May 25, 2022 - Cardinal O’Malley and Governor Baker Join Groundbreaking of Morton Station Village

Morton Station Village will include a mix of 40 units of mixed-income, mixed-tenure housing to be built in a four-story building on the long-vacant site in Mattapan

Cardinal Seán O’Malley was joined by Governor Charlie Baker; Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA); and Donald Alexis, President of Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), to break ground on Morton Station Village, a mixed-income housing development in Mattapan. In 2018, the City of Boston designated the Morton Station Village development team of POUA and CICD as the developers of the former Boston Police Station; the 34,000+ square foot property that had been vacant for decades, and following a collaborative process with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston and the community, the property will be transformed into 40 new homes as well as publicly accessible open and green space.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Governor Charlie Baker, Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), and Donald Alexis, President of Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD) at groundbreaking for Morton Station Village, a mixed-income housing development in Mattapan.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to support this project, which leverages new state programs and funding to increase mixed-income rental and affordable homeownership development in every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Right now, we have an opportunity to invest substantial federal resources into housing production, and Morton Station Village is a model for how we can work together to address the housing crisis, increase access to public transit, and ensure Massachusetts remains a great place to work and live.”
 
“As Boston continues to grow, we want to make sure everyone has a place to call home, no matter their income," said Mayor Wu. “Housing creates health and stability. It is important now more than ever that we use every tool available to build more housing for working families in our City and it must be the foundation of our recovery from this pandemic. Morton Station Village is a great example of how strong partnerships in the housing community can create more affordable housing options across all of our neighborhoods.”

“Our communities will be strongest when they show respect for the dignity of all people,” said Cardinal Seán O’Malley. “The Morton Station Village demonstrates respect for its future residents who have a right to live in safe affordable housing in Mattapan. Thank you to the state, the city, the Planning Office and all the other partners who collaborated to create Morton Street Village. We can all look forward to the opening when residents and owners will make this new community their home.”

The new development will boast 40 units of mixed-income, mixed-tenure housing — 28 rental apartments and 12 affordable homeownership units — will be built in a four-story building that will provide much-needed housing for a diverse range of households, with incomes from 30% AMI to 100% AMI. Located adjacent to the Morton Station MBTA Fairmount Line station at 872 Morton Street in Mattapan, Morton Station Village not only provides critically needed affordable rental and homeownership housing opportunities but also re-activates a long-vacant site. Morton Station Village will also include significant community space that will be connected to a unique feature—the creation of a new passive Boston Parks’ Department-designed public space to be known as the Steven P. Odom Serenity Garden.

“Projects like this can only succeed when all of the key partners work together to produce new, much-needed housing in Massachusetts and I’m excited we can provide important financial support to make these new units reality,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “Affordable housing development is truly a team sport, and the cooperation and dedication to make these projects happen are incredible testaments to the strong affordable housing ecosystem in Massachusetts.”

Morton Station Village is being developed through a partnership between Planning Office for Urban Affairs and the Caribbean Integration Community Development, Inc. a new, emerging BIPOC-led community development corporation (CDC) that serves underrepresented communities, that were designated developers by the City of Boston for this publicly-owned land. The joint venture supports equitable community development by providing financial and technical expertise necessary to increase organizational capacity as they develop the project in Mattapan, a diverse Boston neighborhood with a significant population of Haitians, Caribbean immigrants, and African Americans. The project, which will provide residents with wealth building and financial self-sufficiency opportunities, is an example of how affordable housing development can advance racial equity.

“Creating a mixed-income housing development in such a diverse community and neighborhood of Boston, with limited affordable rental and homeownership housing options, is a critical step in serving the underserved and most vulnerable in our community,” said Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. “We’re grateful to the Commonwealth, the City, and all of our partners who helped make this possible.”

“In a few short months, we will witness the transformation of this location, from a former police station, which has become a desolate and dreary eyesore, into homes for 40 individuals and families; a 1,500 square foot room for the community to share; and 9,000 square feet of open space for the Steven P. Odom Serenity Garden,” said Donald Alexis, President of Caribbean Integration Community Development. “Our new neighbors living here in Morton Station Village will have a place to call home, because they will not be priced out of the local market. They will live here, commute easily from here, play here and shop here. Their dreams are our dreams, and I am pleased to be playing a small part in that reality.”

Financing for Morton Station Village includes funding from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and MassHousing; the City of Boston Neighborhood Housing Trust and the Mayor’s Office of Housing; Bank of America Merrill Lynch; and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.

“The Planning Office for Urban Affairs and the Caribbean Integration Community Development Corporation will transform a vacant parcel into 28 new rental homes and 12 homes for purchase in the heart of Mattapan just steps from a commuter rail station,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “MassHousing is pleased to be part of this visionary project that is going to result in top-quality housing and economic opportunity for the residents who will live there, and also give the new, first-time homebuyers, the chance to own their home and enjoy all the benefits associated with homeownership.”

Morton Station Village will be completed in the Fall of 2023. In accordance with the City of Boston’s Green Affordable Housing Program, Morton Station Village will include energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as Energy Star-rated appliances, and will have environmentally-friendly design features throughout. Morton Station Village is located near shopping centers; a variety of cultural and outdoor amenities, including Franklin Park and the Mattapan Dorchester rail trail; and the Blue Hill Avenue commuter rail stop. The new building will boast an elevator for accessibility, central air, an on-site laundry facility, a large community space for programming for residents on the first floor, and a courtyard with green space that will also feature an 8000 square foot serenity garden to honor the memory of the late Steven P. Odom for residents.

About the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, Inc. (POUA):
The Planning Office for Urban Affairs, Inc. is a social justice ministry affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston that creates vibrant communities through the development of high-quality affordable and mixed-income housing and economic development efforts. As a prominent regional non-profit developer and a leading diocesan housing development ministry for the Catholic Church in America, POUA has completed over 3,000 units of affordable and mixed-income housing and has undertaken several neighborhood revitalization initiatives in Massachusetts.

About Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD):
Founded in Mattapan, Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD) is a community development organization that works to improve the economic, social, and physical well-being of the Caribbean community and other marginalized populations throughout the greater Boston area. CICD's primary focus is the revitalization of underserved communities through the development of affordable housing projects. Working with government agencies, real estate developers and other partners, we create homes that are environmentally conscious, ethically financed and built with the health and well-being of residents as the first priority.