RISE Together Plans Major Community-Focused Transformation of Sullivan Square, Charlestown

RISE Together, a Boston based minority owned developer, is proposing a state-of-the-art mixed-use development for Sullivan Square. This new development will transform an industrial corner of the city into a thriving neighborhood with new jobs, abundant green parks, affordable housing with proximity to transportation, and vibrant commercial and retail space.  TRAX, also a Boston-based, minority owned developer, is partnering with RISE Together with this effort.

 Anchored by 1.7 million square feet of office and lab space, the Sullivan Square Redevelopment Project will make Charlestown a key contributor in the ever-growing ‘Life Sciences’ industry throughout Greater Boston. Moreover, the plan creates and connects new and existing neighborhoods in Sullivan Square with abundant amenities, services, and a robust mix of affordable and market-rate housing options. 

The filing is the culmination of dozens of meetings held with local community groups, elected officials, and Charlestown residents to discuss and prioritize opportunities for their neighborhood. RISE and RISE Together have already partnered with local organizations and various non-profit groups to focus on improvements that are important to improving the quality of life for residents, including the creation of a new playground at the JFK Family Center, new housing for Veterans, a new elevator at the Charlestown Memorial Hall in order to help disabled and elderly veterans traverse their facility (Abraham Lincoln Post #11), support for Charlestown’s ‘Turn It Around’ youth program, and the creation of a pathway and mentorship program to enter the building trades.  Additionally, RISE Together has allocated space within the Sullivan Square development exclusively for the Charlestown Coalition.

Of the planned new 851 units of new housing, 20% will be affordable and will include family-sized homes and housing for veterans. A program that will support ‘pathways to home ownership’ is in development as well. The community will have access to 46,900 square feet of new retail and restaurants and 5.28 acres of publicly accessible open space spread throughout the neighborhood. Access to the Mystic River for both pedestrians and bicyclists will be enhanced by new connections and green spaces.

Finally, the RISE Together/TRAX plan provides greatly needed new space for the region’s growing and world-leading, life sciences sector with more than 1 million square feet of office, laboratory, and manufacturing space, supporting the creation of 4,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs.

“During the past year and a half, we have put a tremendous amount of work into understanding the area, understanding the market dynamics and most importantly understanding what the community wants,” said Jim Grossmann, Founder and Partner of RISE Together. “We look forward to the continued conversations with residents and elected officials.”

“RISE Together is thrilled to be part of the Charlestown neighborhood,” said Herby Duverné, Founder and CEO of RISE Together. “Our approach is wholistic and inclusive, and we believe we can deliver a project of which the community will be proud.”

The Sullivan Square Redevelopment Project team includes CBT Architects, VHB, PORT Urbanism, KRM Consulting, Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C.  and RISE Construction Management. 

“CBT is honored to be a part of this transformative project, which will enliven and activate the Sullivan Square neighborhood by introducing much-desired community amenities for businesses and residents, and that will create a robust, accessible public realm,” said David Nagahiro, President and Principal at CBT. “We are positively thrilled to be working with RISE Together and all project partners to create a dynamic, welcoming community for all.”

About RISE Together

As a minority-owned developer, the RISE Together team brings a fundamentally different type of development model: one that is committed to fostering growth opportunities that lift and enrich entire neighborhoods. The RISE Together process applies development and financial expertise toward ensuring that development projects bring equitable growth opportunities to everyone. It’s a process that proactively brings people together, giving everyone a seat at the table, and working as one toward a common cause: a thriving, diverse, and healthy neighborhood. Learn more at www.risetogether.boston.

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