Fenway Center could start construction before 2018

Construction could start before the end of 2017 on the five-building, 1.1 million-square-foot Fenway Center development where Brookline and Commonwealth avenues meet in Boston’s Kenmore Square area.

That is according to Kelly Saito, a partner at Gerding Edlen, one of the developers.

If Fenway Center does get underway before New Year’s, the construction would cap many years of planning and changes. Lead developer John Rosenthal has been trying to build at the 4.5-acre site for nearly 20 years.

The infrastructural alchemy inherent in the project, which includes building over the Mass. Pike, as well as financing challenges have delayed it interminably. Last year, though, with financing in place, it became clear that 2017 would likely see the start of Fenway Center.

All totaled, it’s expected to have around 650 housing units, 160,000 square feet of offices, 50,000 square feet of retail, 1,290 parking spaces, community space, a daycare center, bicycle storage, and a bike-share station.

The first phase—the bit that would start construction in 2017—includes two apartment buildings with 313 units total. Stay tuned.

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