Business & Tech
267-281 Medford Street Gets CNC Dev. Comm. Approval
CNC Dev Comm votes unanimously to endorse the redevelopment of a Medford Street eyesore.
Roughly 30 Charlestown residents gathered around the picnic tables in the blue and white Charlestown High School cafeteria Thursday night for a CNC Development Committee hearing on the redevelopment proposal for 267-281 Medford Street, the former Nancy Sales Co. building.
The lot is commercially zoned and the building has been vacant since around 1980. Michael Rossio, the developer, said he intends to develop the site into 124 units of approximately 800 square foot, loft-style apartments renting in the vicinity of $1800/month with on-site property management and security. Penthouse units will be larger and more expensive.
According to Rossio’s attorney, Patrick J. Sweeney of Morrissey & Sweeney, the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved the project back in 1995, triggering a raft of lawsuits and appeals from Massport and others.
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Representative Eugene O’Flaherty (D) sponsored a bill to have the building excluded from the Designated Port Area, since it is roughly 800’ from the coast and has no right of access to the water. Since that bill passed, Rossio is waiting for the National Park Service to have it designated a Historic Building to begin construction.
Residents in attendance were in favor of seeing the vacant building developed, and most of the questions centered around the proposed 112 interior and exterior parking spaces. Rossio said that, in his experience, fewer than 50 percent of the spaces will be used by tenants. Rossio said he expects to lease some of the unused parking spots to Zip Car. Sweeney said that there are currently no plans for any commercial space within the building. Many speakers acknowledged the anticipated benefits of urban infill projects like this one.
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According to Sweeney, the renovation construction will take about a year and could begin as soon as this summer if all goes as planned with the National Parks Service. Plans include sandblasting and pointing the brick exterior to restore it and installing doors and windows in the boarded up building. The interior will be completely gutted and some henhouses will be added to the rooftop, though it shouldn't appreciably affect any neighbors' water views. It will be a union job and will make a good faith effort to employ 20% or more Charlestown residents.
A motion to forward a letter of endorsement was unanimously passed.