Jackson Square just got a major overhaul. Two new mixed-income buildings at 2 and 6 Lamartine Street have wrapped up the first phase of the long-planned Mildred C. Hailey redevelopment, bringing 223 new apartments and a rebuilt community center to Jamaica Plain. City and housing officials cut the ribbon last Wednesday, calling it a long-overdue reinvestment in a neighborhood that has relied on public housing for generations. For longtime residents and advocates, the new homes offer some real relief, along with fresh worries about what “affordable” will mean over the long haul.
Phase one at a glance
According to the Boston Housing Authority, this first phase delivers 223 apartments: 91 are classified as deeply affordable, and 132 are restricted at affordable and moderate income levels. The two six-story buildings also add ground-floor commercial space and the Anna Mae Cole Community Center. The agency says the project reconnects the Hailey campus with a new Lamartine Street link, outdoor plazas, and safer walking routes, while replacing aging buildings with new mixed-income housing for families across a range of incomes.
Design and partners
The development was led by Centre Street Partners, a joint venture of Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, The Community Builders, and Urban Edge, with design and programming shaped through resident engagement, according to the project website. Courtyards, bike storage, resident lounges, and a plaza that feeds directly into the rebuilt Anna Mae Cole Center are meant to knit the property more tightly into the Jackson Square area. Construction updates and design details have been shared on the Mildred Hailey project site so residents and neighbors can track what is happening on the ground.
Funding and workforce supports
In a press release from the Boston Housing Authority, city officials marked the opening alongside a $3.95 million workforce investment, combining a $3.7 million HUD Jobs Plus award with a $250,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation. The money is slated for training and career services for tenants and other Boston residents. “Today’s ribbon cutting marks the completion of 223 new homes for Boston residents,” BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok said, adding that the funds will support an Opportunity Hub and partner-led programs at Mildred C. Hailey and other BHA developments. Listed partners include ABCD, Building Pathways, Roxbury Community College, and Greater Boston Legal Services.
Residents' rights and pushback
Developers and the housing authority say current residents will receive relocation assistance and maintain a right to return as future phases move ahead, with a 2021 relocation and rehousing letter spelling out those commitments. At the same time, tenant organizers and advocacy groups argue that shifting older public housing units to project-based Section 8 changes how subsidies are handled and can erode long-term protections. That critique is detailed in materials circulated by community organizers. For a look at the relocation assurances, see the 2021 letter archived by MassLegalServices, and for organizers' concerns, see a briefing from The United Front Against Displacement.
What comes next
The Hailey redevelopment is set up as a multi-phase project expected to stretch roughly through 2032. City records and developer filings outline plans to replace 253 existing public housing units and add around 435 new income-restricted apartments, for a total of about 690 homes by the time the work wraps. Details on timing and the mix of units will come in future phase announcements, with lotteries or application periods opening as new housing becomes available. For reporting on the schedule, see the Boston Business Journal, and for current project information and application guidance, check the city's Mildred Hailey Phase 1A page.
This first phase puts new housing and community space on the ground in Jackson Square, which advocates hope can open up more opportunity for residents who have stuck with the neighborhood through decades of disinvestment. At the same time, watchdogs are keeping a close eye on how affordability, tenant protections, and the right to return play out as older buildings come down and new ones rise. Residents looking for relocation help, application support, or programming can find information on the Mildred Hailey project site and through tenant groups in Jamaica Plain. The real test will come in the next phases, when all those written promises about stability and affordability have to survive the realities of construction schedules, budgets, and changing markets.
