One of the most attractive qualities about Boston is that it affords the Greater Metro Area a healthy concoction of the historic and antiquated, as well as the imaginative and innovative. This sentiment is hardly lost on the developers who want to convert an antiquated church into a residential building.
Finegold Alexander + Associates, Inc. is hoping to transform the former Holy Trinity German Catholic Church and Rectory – located at 136 Shawmut Ave. in Boston’s South End – into an eight-story structure boasting 33 residential units. (The firm is acting on behalf of owner 136 Shawmut LLC, formed out of New Boston Ventures, according to the Boston Globe.)
According to a report filed by Finegold Alexander principal-in-charge James G. Alexander with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, this particular housing development will keep the church and rectory’s exterior facade while the interior of the building will be completely demolished and rebuilt – assuming, of course, the project is approved by the BRA.
Atop the building, however, will rise a glass and steel structure that, the report notes, is expected to “blend old and new, creating a bold centerpiece for this developing neighborhood.”
Not counting the basement containing 24 parking spaces, some 57,000-square-feet of residential space could be built, more than 69,000-square-feet in total (counting the basement lot).
Though already acclaimed for its federal-style townhouses and archetypal Boston brownstones, the South End continues to modernize its housing and quality of life. This year alone the neighborhood has seen the emergence of a new Whole Foods, various workout venues and the ongoing construction of the nearby Ink Block mixed-use project.
“The project will also help to activate this portion of Shawmut Avenue, as it serves as a pedestrian connective corridor between downtown and the South End,” suggests Finegold Alexander’s report. “The project will transform a vacant site into much needed housing units in the City of Boston with striking architectural design. Upon completion, the project will generate additional property tax revenue for the City. The proposed project will also create a significant number of construction jobs.”
According to Boston magazine, the church was listed back in June for a cool $4 million – far more than the winning $933,888 bid for another peculiar property, Boston Harbor’s Graves Light, though with a slightly more accessible location.
The BRA has scheduled a public hearing to gather community input on the project for Monday, April 27, at at Myers + Chang located at 1145 Washington St. from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
