Developers have proposed replacing a small, single-story block of stores at 267 Old Colony Ave. with a five-story residential building with first-floor commercial space - across Dorchester Street from the much larger Washington Village project now under construction.
The proposed Trimount Place would have 30 one-bedroom units and 34 two-bedroom units, under the plans filed last week by developers Michael Moore, Joseph Allen, and Seamus Moore, who have worked on other South Boston projects under the name Oranmore Enterprises. Eleven of the units would be affordable.
The name is an homage to the original name for Beacon Hill, Trimount, which refers to the three hills that were there before settlers dug up two of them - back when most of South Boston was under water and the rest was part of Dorchester. The name survives today in Tremont Street.
The building, designed to represent "a civic minded steadfast building," would have 61 parking spaces and a storage room for 64 bicycles at its site three blocks from the Andrew Square Red Line stop. The roof would feature a "pet relief area," community gardens and "drought tolerant buffer plantings."
They add the building's design speaks to the surrounding area architecturally:
The main body of the building is clad in both smooth and textured terra cotta tiles which speak a masonry vocabulary and a civic minded steadfast building. ...
The Terra Cotta exterior sheathing on the main facades is to reference a grand civic building that would reference a masonry heritage and long-lasting presence. The exterior material changes as it turns the corners towards the residential neighbors. This would be a wood grain fiber cement panel, a friendly natural looking material.
In addition to the BPDA, the Zoning Board of Appeal would have to approve the proposal. Because the project is over 50,000 square feet, the BPDA has set up an impact-advisory committee to review the project and public comments on it before the BPDA board votes.
The developers have already had some meetings with nearby residents:
Local civic groups have expressed the strong interest in having a restaurant, coffee shop and other local retail businesses on this site to enhance the neighborhood with a pedestrian friendly streetscape. Street trees, landscaping, and bicycle lock up locations would accompany the ample sidewalks that would adhere to the City’s Complete Streets dimensions, these elements would help keep the sidewalk at a pedestrian scale with a sign band above the first-floor commercial storefront to appeal to passing vehicular traffic.
The developers hope to break ground this fall, with construction expected to take 18 months.
267 Old Colony Ave. project notification form (55M PDF).