Critical Mass. is a weekly roundup of the most notable development news in the Boston area. This go-round includes a major tower in downtown Boston and big new residential complexes in the South End and Charlestown.
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The development team behind the Smith at 89 East Dedham Street in the South End topped off the first of the complex’s three buildings. That particular building is slated to include 299 apartments, while the Smith as a whole will have 650 market-rate and affordable units. It is expected to open in spring 2020, and will join a slew of new South End developments.
Speaking of openings, the 177-unit apartment component of the Hood Park development in Charlestown is readying to open to tenants next month. Studios at the Harvey at 480 Rutherford Avenue (a.k.a. 50 Hood Park Drive) start at $2,505 a month, one-bedrooms at $2,655, and two-bedrooms at $3,685. The redevelopment of the old H.P. Hood and Sons dairy hub is due to include seven new buildings total as well as a handful of existing ones.
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And, speaking of toppings-off, the development team behind the Bulfinch Crossing complex on and around the Government Center Garage in downtown Boston officially topped off the project’s first residential tower: a 46-story, 480-foot building due to include 368 apartments and 55 condos. The entire project is slated to have more than one million square feet of office space and more than 800 residential units.
Lest one think that such residential development is more than enough to satiate the region’s thirst for new homes, a recent report throws cold water on the notion. Real estate research and listings site RENTCafe says the Boston region is on pace to add 24 percent fewer apartments in 2019 compared with 2018.
Finally, there’s a 3.5-acre parcel up for grabs at 3 Dolphin Way off Raymond L. Flynn Marine Industrial Park in South Boston. According to the city, it could support a range of developments, including seafood-processing businesses, distribution operations, high-tech manufacturing, and life sciences. A request for proposals is coming this fall.