Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights

East Boston, MA

Overlook Terrace transformed a distressed 15-acre state public housing site into a leading-edge, sustainable, 331-unit residential community, informed by several years of resident and community engagement. At the center of this re-connected community is a lushly landscaped open space for residents and community members to gather. The original public housing units were replaced on a one-for-one basis with new, high-performing, energy-efficient, and gracious homes in low-rise and mid-rise buildings, arrayed across this hillside site. Rhythmic stoops along the streetscapes and terraced outdoor meeting spaces create a new image for this visible location in the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston.

The total build-out includes three mid-rise buildings, nine townhouse buildings, and seven modernized rowhouse buildings:

• Phase One comprises 120 apartments in 5 new buildings, achieving LEED Platinum, completed in 2018.
• Phase Two consists of 88 apartments in 3 new buildings, achieving LEED Gold, completed in 2020. This phase at the center of the site includes a community room, food pantry, and play area.
• Phase Three creates 123 apartments in a new construction midrise, 3 rowhouse buildings, and the modernization of 42 existing rowhouses in 7 buildings, completed in 2023. The modernization achieved LEED certifiable status for O&M, while the new construction buildings achieved LEED Gold.

All buildings achieved Enterprise Green Communities certifiability.

Additionally, improvements to public infrastructure across the site created a total of almost 4,000 linear feet of improved public streets, including widened sidewalks, new trees, additional parking, lighting and signage. The new one-acre public park offers a range of open spaces for the community to gather, walking paths, and play spaces.

The transformation of Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights is the result of great collaboration between public and private sectors, and vital input from residents and neighbors who helped shape a vision of what affordable housing can look like. Financing for Overlook Terrace was provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassWorks, MassHousing, the City of Boston, Boston Housing Authority, Community Preservation Act Funds, George B. Henderson Foundation Funds, and private lenders and equity providers.

Type
Public Housing Revitalization

Total Development Cost
$183 Million

Units
331

Completed
2023