By Seth Daniel
Hood Park hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning, Oct. 17, at 480 Rutherford Ave., where its 177-unit residential project will soon be underway.
It will be the first residential project at Hood Park, a 20-acre development permitted for over 1.1 million square feet located at the former H.P. Hood Plant on the other side from mainland Charlestown.
“Expanding upon the success of the commercial redevelopment of Hood Park, we are excited to bring a residential component to the project,” said Chris Kaneb, manager of Hood Park LLC. “It will undoubtedly bring a 24/7 vibrancy to the park, achieving our organization’s long-range vision for a complete, mixed use transformation.”
Designed to echo the existing buildings, the 480 Rutherford Avenue project will be a state of the art, LEED Platinum certified residential project. It will provide a diverse mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, including 23 affordable units in furtherance of Mayor Martin Walsh’s goal to add 53,000 new housing units by 2030.
Upon completion, it will feature garage parking, bike storage, resident lounge, community kitchen, fitness/yoga studio, dog amenities, outdoor courtyard with city views, 24/7 security, and 10,500 square feet of additional retail amenities.
“480 Rutherford Ave. builds upon the progress we have made creating a range of housing options to meet the needs of our growing population,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. “This project adds to the redevelopment of Hood Park and creates jobs and improves the public realm for our residents.”
Charlestown resident and City Corporate Counsel Gene O’Flaherty, who was at the groundbreaking representing Mayor Walsh, said there has been major investment on the roadways to go along with the project.
“We look forward to this area becoming a vibrant place for new housing development,” he said. “We look forward to this continued transformation.”
State Rep. Dan Ryan said he is excited to see the other side of Charlestown continue to change.
“Things are changing here since I grew up,” he said. “It’s softer and doesn’t have as much of that industrial edge. As more housing goes up here, we are looking forward to making the connections across Rutherford Avenue and welcoming the Hood Park back into the community.”
Over the course of the next two years, the project will create approximately 250 construction jobs and another 40 permanent jobs once open. The project will also provide streetscape improvements along Rutherford Avenue and within Hood Park. It is slated to open in April 2019.