The Charlestown neighborhood is set to undergo a significant housing transformation with the redevelopment and expansion of the Bunker Hill Housing Community. The project, which was initiated after an eight-year planning process, is a partnership between the Boston Housing Authority and Leggat McCall Properties, in coordination with the City of Boston and the Charlestown Resident Alliance. It will create a mixed-income, mixed-use community with buildings that are designed to PHIUS Passive House and LEED v4 Gold standards. It aims to honor local history, create public parks and recreational amenities, and enhance connectivity through a thoughtful design that considers the interest of existing residents.
The new development will replace the existing Bunker Hill Development, New England’s largest housing community for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Built in the early 1940s as federal public housing, the existing buildings have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of public funding. They will be replaced with nearly 3.3 million square feet of new development within 16 new buildings comprised of 2,699 residential units, retail, civic space, and parking. The project also includes the creation of approximately seven acres of open space with recreational areas and other outdoor amenities.
VHB has provided entitlement permitting, transportation engineering, and air quality modeling services, and incorporated climate change impact data to support the project's resilient design. Demolition and site preparation work has commenced, with the first building permit issued for 102 affordable replacement units, amenity space for residents, and new open space.
