A five-story building with 44 affordable apartments has opened on the site of a former MBTA trolley yard in Roxbury, marking the latest piece of a sprawling redevelopment that's been unfolding for nearly a decade. Urban Edge and Nuestra Comunidad held a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of 59 Bartlett Station Drive, and for at least one new resident, the moment carried deep personal weight.
A Milestone Years in the Making
According to Boston Agent Magazine, the new building spans 49,000 square feet across its five stories and includes an indoor community space, 44 bicycle parking spaces and 33 parking spaces. The outlet reports the building marked a milestone in the larger Bartlett Station development plan, which developers envision as a 10-building, 367-unit mixed-use neighborhood rising on the site of a former MBTA trolley yard. That figure lines up with a project description from Bridgeline General Construction, which identifies the new building as Building F5 and describes it as a five-story, 49,000-square-foot structure delivering 44 affordable rental homes along with generous community space designed to support residents and connection.
Jean Francois, a resident who has a disability, said a stable and secure home gives him a sense of peace and comfort, according to Boston Agent Magazine. He also said his apartment meets his needs and allows him to live comfortably and independently, the outlet reported.
City Leaders Celebrate the Opening
Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement that housing is the foundation of opportunity, and that every new affordable home helps ensure Boston remains a city where families, seniors and individuals can build their futures, per Boston Agent Magazine. Wu said 59 Bartlett Station resulted from years of partnership, community engagement and commitment to making Roxbury a place where longtime residents and future generations can thrive. She also thanked Urban Edge, Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation and the partners who helped realize the project.
Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation is listed as the owner of the overall Bartlett Station project, according to Bridgeline General Construction's project page. The broader neighborhood plan calls for affordable, moderate-income and market-rate rentals alongside homeownership opportunities and senior housing, Boston Agent Magazine reported — a mix that Bridgeline's description echoes, noting the development is meant to feature affordable, moderate and market-rate rental and homeownership housing, senior housing, and future commercial or retail space.
Built on an 8.6-Acre Former Trolley Yard
Bartlett Station sits on an 8.6-acre former MBTA trolley yard, according to Davis Square Architects, which also notes that Bartlett Station is registered with the LEED-ND pilot program, and Building F5 will be LEED-certified. The firm's project page frames the new building as part of a years-long effort to reshape the site.
That effort traces back to 2017, when LISC Massachusetts described the goal as transforming a contaminated, overgrown bus yard once owned by MBTA into new businesses, apartments and jobs that would expand economic opportunity while protecting long-time residents from displacement. LISC's 2017 account said the first phase included 60 rental homes, with 32 specifically designated for low-income households.
Earlier Phases Already Built
Construction on the project's earlier residential phase, a 60-unit mixed-income building known as Building A, began in April 2021, according to a release from MassHousing. That release said the building would contain 12 one-bedroom, 34 two-bedroom and 14 three-bedroom apartments, with 16 units restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of the Area Median Income, 12 up to 50 percent, 23 up to 60 percent, and nine workforce units up to 80 percent. MassHousing reported it provided roughly $13.2 million in affordable-housing financing for that building, and that the project overall was expected to generate approximately 100 retail jobs and 900 construction jobs, with 60 percent of those jobs going to workers of color.
MassHousing's release also noted that two earlier Bartlett Station buildings — a 60-unit mixed-income rental building and a 16-unit condominium building — were completed on the site back in August 2019. Separately, the Kenzi at Bartlett Station contains 50 units of supportive, affordable housing for adults age 55 and older, according to the Preservation of Affordable Housing, which also describes the Kenzi as certified Passive House under the strict Passive House Institute of the US standard and as the first all-electric building over four stories in Boston with a City-permitted emergency battery energy storage system.
Project Totals Still Vary by Source
Exactly how big the finished Bartlett Station neighborhood will be depends on which account you read. LISC's 2017 report put the completed development at 323 homes for rent and for sale, while the Preservation of Affordable Housing's property page describes a larger total of approximately 383 homes, including 166 for purchase and 217 rental apartments. MassHousing's 2021 release cited yet another figure — approximately 380 homes, including 166 for purchase and 214 apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial space — while Bridgeline's more recent project update describes the full build-out as 367 units across 10 buildings. Commercial space estimates have shifted too: LISC's 2017 plan called for 54,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, while the Preservation of Affordable Housing's page cites 30,000 square feet.
