Here’s what you need to know about Boston-area development this week

Welcome to Critical Mass., a weekly roundup of the most notable development news in the Boston area. This week’s some arrested development in Fenway, a big project next to Faneuil Hall, and a new life sciences building in Waltham.

Rendering via Stantec

The redevelopment of the Dock Square Garage next to Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston is on, complete with a six-story vertical addition with up to 210 condos. It is but the latest Boston garage segueing into a second act.

On the other hand, that first-of-its-kind independent, unaffiliated dormitory in Fenway looks like it’s not a go—at least not yet. Some neighbors are concerned about the 15-story, 533-bed tower’s scope and its possible violation of existing zoning regs.

Waltham is getting a new life sciences building: four floors, each with 35,000 rentable square feet. The project at 300 Third Avenue will be just off Route 128, and it joins a slew of new life sciences developments in the Boston area.

Rendering via Gate Residential

Farther to the east comes word that the 195-unit One Beachmont in Revere is basically fully leased after seven months—there was one unit left as of July 25. And lead developer Gate Residential is planning to start pre-leasing for another residential project in Revere called 500 Ocean Avenue (rendered above). Both it and One Beachmont are near the Blue Line.

Speaking of the Blue Line, it may or may not—finally!—reach Lynn from Revere. Imagine the development that might spur.

And, speaking of transportation in general, a survey from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council found that nearly 30 percent of off-street parking spots at multifamily developments in Boston and surrounding towns and cities appear to go unused at peak demand times. “That’s equal to more than 41 acres of pavement and $94.5 million in construction costs,” the survey noted.

One more survey, this a poll from the Conservation Law Foundation. It found that quite a few Bostonians find the city’s waterfront overdeveloped—and unwelcoming, never mind expensive.

Finally, the state’s sale of that one-mile railroad right-of-way parallel to nearby Route 1A in Eastie is not on, as new British Prime Minister (and onetime Boston 2024 Olympics booster) Boris Johnson might say.