BPDA Board Approves 591 New Housing Units and Roslindale Zoning Overhaul

BOSTON -- April 10, 2025, Boston's BPDA board approved 591 new residential units, a Roslindale zoning overhaul, and a $46.3 million city transfer at its April 10 meeting. The board voted unanimously to petition the Zoning Commission to adopt new squares and streets zoning districts in Roslindale Square, a shift that staff said would expand the share of parcels allowing multifamily housing from 11 percent to the majority of the neighborhood. Chair Priscilla Rojas cast the only dissenting vote of the evening on an amended affordable housing agreement that will send 15 income-restricted homeownership units in Beacon Hill to the Fenway Community Development Corporation, noting Beacon Hill currently has only one income-restricted homeownership unit. The board also authorized a $901,500 construction contract for the Charlestown Peace Park, an emergency contract increase of $1,155,391 for hidden structural masonry failures at the China Trade Building bringing that contract to $5,954,955, and a scoping determination for the nine-story Great Scott music venue and housing project at 1 Harvard Avenue in Allston, which received 381 letters of community support.