The Boston Planning and Development Agency announced this week it will begin demolition on Building 108, the former power plant in the Charlestown Navy Yard located at the corner of 3rd Ave. and 9th St., in early April.
Building 108 has been slated for demolition since 2020 due to its deteriorating condition and the environmental contaminants present in the building.
The removal of the building will make way for the proposed redevelopment of the site by Power House Partners as lab, research and development, and retail space.
In the announcement the BPDA added that construction will continue through early 2023. During this time, 3rd Ave. will be subject to periodic closures and parking restrictions.
“This work includes the environmental remediation and removal of the unsafe structure by S&R Corporation and Weston & Sampson Engineers,” said the BPDA in a statement. “The BPDA-funded $5 million project will restore the site to a safe and accessible condition, allowing for the Article 80 process to move forward for the proposed redevelopment by Power House Partners.”
The BPDA said all questions and concerns can be directed to the BPDA’s Jason Tobin at [email protected].
In accordance with the Charlestown Navy Yard Master Plan, the BPDA released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in September 2020 for the ground lease and redevelopment of Building 108 in the Historic Monument Area of the Navy Yard.
Last February the BPDA designated Power House Partners as the developer of Building 108.
Power House’s proposal was one of two proposals submitted to the BPDA for re-development of the Power Plant, which is one of the last parcels to remain undeveloped in the old Yard.
According to BPDA filings Power House Partners, proposes a 67,000 sq. ft. building with approximately 44,000 RSF of Lab and Research and Development space; 6,100 RSF of retail space to include a restaurant, neighborhood convenience, or coffee shop; and associated building service uses including bicycle parking and trash room. The developer estimates that the project will create approximately 100-125 permanent jobs in addition to the 150 construction jobs over the two-year construction period.
“The proposed massing is within the volume of the original building, with smaller floor plates on the third and fourth floor to evoke the variety of heights on the original building as additions were constructed over time,” reads the memo in favor of Power House Partners. “The design evokes the industrial nature of the Historic Monument Area through materials, massing, and fenestration, while still providing a somewhat contemporary approach…The proposed R&D use builds upon the burgeoning life sciences cluster in the Navy Yard, while the proposed retail meets the needs identified by neighborhood residents and is consistent with achieving a balanced mix of uses per the…Master Plan guidelines.”