully excavated below-grade garage, the removal of all load-bearing walls between the two historic buildings, construction of a new modern penthouse addition, and the installation of sophisticated mechanical systems.

“I have been so impressed with Nauset Construction’s level of diligence in their attention to detail in the bidding process, planning the finishes and coordinating every aspect of the construction well in advance of trade execution,” said Marcel Safar, managing partner of Chevron Partners. “As an owner, this gives me confidence in such important aspects of a project that are price security, speed of execution and accuracy of execution on my project.”

The project architect is Meyer & Meyer, which specializes in historic restoration and renovation. The brick and brownstone Victorian façade, originally designed by Samuel Kelley, architect of the first Back Bay apartment house in 1885 later known as Hotel Royal, will be restored to its original splendor. Walled garden areas will be integrated with the original building, and the lobby will include a custom elevator.

Each unit will offer formal living, dining, and entertaining spaces with ceiling heights up to 12’ and views onto Commonwealth Ave. The units will feature cast plaster moldings with custom corner cartouches that meet modern finishes, hand-carved marble mantels and gas fireplaces that adjoin modern Italian cabinetry, and appliances. Imported oak wood chevron flooring, Italian closets, and floor-to-ceiling imported Carrara marble master bathrooms will also be constructed. The 4,200 s/f two-level penthouse unit will feature a 1,500 s/f upper-level addition, appointed with front and rear motorized glass walls that blur the boundary to 970 s/f of private front and rear outdoor space.

Nauset Construction has a history of award-winning historic renovation/restoration projects, including Old Quincy City Hall, Cary Hall in Lexington, the Brazilian Consulate in Boson’s Financial District, and 907 Main, a boutique hotel and restaurant in Central Sq. in Cambridge.

“The redevelopment of Maison Commonwealth is a special opportunity to demonstrate some of our greatest strengths as a construction manager – historic renovation, multifamily development, and working in zero-lot line urban infill sites,” said Nauset Construction president Anthony Papantonis. “We look forward to working with the entire development team on this challenging project.”