General Information

What is the proposed mix of apartments?

The development proposal includes 48 apartments, including 16 one-bedrooms, 20 two-bedrooms, and 12 three-bedrooms. The apartments will be on floors 2-9. With over 67% two- and three-bedroom apartments, 2072 Mass Ave will provide desperately needed affordable housing to families.

Floors 2-5 Floors 7-9

Floor 6

What will be located on the first floor and basement?

The building’s first floor will include retail and residential entrances fronting Massachusetts Avenue. The residential entrance will include a large lobby, a management office, and resident amenity space. The corner of Mass Ave and Walden Street will include approximately 1,000sf of retail space that will be programmed for a community-oriented retailer at modest rents. A vehicular entrance off Walden Street will provide access to three (3) handicap accessible parking spaces and two (2) short-term drop off/pick up parking spaces.

Ground Floor Plan

The building’s basement includes bicycle storage and mechanical rooms.

What is the building’s height and number of stories? Will someone be able to see the rooftop mechanical equipment?

The height to the top of the building’s parapet facing Mass Ave is approximately 102’ and the rear five (5) story portion is approximately 60.0’. The rooftop mechanical equipment will not be visible from the public way.

Since the building is oriented to families, where will kids be able to play?

The building includes a large indoor amenity space on the first floor that will be programmed for children. In addition, the fifth-floor roof will support a flexible outdoor space that may safely accommodate an open children’s play area. There are also public playgrounds and parks in the area, including the play yard at St. James Church one block from the site, which will be available to the public during specific hours.

There is significant vacant retail space on Mass Ave, is retail the only way the ground floor can be activated?

The site is in the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District (MAOD) which requires ground floor retail/active uses to help activate the streetscape and support the other small businesses along the Porter Square and north Mass Ave corridor. The size and layout of the proposed retail space at 2072 Mass Ave is intended to be consistent with the standards for ground floor retail spaces and will allow for flexibility to accommodate a range of allowed uses. Additionally, the project’s Comprehensive Permit Waiver List requests flexibility so that the retail space, if unsuccessful, may also be used for building amenity and or function space.

What are the plans for Darul Kabab, the current restaurant?

The development team has been working with Darul Kabab through COVID-19 and it is anticipated that it will be allowed to remain as a tenant until its lease expiration at the end of 2021.