Development Initiative
The BHA is committed to rehabilitate its existing properties and preserve them for future generations.
Though BHA apartments today are safe and well-maintained, Brookline public housing is at serious risk. Traditional state and federal public housing funding have fallen far short of capital needs. Most properties face multi-million-dollar capital repair deficits. Plumbing and mechanical systems are well beyond their typical useful life, energy use is inefficient, kitchens and bathrooms are old and tired, and land is not well utilized.
Funds are available outside of traditional public housing programs to support major redevelopment. The BHA is using the federal government's Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program to rehabilitate the federal properties. The BHA will pursue redevelopment of its state properties as programs and funding opportunities become available. The BHA will also examine opportunities for it to build new affordable housing in Brookline.
The BHA looks forward to working with its partners in Brookline and elsewhere to ensure funding, zoning and permitting, and other support needed to maintain Brookline’s legacy of high-quality affordable housing is available.
Throughout this process, the BHA commits to:
- All of the existing 920+ apartments will remain affordable housing and will serve low-income seniors, families, and people with disabilities in perpetuity.
- Construction will comport with Brookline standards for high quality materials and design.
- Redeveloped properties will be energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
- The planning process will be inclusive and incorporate the views of Town stakeholders and especially the residents of BHA housing.
- The BHA intends to explore the possibility of adding new units to its current inventory of apartments, to serve a wider range and greater number of households and to generate capital for repair of the existing units.
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program
RAD is a program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that seeks to preserve affordable housing. It achieves this goal by allowing Housing Authorities to change their subsidy from the Public Housing program to the Section 8 Program. RAD allows Housing Authorities to attract capital to improve their buildings that would otherwise be unavailable under the Public Housing program. Occupancy rules and resident rent payments remain the same as under Public Housing.
Because RAD is a federal program run by HUD, it only applies to the BHA's federal buildings:
- Morse Apartments in process
- O'Shea House in process
- Sussman House in process
- Kickham Apartments
- Colonel Floyd Apartments
- Walnut St. Apartments
Documents and Links
32 Marion Apartments
Colonel Floyd Redevelopment Project
Updates
-
07/26/24
All foundations have been poured. Steel has been delivered and will be fully erected by August 9th. Concrete decking will follow.
Utility work will begin on August 5th and will require a partial closure of Marion Street for two weeks. No through traffic will be
allowed during this time. Cars for buildings up to 25 Marion will be allowed access from Harvard Street. Cars wishing to access
addresses beyond that point, including Marion Terrace, will do so from Park Street. Pedestrian access will be permitted on the odd side of the street.
Delphi Construction will post signage at the intersections of Marion and Harvard and Marion and Park indicating that no through traffic is permitted.
Police details will be present on both sides of Marion Street during the work. Turns from Park Street onto Marion Street will be allowed for the duration of the work.
Photos from the Groundbreaking Ceremony on April 30th can be viewed at: 32 Marion Apartments Groundbreaking Photos
-
05/01/24
Soil disposal is complete. Rear foundation walls and half of east foundation walls are complete. All but the Marion Street foundation walls will be poured by the end of April. Erection of the elevator shaft has begun.
-
09/22/23
Work continues to remove the foundations of the buildings, with a focus on buildings 6 and 7. The three-week look-ahead schedule dated 9/18/2023 is linked below.
Three-Week Look-Ahead
-
09/15/23
Demolition of the building structures is complete. Work to remove the foundations of each building is ongoing. The links to the three-week look-ahead schedules dated 8/29/2023 and 9/11/2023 can be found below.
Three-Week Look-Ahead (8/29/2023)
Three-Week Look-Ahead (9/11/2023)
-
08/25/23
Demolition on site continues to be on schedule. Buildings 1,2,3,4, and 5 (as labeled on the map included with the “Three-Week Look-Ahead” below) have been taken down. The three-week look-ahead schedule dated 8/22/2023 can be viewed below.
Three-Week Look-Ahead
-
08/18/23
Demolition is continuing on the site and remains on schedule. The buildings labeled 4 and 5 on the map within the “Three-Week Look-Ahead” schedule below have been demolished. Demolition has begun on buildings 1, 2, and 3, fronting Marion Street. Demolition of buildings 1, 2, and 3 will be complete the week of 8/28. The remaining buildings are expected to be demolished by the end of September. The three-week look-ahead schedule dated 8/14/2023 can be viewed below.
Three-Week Look-Ahead
-
08/11/23
Demolition began on Wednesday, August 3rd upon issuance of the demo permit, commencing with the building running East-West on Foster Street, followed by the building parallel to it. The buildings fronting Marion Street, and possibly the building that runs parallel to it, will be demolished during the week of 8/11/23. The remaining buildings will be demolished the following week. The three-week look-ahead can be viewed below.
Three-Week Look-Ahead
-
08/04/23
Tree clearance and abatement at 32 Marion is complete; demolition is slated to begin next week. The full demolition is expected to be completed by the end of August. The three-week look-ahead for construction can be viewed below. These schedules will be posted weekly.
Three-Week Look-Ahead
The Town of Brookline has approved the Construction Management Plan for 32 Marion. It is available to view below.
Construction Management Plan
-
06/12/23
Demolition for the new 32 Marion project is projected to begin at the end of June 2023. Abatement and demo will proceed by building; the buildings on Marion Street will be the first. Abatement of those buildings will begin in late June; demo will begin two weeks later. The entire process is expected to take 10 weeks. Vertical construction of the new 32 Marion Apartments is projected to begin in September 2023. The application for a building permit has been filed with the Town. A Construction Management Plan will be on file with the Town shortly. We will provide a copy of it once the Town of Brookline has signed off.
-
On January 14th, 2021, the Brookline Housing Authority submitted an Application for Chapter 40B Project Eligibility/Site Approval to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the redevelopment of Colonel Floyd Apartments at 32 Marion Street. The application, known as a PEL, is now in a 30-day review period with the Town. The Select Board will accept comments at a meeting whose time and date has yet to be determined. View the BHA's PEL application for the proposed Col Floyd project.
Community Information for 32 Marion
On January 13th, 2021, the BHA Redevelopment team hosted a virtual neighborhood meting to present the Colonel Floyd redevelopment project to date and answer any questions. View Presentation from January 13th, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
50 Pleasant Street Apartments
Sussman House Redevelopment Project
Updates
-
05/01/24
Renovation of Phases I and 2 is complete, including Units D, E, F, G, H, J on floors 2-9 and Units C, D, E, F on the first floor. Unit renovations include in new kitchens and baths, new energy efficient HVAC systems, new windows, new flooring, new intercom. The new laundry room is complete and open to residents. Phase 3, including renovations to Units K, L, M on floors 2-9, will be complete in mid-May at which point demolition will be begin on the remaining 26 units. Renovation of elevator 1 is complete; elevator 2 will be complete in mid-June. Renovations to the community room, lobby and ground floor offices continue. Exterior cladding is complete on Phase 1. Exterior cladding is complete on Phases 1 and 2 Parking lot will be milled, repaved and restriped during the last week of May.
-
08/11/23
Construction began in March of 2023. Work on Phase I units continues with upper floor units nearly complete and lower floors at earlier stages. Site work and exterior work continue.
Resident Meeting on Relocation 10/20/21
Resident Meeting on Design 8/12/21
Walnut High Apartments
Phased Redevelopment Project
Community Information
On Wednesday, August 21 at 6pm, BHA held a meeting with neighbors and key stakeholders to provide information about the planned phased redevelopment of the existing site. A recording of that meeting and presentation slides are available below.