The developer of a proposed 195-unit apartment building at 105A S. Huntington Ave. is attempting to move all the affordable units off-site, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and Jamaica Pond Association (JPA) member and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) chair Kevin Moloney.
The developer, Anthony Nader, did not respond to a request for comment.
The BRA approved the project in June 2013 to have 32 affordable units on-site. The project was at that time expected to be completed by late 2015 or early 2016. No construction has started on the proposal.
Nader went before the JPA on Aug. 3 and, citing increased costs, proposed augmenting the number of affordable units, but having them all off-site, according to Moloney. He said that the JPA voted against the proposal.
Moloney also said that the JPNC Housing and Development Committee voted down the proposal during its last meeting. He said the consensus of the committee was that the proposal goes against the “letter and spirit of the affordable-housing policy.”
BRA spokesperson Nick Martin said in an email to the Gazette that the agency is “aware” that the developer has proposed moving the affordable units off-site.
“The project was approved for all of its affordable units to be on-site,” he said. “In order for the developer to switch their affordable housing obligation to off-site units, they need to be able to demonstrate community support. The change would also require an amendment to the project’s affordable housing agreement, which would need to be approved by the BRA board.”