Image courtesy of RODE Architects

An Allston congregation is partnering with a neighborhood nonprofit to build affordable senior housing and new church program space.

The 0.6-acre site at 279-283 North Harvard Ave. includes the Hill Memorial Baptist Church and a single-family home.

Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. acquired the property in 2023 for $4.8 million. Under development plans submitted to the Boston Planning Department, the 1903 church would be renovated and expanded into a 4-story building containing 49 senior apartments.

The project totals 49,615 square feet, including 40,915 square feet of new construction, according to a small project application submitted to the Boston Planning Department by attorney Joseph Hanley of McDermott, Quilty, Miller & Hanley LLP.  The proposal requires seven types of zoning relief, according to application materials.

Residents are expected to receive rental assistance from the Boston Housing Authority under a program that allows housing vouchers to be used in private developments.

The project will provide office space for Brighton Allston Elderly Housing, which will coordinate resident programming and services. Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. would manage the residential and community space.

A public comment period runs through Sept. 16.

Underutilized real estate on church properties continues to create opportunities for multifamily housing development. In 2023, two local developers received approval for a 117-unit mixed-income project at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral on Park Drive in the Fenway.