Readville developments spark debate in Hyde Park enclave

Plans to construct two major residential developments near the Readville commuter-rail stop in that enclave of Hyde Park have stirred a debate over potential displacement in one of Boston’s more affordable enclaves.

Some residents see the new projects as bringing much needed multifamily housing not only to Hyde Park’s Readville section, but to a Boston in general that seriously needs units. Others see these projects as harbingers of change that will inevitably result in higher rents, prices, etc.

What’s more, as the Globe’s Tim Logan points out, the developments together have the potential to boost Readville’s population some 50 percent—stoking fears of clogged roads in an area more car-reliant than other parts of Boston.

One project still under city review would plunk about 500 apartments along Sprague Street, and the other 305 apartments and condos on Hyde Park Avenue. The latter—which has only recently been formally proposed—would replace a storage warehouse; and the former would go up in an industrial park. Stay tuned.