City reviews 6 Art Park plans

Six very different plans for redeveloping the Art Park site are under City review.

The City-owned land between Parker and Terrace Streets has long been community gardens and a resident-created sculpture garden. The City wants energy-efficient housing built on the site, but also called for all proposals to retain the garden and art uses somehow.

The proposals vary widely in how they do that. Housing plans range from eight to 45 units. Garden plans range from simple gardening beds to a community greenhouse. Most proposals include some type of commercial space as well.

The City’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) this summer announced seven developers had bid on the project. That is now down to six, with bidder Scott C. Payette no longer on the proposal list. The development teams include: Art Park Residences LLC (Urbanica, Inc.); E+ Mission Hill LLC (Greylock Glenville LLC, Urban Spaces LLC, Hart Development Associates and RODE Architects, Inc.); Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation (with ZeroEnergy Design PC and Landmark Structures Corporation); PT Mission Hill LLC (Mission Hill’s Maple Hurst Builders and Spalding Tougias Architects, Inc.); Sebastian Mariscal Studio, Inc. (with Metric Construction Corporation); and Truth Box, Inc., D+P Real Estate and Peregrine Urban Initiative (with Studio G Architects and NEI General Contracting).

Details and images of all proposals can be viewed at epositiveboston.org. The plans were made public in August and a public comment period ended Sept. 30.

A brief summary of each proposal follows:

Art Park Residences

  • Housing: 33 units, 44,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: 14,000-square-foot community garden, “art walk” and sculpture court
  • Commercial: 3,000 square feet with gallery/café
  • Parking: 25 spaces, 30 bike spaces

E+ Mission Hill

  • Housing: 44 units, 47,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: 14,000-square foot art park and community greenhouse; plazas on both streets for community uses
  • Commercial: 4,000 square feet with possible Hopsters restaurant
  • Parking: 31 spaces; 50-plus bike spaces

Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation

  • Housing: 8 units, 13,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: community garden, fruit orchard, “art kiosks,” sculpture, retain existing art trellis, host local art events
  • Commercial: none
  • Parking: eight spaces

PT Mission Hill LLC

  • Housing: 43 units, 40,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: 3,200-square-foot community garden; 4,600-square-foot “shared workspace”
  • Commercial: 1,700 square feet with café showing local art
  • Parking: 39 spaces, 45 bike spaces

Sebastian Mariscal Studio

  • Housing: 41 units, 37,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: More than 1 acre of open space; 15,000-square-foot “urban farm”; 6,300 square feet of community gardens; 7,000-square-foot “art and playground park”
  • Commercial: 7,000 square feet with “retail courtyard” and “bike shop”
  • Parking: 30 spaces, 82 bike spaces

Truth Box, Inc.

  • Housing: 45 units, 52,000 square feet
  • Garden/art: 50-plus community garden plots; three green spaces or “corridors”
  • Commercial: 2,500 square feet

Parking: 37 spaces

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