The community supports City Realty Group’s proposed development at 38-42 Hyde Park Ave. now that the project has been reduced to three stories, according to developer Fred Starikov and local resident Tess Pope.
Starikov had originally proposed demolishing the existing structure and replacing it with a four-story building, the first floor having commercial space and nine residential units above that. But during a May community meeting, neighbors objected to the fourth floor, as that would set a precedent for other developers to follow.
Starikov reduced the project to three floors with six residential units, as previously reported by the Gazette. He came back to the community with those plans during a public meeting Aug. 21. Starikov and Pope said in separate interviews said that the majority of attendees were in favor of the new plans.
“The plans, to me, were great,” said Pope.
Starikov said his attorney is currently scheduling a hearing with the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, and he plans to be in front of the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals in late October. He said the project is also going through a Boston Redevelopment Authority design review. He said that if the project clears all those hurdles, construction should take about 12 months.
There is currently a one-story building at the site, which used to be the home of Yang’s Martial Arts Association. It has been vacant since that business moved to Roslindale in November 2012.
An illustration of the proposed new building at 38-42 Hyde Park Ave. (Courtesy Image)