AvalonBay Communities Inc., broke ground on Avalon North Station, a 38-story apartment tower. The $250 million development, located next to TD Garden and North Station, is being hailed for filling an existing void in the city's bustling urban fabric. When complete, the area's new residents will enjoy access to many of the city's great neighborhoods and attractions. Avalon North Station will create new connections between the West End, the North End and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Avalon North Station's development team includes AvalonBay Communities, CBT Architects, permitting consultant Exclusive Real Estate and legal counsel Goulston & Storrs. The construction of Avalon North Station is expected to be completed in 2017, with occupancy in late 2016. The 38-story tower, which has been designed by CBT Architects, will consist of 503 residential units, offering studio, one, two, and three bedroom apartment homes. Thirty of those apartments will be designated as affordable apartments, and reserved for qualified low and moderate-income tenants. Avalon North Station will create 600 construction jobs, generate $1.75 million in new taxes for the city, and provide additional revenue to area businesses. It will also contribute $2.6 million to the Boston Redevelopment Authority's Inclusionary Development Fund. That money will be used to create additional affordable units in the city. This iconic new tower will offer first-class amenities, including a fitness center, wifi café and lounge, communal meeting and work space, and a sky lounge and rooftop terrace on the 35th floor with unobstructed views of the Boston Harbor and Financial District. Additionally, there will be 220 parking spaces. Avalon North Station residents will have direct access to MBTA green and orange subway lines as well as the northern commuter rail routes. A two-story public arcade will serve as a pedestrian connection between Nashua St. and Causeway St., considerably enhancing the pedestrian environment around the TD Garden and North Station. "Avalon North Station is a celebration of smart-growth, sustainable design and contemporary urban living," said Scott Dale, AvalonBay's senior vice president for development. "These new, much-needed apartment homes will enliven the North Station area while also providing a world-class entrance to this world-class city. Avalon North Station exemplifies our commitment to the city of Boston." "This is a terrific project for the neighborhood around North Station, which has seen great investment in residential construction recently," said mayor Martin Walsh, who has pledged to create 53,000 new housing units by 2030. "Avalon North Station will bring exciting new retail opportunities, easy access to public transportation for residents, and stronger connections to the surrounding community." In addition, significant pedestrian and safety improvements at nearby intersections and extensive landscape and hardscape improvements will be made to the area bound by Nashua St. and Lomasney Way. In conjunction with this project, AvalonBay has pledged an additional $600,000 in community benefit funds for further public enhancements. Those funds include: * $350,000 to the Cross Roads initiative for improvements along Causeway St.; * $175,000 to the West End Community Center; * $25,000 to Community Work Services; * $25,000 to the West End Museum; and * $25,000 to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for betterment of the Thoreau Path site. AvalonBay recently completed Avalon Exeter located in Boston's Back Bay in 2014, and currently operates and manages Avalon at the Prudential Center which includes: The Boylston, The Gloucester and AVA Back Bay.