Vision: The community is committed to building housing throughout the Whittier Neighborhood to the highest standards of quality and sustainability, including preservation of 200 units of deeply affordable housing currently available at the Whittier Housing development, while expanding housing options for moderate-income and higher-income families; and creating a vibrant new mixed-use district that will become the gateway to historic Dudley Square.
-Whittier Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan, Housing Vision
Housing Implementation Entity
POAH-Madison Associates LLC, a joint venture development entity comprised of Preservation of Affordable Housing, LLC (POAH) and Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC), will serve as the Housing Implementation Entity. Generally POAH will have primary responsibility for on-site development at Whittier, and MPDC will have primary responsibility for the development of off-site parcels. BHA will retain ownership of the Whittier site, and will enter into a 99-year ground lease.
Overall Housing Strategy
1. De-concentration of poverty
89 of the 210 replacement units will be built off-site, but within new mixed income developments within the neighborhood. Furthermore, all replacement units in all phases will include a broader range of incomes than the current mix.
2. Breaking up the superblock
Design improvements on-site will open up the development, while integrating it into the wider community. This will enhance the pathway from the Ruggles transit station on the side of the development to the Dudley Square business district on the other side of the development.
3. Catalyzing new development
The Whittier site is located between two undeveloped parcels. Redeveloping this severely distressed site will serve as a catalyst for increased development in the area, as well as bring income diversity and economic activity.
Phasing
The Whittier Housing Plan includes a total of five development phases in two construction periods.
First Construction Period
Phase 1A
Phase 1A consists of the demolition of a single on-site building with 68 units at the southern portion of the Whittier Street site, and the creation of a new 80-unit mixed-income building in its place. The three other Whittier Street buildings will remain operational during this construction. The new building will include management office space and a community room that will both be used during the second construction period.
Phase 1B
Phase 2 consists of 76 mixed-income units to be built at 40 Raynor Circle and Brook Marshall Field, an off-site parcel controlled by POAH-Madison
Phase 1C
Phase 1C consists of 30 units constructed off-site at the POAH-Madison-controlled Tropical Foods/2101 Washington Street. An existing historic building will be rehabilitated and converted into residential units with ground-floor retail.
Second Construction Period
Phase 2A
Phase 2A will create 46 townhouse style homes in the central portion of the site. These units are designed for larger families, and will be limited to 3 and 4 BR units.
Phase 2B
Phase 2B will be located on the most prominent corner of the site along Tremont Street. It will feature 176 housing units, 6,000 square feet of community/amenity space and 9,000 square feet of retail space.
Unit Mix
The proposed unit mix for replacement housing replaces 100% of the 468 bedrooms currently at the site. Due to changes in family composition over the years, there is a transition to more 1BR and 2BR units.
| Existing Unit Mix | Current Residents Needs | Units to Be Built by HIE | PBV Unit Mix | Proposed Unit Mix | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # Units | Percent | # Units | Percent | # Units | Percent | |||
| 1 BR | 12 | 6% | 37 | 19% | 12 | 14 | 27 | 13% |
| 2 BR | 120 | 60% | 101 | 51% | 98 | 24 | 120 | 57% |
| 3 BR | 56 | 28% | 51 | 26% | 38 | 12 | 51 | 24% |
| 4 BR | 12 | 6% | 8 | 4% | 12 | 12 | 6% | |
| TOTAL | 200 | 100% | 197 | 100% | 160 | 50 | 210 | 100% |
Long Term Affordability
POAH Madison certifies it will maintain an affordability restriction on title of 40 years from the date of initial occupancy for all affordable rental housing funded by Choice Neighborhoods.
Green Building
The development team strives to create near-net-zero housing complexes. There will be a focus on:
- Highly insulated building envelopes
- The latest in electric-powered technologies for mechanical systems
- Off-setting actual usage with the installation of solar panels
- Direct-to-unit exhaust and supply systems with heat recovery
- Hydronic heating and cooling systems with centralized sources
- Sub-metered units with heating and cooling energy use by unit
- 100% Energy Star qualified hard-wired light fixtures and switching schemes to encourage utilization of daylight
- Energy Star rated appliances and equipment
The success of these measures will be ensured through a program of community education for residents, workers, and visitors focused on using the green features of the new development. The property management team will provide training, as well as administer Healthy Homes practices such as integrated pest management.
