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In Boston — where it can seem like every square foot of space is becoming a hot commodity — some people are being left behind in the real estate crunch, including those in the creative economy.
In fact, Catherine Infantino of New Atlantic Development says it takes a conceited effort to keep artists in the city in the face of rising costs for work and living space.
“The city’s push has always seen, since Mayor Menino’s time, the benefit of maintaining artists in the city, and that it doesn’t just happen,” Infantino said, who serves as project developer for the mission-based development company. “It really has to be fought for.”
In our latest “Building Boston” segment, project manager with Boston Parks & Rec B Chatfield walks us through the renovation that’s in the works at the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.
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Part of that fight is happening right behind the Humpreys Street Studios in the Upham’s Corner neighborhood of Dorchester. New Atlantic is using a parcel of land directly adjacent to the working artist studios to develop affordable condos to help house the city’s creatives, while also giving them space to work.
“We’re very excited about it; it will be 21 units of ownership,” Infantino said. “18 of the units will have an artist preference. And so that means if somebody has an artist certificate or artist housing certificate from the city of Boston, they will have a preferential number in the lottery.”
Infantino said that the developer is helpful to start construction in November, and to get the building up in about 18 months.
Once complete, the artist housing will compliment Humpreys Street Studios, forming a tight community of artisans and creatives.
The state and city are hopeful that hundreds of millions of federal dollars will be made available through a grant. A Better City CEO Kate Dineen shares with us how the project could transform the Allston neighborhood.
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“We would love to see some of the artists here be able to literally live in their backyard of the artists studios or work in their backyard,” Infantino said. “The community has been very supportive thus far.”
Humpreys Street Studios was founded by two artists over two decades ago. It’s not home to around 45 working artists, ranging in trades that include iron forging, car wrapping, fashion anzd just about everything else in between.
Jahzara Pierre just brought her business, Jahzara Fashion House, into the studios in April. She’s hopeful to score one of the new units to live in. She currently lives in Hyde Park.
“Since coming out of high school, dreamed of having a big old loft, doing my work in there, and Boston kept getting expensive,” she explained as she painted a set of earrings for her fashion house.
As Boston prices rise, the city will put a cap on resale prices for the planned condo units, ensuring they stay affordable for years to come.
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