Boston Advances $154 Million Library Redevelopment

BOSTON, MA — A $153.8 million project that would replace the West End Branch Library and create 119 income-restricted apartments is moving toward federal funding.

The City of Boston determined that the project would have no significant impact on the human environment, according to a notice published on Thursday. The city expects to request the release of up to $6 million in federal funding on or around Wednesday, Dec. 2.

Plans identify the development as a 14-story mixed-use building at 151 Cambridge St. The structure would include a two-story, approximately 19,065-square-foot library below 12 floors containing roughly 157,452 square feet of residential space.

The new library would be more than twice the size of the existing one-story facility. Plans also include expanded programming space, flexible community-use areas and an outdoor public plaza.

All 119 apartments would be reserved for households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income. The proposed mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units is expected to accommodate approximately 200 to 300 residents.

Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. is serving as the project’s developer. The development has an estimated total cost of $153,842,209.

The Boston Housing Authority will separately request federal support through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Restore-Rebuild Initiative. Thirty-two apartments would become federal public housing units supported through a project-based operating subsidy estimated at $28.87 million over 20 years.

No residents would be displaced because the site currently contains a public library and no existing housing units, according to the city.

Residents, organizations and public agencies can submit written comments on the environmental review via email. Comments received through Tuesday, Dec. 1, will be considered before the city authorizes its federal funding request.

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