After six years of little to no progress, City Realty sold the lot of 76 Ashford St. to BU this June.
The lot, currently home to Michael’s Moving and Storage, was set to be demolished to make way for a modern 17-story mixed-use residential development.
Approved by the City of Boston Planning Department, the project by real estate developers, City Realty, will feature 254 residential units and 1,875 square feet of retail space, along with bicycle storage and off-street parking spaces.
It was a plan that Allston Civic Association President Anthony D’Isidoro thought seemed too good to be true.
“I just had that feeling that it would have been a major construction effort to build such a complex,” D’Isidoro said.
What comes next is now in question.
Why did BU buy this property?
BU spokesperson Colin Riley indicated in an emailed response that the University’s motivation for purchasing the land and property was related to the already-approved building plan and construction of West Station, a new MBTA commuter rail stop.
What does BU plan on doing with the property?
Riley remained non-committal on how the University would proceed.
“Any plans will be included in our next 10-year Institutional Master Plan,” he wrote.
BU submitted new proposals to the city that replaced the 2023-2033 master plan weeks before they purchased 76 Ashford St, which covers projects and priorities between 2024 and 2026. Currently, there are no plans revolving around the construction of a building on 76 Ashford St. or any new residential properties, according to the City of Boston Planning Department.
How does this affect the Allston-Brighton neighborhood?
City Realty originally included affordable housing units within their building plan, along with retail spaces that incentivized local business renters.
Now that BU has purchased the property, D’Isidoro said his hope was for BU to construct Student Village III on the property, a new student dormitory that was included on the 2023-2033 master plan. Now that BU is under new administration, there is a bigger change of progress being made on the property, he said.
“We’re trying to get more students on-campus in affordable housing to free up legitimate housing for residents,” he said.
Rent in Allston and Brighton is rising steeply. Allston and Brighton’s average rent prices are now over $3,000 a month, a respective 29.6% and 20.75% increase over the past two years, according to apartment rental agency Boston Pads.
“You have a lot of students piled into these apartments,” D’Isidoro said. “It’s putting up pressure on rents and people who are trying to stay here, especially young professionals, families, it’s just making it very cost-prohibitive.”
What will the proposed developments change in the area?
Though the demolition of one building doesn’t seem like a significant change, 76 Ashford St. is due to have a large impact on the neighborhood.
Along with the affordable housing units within the residential building, City Realty included a $4.5 million land parcel that was promised to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to aid the ongoing Allston Multimodal Project and the construction of West Station.
Along with new I-90 construction, MassDOT is hoping to create a busway that will connect the north and south sides of Allston-Brighton across Beacon Yards.
The land BU now owns is essential to these projects.
“It would be beneficial for both the regional transit system as well as for BU’s campus to be able to have more transit accessibility,” Allston Multimodal Task Force member Galen Mook said.
City Realty also promised several financial contributions to community organizations in the neighborhood, including $50,000 for the Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation, which supports affordable housing initiatives in the neighborhood.
“[The funding] got me very excited because we could certainly use any resources that we can to create more affordable housing in the neighborhood,” Allston-Brighton CDC Executive Director John Woods said.
Will BU keep the plans that were in place before the property was sold?
Although Riley said no plans are currently in place for the University, Allston-Brighton leaders and residents are hoping that many of City Realty’s plans are maintained.
An Impact Advisory Group consisting of Allston-Brighton residents was assembled and approved City Realty’s development plans before the Boston Planning Department solidified them.
IAG member Barbara Parmenter said in an emailed response that the group hopes the building will remain residential.
“That’s very important for the community, and of course it’s right across from the future West Station,” Parmenter said.
Woods said he believes BU will continue moving forward with the project.
“My expectation is that the approvals that [City Realty received] through the city system would be transferred to the new owners,” Woods said. “I think that BU will do the right thing. They’re a long-term neighbor [and] long-term part of the community, so I can’t see them ducking any responsibility.”
When will developments start?
For now, the ball is in BU’s court in terms of what will happen to 76 Ashford St., whether the new development remains residential or becomes something entirely different.
“[Plans] might have to go through some negotiations now that BU owns the property,” D’Isidoro said. “We just want to make sure … that all the promises that City Realty made to the community in one form or another will be honored by BU.”
