18 November 2026

Boston, MA – Boston’ s Planning Department recently recommended approval of new Squares + Streets planning and zoning for Cleary Square. The Department also recommended approval of five new development projects representing approximately 452,735sf. All were approved. The newly approved development proposals will create 192 new homes, including 36 that are designated income-restricted, and will support approximately 362 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs.

The Board also approved agreements to enable targeted, time-limited tax abatements for four previously Board-approved market-rate housing developments that will unlock 1,400 homes, including more than 180 incomerestricted homes, and support an estimated 1,582 jobs across Boston. The abatements will temporarily defer a portion of property tax increases for One Mystic Avenue in Charlestown, 22-24 Pratt Street in Allston, 83 Leo M. Birmingham Parkway in Brighton, and Allston Yards Building D in Allston. The relief will enable them to begin construction within the next year. The City will experience no net revenue loss, and developers will continue to pay at least the same amount in property taxes that they pay today. This BPDA Board approval allows formal negotiations to begin between the City and each project team.

The Planning Department adopted the Cleary Square Squares + Streets Small Area Plan and advanced the corresponding zoning for the Plan. The Small Area Plan recommends updating zoning to encourage mixed-use, multifamily development, beginning the process of disposing of public land for community uses such as housing, establishing an arts corridor along River Street, Fairmount Avenue, and Central Avenue, and facilitating the enhancement and beautification of current green spaces, and the creation of new ones. These recommendations were developed in partnership with residents through three years of community engagement. These recommendations will create a more activated Cleary Square, expand gathering spaces and strengthen the sense of community, and create new opportunities for housing and small businesses.

The Cleary Square Squares + Streets zoning updates modernize outdated zoning to support new housing, local businesses, and a more vibrant, walkable neighborhood center. These changes reflect community feedback, including adjustments to building heights and development density, while establishing clearer guidelines for future growth. The

One Mystic Avenue, Charlestown / Rendering courtesy of Boston Planning Department

zoning is a key step in implementing the Cleary Square Squares + Streets Plan, and will next need to be approved by the Zoning Commission for formal adoption.

Planning also advanced new text amendments to the Boston Zoning Code that would update some zoning

Wolfeboro, NH – North Branch Construction and Lakes Region Community Developers recently celebrated the ribbon cutting for Harriman Hill Phase III in Wolfeboro, which added 30 new units of affordable rental housing on Beck Drive adjacent to Harriman Hill Phases I and II.

The ribbon cutting marked the culmination of nearly 15 years of work by Lakes Region Community Developers and Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition to fully build out the Harriman Hill development. Phases I and II were constructed in 2012 and 2014, offering 48 rental apartments. On hand to cut the ribbon was longtime Eastern Lakes board member Kathy Barnard, for whom the road through the new development is named.

“ We are extremely grateful to our partners, funders, and our development team for their commitment to this project,” said Carmen Lorentz, executive director of Lakes Region Community Developers.“ We never would have completed this project without all of them pulling in the same direction with us for a long-time.”

Pre-development work for Phase III began eight years ago. It was originally intended to comprise 20 single-family homes affordable to first-time buyers, but that plan became infeasible when construction prices rose sharply during the pandemic. definitions, remove redundancy, and streamline the Code’ s structure related to dimensional requirements for buildings. These updates are part of the City’ s larger goal of simplifying the zoning code to make things clearer and more understandable. The changes include

The ribbon cutting included local and state officials and several funders of the project, including Joe Kenney and Mark McConkey / Photo courtesy of North Branch Construction

amended or clarified definitions, new diagrams for some definitions to help visually explain their meanings, and the removal of erroneous definitions for unused terms. The Code structure was also consolidated by combining Articles 12 through 22, known as the“ base code,” into one Article. These updates will now need to be approved by the Zoning Commission.

The Board awarded final designation to the Boston Food Forest Coalition for the redevelopment of 82 Mascot Street in Dorchester into a food forest. The publicly owned parcel at 82 Mascot Street will be combined with four other publicly owned parcels to create a network of community gardens in the neighborhood. Community members will use the space for gathering, growing, and sharing food, and for hosting events and educational workshops.

Located in Allston, the project at 201-207 Brighton Avenue would build a new 6-story building with 145 new homes, 29 of which will be income-

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The 30 new rental apartments in Phase III are a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments targeted to households with a variety of income levels, including five units of supportive housing for people with disabilities.

Harriman Hill III was made possible with financing from TD Bank, NH Housing, Evernorth and the Evernorth Loan Fund, NH Community Development Finance Authority, InvestNH, the Beck Fund, and Lakes Region Community Developers.

In addition to North Branch, the development team includes Northpoint Engineering, Stewart Associates Architects, Norway Plains & Associates, and Sheehan Phinney. Property management services are provided by The Hodges Companies.

“ The completion of Harriman Hill Phase III is an exciting milestone for our longstanding partnership with Lakes Region Community Developers,” said Joe Campbell, president of North Branch Construction.“ We are proud to have played a role in bringing this important affordable housing development to life and to continue supporting projects that make a meaningful, lasting difference in the communities we serve.” www. high-profile. com