Halleluiah! The Boston Redevelopment Authority late last week O.K.'d the redevelopment of the old Gate of Heaven Church gymnasium on Fourth Street in Southie into a four-story apartment building with 24 units (10 of them bi-level apartments on the upper floors). There will also be 21 parking spaces; and the whole thing rests next to a new condo development carved out of the old church, which dates to 1863. Construction could start as early as January and it's supposed to be finished in March 2014.
The only devil in the detail: Given the size of the finished product (10,474 square feet) and the number of apartments, we're guessing the types are not necessarily family-friendly (e.g., nothing beyond a two-bedroom). The developers' pitch to the BRA [PDF] does not make the apartment sizes clear, either. Boston needs such family-friendly housing desperately, of course, and Southie residents in particular want it badly. Stay tuned.
· Wonders to Perform: 24 Apartments for Old Southie Church [Curbed Boston]
· Boston Is for Lovers (Just Not Their Kids): a New Apt. Dynamic [Curbed Boston]
· Southie Has Had It with All the New Small Apartments [Curbed Boston]