Nonprofit affordable housing developers hold groundbreaking for 48 affordable apartments and arts space in Uphams Corner

Mixed-use, transit-oriented development will create 48 new affordable rental homes, a community arts space and retail opportunities

BOSTON - Local and state housing officials, elected officials and funders joined Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) at a groundbreaking for Columbia Crossing, a mixed-use development that will create 48 affordable apartments, and an exhibition and commercial space at the site of the historic Dorchester Savings Bank Hall on Columbia Road in Upham’s Corner. The POAH/DBEDC team was selected through a competitive, community-driven RFP process.

The apartment building will be sited in the current parking lot behind the bank which is owned by the community land trust arm of Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, DNI 5, Inc., which will retain ownership of the land. The total square footage of the development will be approximately 78,000 SF including 19 parking spaces, and 3,500 SF of commercial space.

The bank hall space located at 568-574 Columbia Road will be refurbished and expanded into a modern exhibition space which will be provided at an affordable rent to a non-profit arts-oriented tenant. The residential units will be available to tenants at a range of income levels from 30% to 80% of the AMI (Area Median Income), and at a range of sizes from studios to three-bedrooms, meeting the needs of individuals and families in the surrounding neighborhood. Ten units will have an artist marketing preference through the City’s Artist Housing Certification program, and artist residents will have access to 2,000 S.F. of shared arts amenity space.

Columbia Crossing is designed to meet Passive House standards and will feature an all-electric heating and cooling system, supporting Boston’s goals for carbon neutrality and sustainability. The project’s design is a collaboration between Stull & Lee, Inc. and Moody Nolan.

The Columbia Crossing development is supported by funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Community Preservation Fund, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), MassHousing, MassDevelopment, Mass Housing Partnership, Boston Financial, Citizens Bank, Clocktower Tax Credits, and the Conference of Boston, Teaching Hospitals through their members Boston Children's Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, The Life Initiative, and Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation also provided pre-development funding to DBEDC for the project.

Funding includes: a tax-exempt volume-cap bond as a conduit by MassHousing, a structure which provides tax-exempt financing while allowing the bank to underwrite the loan using its own standards; construction lending from Citizens bank; permanent financing from MassHousing Partnership; Federal 4% tax credit equity placed by Boston Financial, and Massachusetts tax credit equity placed by Clocktower Tax Credits, LLC; subordinate debt from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the City of Boston's Mayor's Office of Housing. Support is also provided through historic preservation funding through Boston’s Community Preservation Act fund, commercial financing through Boston’s Neighborhood Development Fund and two grants from MassDevelopment.

"The creation of 48 new homes in Uphams Corner, featuring the adaptive reuse of the Dorchester Savings Bank building, will ensure that Dorchester residents continue to have affordable options to call home," said Juana Matias, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. "The Healey-Driscoll Administration was proud to support Columbia Crossing in partnership with the City, Preservation of Affordable Housing and the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation."

“POAH is proud to partner with Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, DSNI, the City of Boston, and the Upham’s Corner community on this opportunity to create new affordable rental housing and advance the goals of the Upham’s Arts & Cultural District,” said Aaron Gornstein, President and CEO of POAH.

"Columbia Crossing advances a clear community vision for Upham's Corner," said CEO Kimberly R. Lyle. "Residents here have spent years making clear that development must serve the people who already call this neighborhood home. By integrating permanently affordable homes with dedicated arts space on community-owned land, Columbia Crossing proves that affordability, cultural identity, and community ownership aren't competing priorities. They are the standard for what community-driven development should look like in Boston."

“Columbia Crossing represents the best of community-driven development,” said Boston Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon. “By transforming this historic landmark into affordable homes and vibrant public art spaces, we’re ensuring that Upham’s Corner continues to grow as a place where residents can live and create community together.”

“MassHousing is pleased to be a partner in this transformative effort that will bring new, affordable rental homes to residents with a range of incomes and advance the expansion of arts and innovation in Uphams Corner,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay.

Visit our website: columbiacrossingboston.org

About POAH  
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is a nonprofit developer, owner, and operator of more than 14,000 affordable homes in 13 states and the District of Columbia including 866 in Boston. POAH’s mission is to preserve, create, and sustain affordable, healthy homes that support economic security and access to opportunity for all. @poahcommunities

About Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC)
Five decades. 1,300+ affordable homes. 200,000 square feet of commercial space. $8 million deployed to small businesses. Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation is a community development corporation and community development financial institution serving Dorchester and Boston neighborhoods most impacted by displacement and disinvestment. Every dollar, every unit, every investment shaped by and accountable to the communities DBEDC serves. Learn more at dbedc.org.