South Boston project poised to join wave of development along border with Dorchester

Welcome back to Critical Mass., in which Curbed Boston covers all of the region’s major development news every week. This go-round includes the 25 projects to watch as 2020 unfolds, a promising project in Hyde Park, and a big milestone in the South End —Tom Acitelli, Curbed Boston editor

We start with that promising Hyde Park project. A development team wants to fill and replace what it describes as vacant land and outdated buildings with a four-story, 48-unit condo complex. The project, centered around 1201 River Street, would be between the Fairmount and Hyde Park commuter rail stations, too, highlighting the potential for major housing development around Boston-area transit stops.

Now to South Boston, where the Boston Planning and Development Agency has approved a 32-unit apartment project with retail space and 33 parking spots at 218-220 Old Colony Avenue. The development joins a wave of construction in the Southie-Dorchester borderlands near the Red Line. (It’s rendered at the top.)

The BPDA also approved 288 Harrison Avenue, a six-story, 85-unit apartment building with 40 parking spots in Chinatown that will be restricted to households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income.

Davis Companies

And now on to the South End. Developer the Davis Companies officially topped off the 13-story, 138-unit condo building at 100 Shawmut Avenue. The luxury development in a neighborhood peppered with them is expected to open this fall.

Finally, we end with an update on the major projects to watch across the Boston region as 2020 unfolds. These include the BEAT in Dorchester (at the old Boston Globe HQ), Exchange South End (where the Boston Flower Exchange used to be), and Winthrop Center (destined to be one of the tallest U.S. towers north of New York City).