Parcel 1B - Boston

Boston, MA Related Beal celebrated the groundbreaking for Parcel 1B, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development of a 239 unit, 100% affordable and workforce residential building. The mixed-use development in downtown Boston’s Bulfinch Triangle will also contain a 220 room Courtyard Marriott according to Related Beal and Turnberry Associates.

To honor the official start of this project, governor Charlie Baker and mayor Martin Walsh joined Related Beal at the Parcel 1B site to celebrate the start of construction. With delivery of the Parcel 1B project projected for 2018, downtown Boston will soon realize its first new 100% affordable and workforce housing project in more than 25 years, and its first large scale workforce housing development under mayor Walsh’s housing plan entitled, “Changing City: Boston 2030” which calls for the creation of 53,000 new residential units by 2030 - 44,000 specifically for workforce units. The development’s 239 residential units will be restricted to and available for individuals, couples and families with qualified incomes ranging from 30% Area Median Income (AMI) to up to 165% AMI. Additionally, 10% of the residences will be three-bedroom units providing much needed family housing in downtown Boston.

Designed by CBT Architects, the mixed-use development at Parcel 1B will include a 14-story residential building totaling 484,000 s/f with street level retail and on-site parking. In addition, a 220-room Courtyard Marriott hotel with 2,500 s/f of meeting space will be operated by Turnberry Assoc.

Parcel 1B is located across the street from Lovejoy Wharf where Related Beal reimagined 160 North Washington St. for Converse’s new headquarters and 131 Beverly St., both with waterfront retail.

Related Beal envisioned the Parcel 1B development to provide 100% affordable and workforce units, and partnered with various agencies including the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development, MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, among others, to make this vision a reality.

“The construction of affordable housing is a key driver of economic development, both in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Governor Baker. “This development, which showcases the power of mixed-income housing to transform vacant state-owned land, demonstrates our administration’s ongoing commitment to building stronger communities across the Commonwealth.”

“I congratulate Related Beal for reaching this significant milestone and thank them for their commitment to bringing 100% affordable and workforce housing to downtown Boston,” said mayor Walsh. “Not only is this project a great achievement for the company, but it is a win for the people of Boston, with 239 units of affordable housing being added to the North Station area. This project serves as a great example of the types of transit-oriented, affordable housing opportunities we are looking to unlock for all of our families across the city.”

Kimberly Sherman Stamler, chief operating officer of Related Beal said, “We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting milestone. Related Beal’s vision for workforce housing and a vibrant new hotel amenity in the heart of downtown Boston at Parcel 1B could only have been realized through the significant creative and collaborative effort with the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Related has a long-term commitment to affordable housing and we are proud to see the project take this step forward, enabling even more families and our  City’s diverse workforce to live in downtown Boston.”

Ted Lubitz, a vice president at Related Beal who oversees Related Beal’s affordable developments in Boston and the surrounding area said, “We are extremely appreciative of the hard work that went into making this project possible. Parcel 1B will be the first 100% large scale, mixed-use affordable and workforce housing development in downtown Boston in a quarter of a century in direct support of mayor Walsh’s critical 2030 Housing Plan and we hope it becomes a model of how, working together, the public and private sectors can achieve the seemingly unimaginable.”  

Turnberry has developed more than $8 billion in commercial and residential property, and its diverse hospitality portfolio includes an array of luxury, full-service and select-service hotels, including Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Turnberry Isle Miami. The Parcel 1B hotel will be Turnberry’s sixth with a Marriott flag.

“We are honored to play a significant role in this tremendous public-private collaboration and help be a driving force for job creation and economic development in Boston,” said Bill Gorman, Turnberry Associates vice president of Select Service Hotels. “Along with Related Beal and Marriott, we’re excited to bring a new, exciting destination to the Bulfinch Triangle.”

“The work of improving housing access in Massachusetts happens at the local level,” said Undersecretary Kornegay. “By building local capacity and creating credible housing production incentives, our administration is empowering municipalities to deliver community-driven housing opportunities.

After years of being closed, the North End Harborwalk under the Charlestown Bridge has reopened with a new pathway behind Lovejoy Wharf to the North Station area and Charles River Dam. In addition, the company is supporting the city’s North Station Area Transportation Action Plan. The plan, which also covers the West End, Bulfinch Triangle, and Government Center, will provide a comprehensive analysis of the existing transportation network as well as potential near- and long-term improvements across various types of transit. 

Related Beal is a division of Related Companies, one of the largest owners of affordable housing in the country, and has developed or acquired over 55,000 affordable and workforce units.