The new owner of the Eblana Brewery at 117-127 Heath St. held a community meeting at Back of the Hill Apartments on Sept. 5 to gather ideas for what the community would like to see on the property.
While Triad Alpha Partners co-owner Peter Zagorianakos said demolition of the existing building is very likely due to the building’s deteriorating condition and lack of fire safety systems, he expressed a strong desire to repurpose materials from the old building in any new building.
“In this neighborhood, the [expected] price point won’t absorb the construction cost” of rehabilitating the 1886-1918 buildings, he said.
Demolition of the buildings would likely require approval from the Boston Landmarks Commission. The local group Friends of Historic Mission Hill is also known for filing landmark petitions to protect buildings on and around the Hill.
While Friends member Alison Pultinas told the Gazette this week the organization did not yet have official comment, she added that Zagorianakos had invited her along for a site visit on Sept. 11, after the Gazette’s deadline. That planned visit had not been confirmed as the Gazette went to press.
Zagorianakos said at the meeting he will most likely create at least 80 rental units, a mix of mostly one- and two-bedroom units with some studios and larger three-bedroom units, and expecting about a 20 percent affordability rate. He said he was open to the idea of converting some units into condos after five or ten years of renting.
“We believe this is a great area that will continue to get better,” he said.
Zagorianakos did not specify a specific price point beyond saying he expects the units to rent at “market” rates instead of luxury. Other “market rate” developments in the Mission Hill/Jamaica Plain area plan to offer two-bedroom units for around $1,500 to $2,000.
Zagorianakos also said he would be open to not renting any units to undergraduate students. He said the new development would likely not be any taller than the existing buildings.
Construction would likely not start for at least another two to two-and-a-half years, Zagorianakos said. He has not filed any plans with the city so far.
Triad Alpha’s last major project was a housing complex in the South End, Zagorianakos said. He and his partners were able to preserve the historical facade of that building because the higher rents would cover the over $1 million required to maintain it.
The few community members who attended the meeting were interested in proposed density, affordability rates, and whether the project would require blasting. Zagorianakos said he is hoping to avoid any blasting to create enough underground parking for about one vehicle per unit.
A 2005 Mayo Group proposal would have converted the property, repurposing two buildings and creating two new structures, into 62 residential lofts and 21 condos. That proposal was abandoned.