Mayor Menino, JPNDC Celebrate Reuse of JP’s Historic Blessed Sacrament Church
$28M Mixed-Use Project to Transform Neighborhood Landmark, make Available New Affordable Homeownership and Rental Housing
November 9, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) Director Evelyn Friedman today joined the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC), New Atlantic Development Corporation (NADC), and community members to celebrate the completion of the first 16 new units of housing on the site of the former Blessed Sacrament church. The completed $28 million development, expected for the end of 2010, will yield a total of 118 units of housing, the majority of which will be available to low and moderate income households.
“Today we’re celebrating not only the creation of new housing for Boston’s residents, but also the creative reuse of this local landmark,” said Mayor Menino. “The Blessed Sacrament campus has been given new life as the result of a lot of hard work, led by JPNDC and New Atlantic and many of you here today.”
Today’s event marked the completion of the development’s initial phase, which involved new construction and the rehab of the church’s former rectory to create 16 new units of affordable homeownership condominiums along Creighton Street, known as Creighton Commons. Phase two is already underway, and will add a mixed-use building at the corner of Centre and Creighton Streets, to be known as Centre Creighton Apartments, complete with 36 units of affordable limited-equity cooperative rental housing, and 7,500 square feet of retail space.
Residents will benefit from a 1,500 square-foot community center, an outdoor plaza for community gatherings, and 145 parking spaces. As part of the City’s Green Affordable Housing Program that is designed to support and encourage sustainable development throughout Boston’s neighborhoods, the development team was required to adhere to a level of LEED Silver, Energy Star compliance, and a number of green design guidelines, as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Archdiocese of Boston announced in 2004 that it would close the 115-year-old Blessed Sacrament parish in Hyde Square, prompting parishioners, neighborhood residents and small businesses to work with the City and local organizations to develop a suitable plan for its reuse.
Under the leadership of JPNDC and their development partner, NADC, more than 1,400 signatures were collected demonstrating support of a plan to redevelop the church campus as affordable housing and other uses that would benefit the Jamaica Plan community. JPNDC subsequently acquired the church and the 3.2 acres on which it sits in 2005.
The project has been made possible in part, by a contribution from the City of Boston totaling more than $4.3 million, including $1.2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. This substantial City investment enabled the development team to take advantage of over $6 million of Tax Credit Assistance Program funding and close to $450,000 in New Market Tax Credits through the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
Additional funding was made available by: Boston Community Capital; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust Fund; the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation; Massachusetts Housing Partnership; US Bank, and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Contact:
Lucy Warsh
lwarsh.dnd (at) cityofboston (dot) gov
