A developer has filed plans to replace a building containing radio transmitters and an antenna tower on Leo Birmingham Parkway across from Lincoln Street in Brighton with an eight-story, 338-unit apartment building.
Bankrupt broadcasting chain Audacy, which operates or operated a number of radio stations at the site, will earn $11.1 million from the sale to Burlington-based Nordblom Co.
In his application to the Boston Planning Department, Nordblom says 57 of the units could be rented at affordable rates. In total, the building, with its multiple wings, would include 125 studios, 157 one-bedroom units, 49 two-bedroom units and 7 three-bedroom apartments.
The building would be fully powered by electricity (without gas connections) and have 175 parking spaces in an underground garage, the filing says.
It is the latest development proposal in a once sleepy neighborhood of low-rise commercial buildings at the intersection of Market Street, Leo Birmingham Parkway and Soldiers Field Road, spurred by the development of New Balance’s Boston Landing projects along Guest Street.
The trees on the approximately 8,000 m² site played a key role in determining the overall design of the site:
Within the project boundaries is an old growth forest on the steep slope from Leo M. Birmingham Parkway to Soldiers Field Place. This forest, an urban wilderness, is composed largely of Norway maple trees and a smaller proportion of black locust, elm, and tree of heaven. Despite its predominantly non-native composition, the grove represents significant biomass and tree canopy within the urban forest. Therefore, a primary project goal is to preserve as much of the existing forest as possible. Tree removals will be limited to edge areas of the site directly impacted by the removal of the existing retaining wall and building and installation of the proposed building foundations. The critical root zone of the grove is located within the steep slope between Market Street and the existing paved on-site parking lot. The placement and orientation of the building was designed to avoid disturbing the slope and to enhance the permeable surface condition adjacent to the grove.
The slope area will be left largely untouched to avoid disturbance of the critical root zones of the woody planting. The proposed tree planting strategy will take a successional approach, planting new native shade and understory species at the base of the slope to add diversity to the forest composition. A robust native planting scheme will extend habitat benefits beyond the forest edge into all parts of the project. Along Soldiers Field Place, retained mature black locust trees will maintain the streetscape and screen the building from surrounding uses. An existing private black locust tree will be removed to make way for building services. However, this tree is in poor condition and has a damaged canopy and root system that has overgrown and distorted the existing walkway.
The project also includes: storage basins, permeable paving and, in addition to the existing trees, 80 new trees that act as sponges during heavy rainfall.
83 Leo Birmingham Parkway Submissions and Meeting/Comment Schedule.
