Habitat for Humanity developer plans nine condo units at Mattapan T stop
By Seth Daniel for the Dorchester Reporter
"A non-profit builder is planning a four-story, nine-unit condo building that would be sited next to the 135-unit Loop at Mattapan Station apartment complex. James Kostaras, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, discussed the plan at the Dec. 1 meeting of the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council.
He said that Habitat had been invited to take the lead on the second phase of development next to the T station by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), which built and manages the Loop building.
The architect Jonathan Evans of Mass Design Group told the council that Habitat is introducing the project to the community as an early start to the process. The development, called North Star House, will include two 2-bedroom, four 3-bedroom, and three 4-bedroom units, he said.
“We didn’t want it to feel too massive or monolithic and we broke it down with the massing,” Evans said during the meeting. “The building facing allows every unit to have two sides and two windows with cross ventilation and connecting to the environment. We’re excited how organizing this building has created a high-quality unit.
“The idea is to do something to create a model…with connections to place and community and why we call it North Star,” he added.
GMNC Chair Fatima Ali-Salaam said the plan was in keeping with a promise made to the community to offer affordable homeownership opportunities as part of the overall development. Separately, Habitat was tapped a few years ago as the developer for two city-owned vacant lots on Blue Hill Avenue between Franklin Field and Morton Street.
Habitat keeps costs down by using volunteer labor for about 70 percent of its work – with the rest done by professional contractors. Additionally, their fundraising arm is quite strong, and private philanthropy has funded most of their projects – though with the cost of construction today they have been plugging gaps with state and city housing grants, Kostaras said.
Those chosen for receiving the units typically pay no more than 30 percent of their income, so sales prices vary, and new owners also have to put in “sweat equity” in helping to build their units.
Once funding is in place, said Gary Acquah of development partner Flex Investment, it looks like there will be an 18-month buildout. There is no parking associated with the units.
Comments from the public were mostly positive.
Mattapan resident David Venter said he appreciated the community-centered approach by Habitat, especially when compared to other developers doing work in the neighborhood.
“This presentation was amazing,” he said. “Going through what we’ve been fighting with on a building project at the end of my street that’s been very difficult, I want to applaud you all for considering community and proposing a project that is really representative of the surrounding area.”
Another attendee, Allentza Michel, asked about the levels of affordability, which Kostaras said was going to top out at about 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), but could expand to 100 percent."