Developers behind Boston’s 3.94-acre Dot Block development have formally notified the Boston Planning and Development Authority of changes they plan to make to their proposed project, including the addition of almost 100 microhousing units under the city’s “compact unit” pilot program.
As developer Samuels & Assoc. told a neighborhood group in December 2018, the changes were spurred by potential grocery store tenants’ lack of interest in the neighborhood near Dorchester’s Savin Hill MBTA stop.
According to a filing with the BPDA, the changes include:
- The replacement of a 135,000-square-foot parking garage with 345-space, below-grade parking and green space.
- Reduction of retail space by 37,000 square feet, to 23,000 square feet of “neighborhood-oriented retail stores and restaurants.”
- The addition of more residential units, bringing the total to 488, including one building with 96 microunits. Sixty-six of the units will be classed as affordable units, priced for renters making between 45 and 70 percent of the Boston area median income, depending on the unit.
Even with the changes to the development’s program, the buildings will maintain their current heights, between 4 and 6 stories. In total, the building will yield around 418,000 square feet of gross floor area.
