Chelsea officials are taking steps to redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 212 Chestnut St. into affordable housing units.
“Over the past several months, we have met with a number of developers who have expressed interest in partnering with the City to transform this publicly owned parcel into a meaningful affordable housing opportunity, with a focus on homeownership,” City Manager Fidel Maltez stated in a letter to the city council this week. “The City has seen the tremendous potential of this partnership model. The City partnered with Causeway Development at 440 Broadway to transform a vacant former Salvation Army building owned by the City”
The partnership between the city and Causeway development created 28 homeownership condominiums, made available to households at 80% and 100% of Area Median Income (AMI), according to the city manager.
“What was once a vacant and underutilized property has become a flagship project on Broadway and a model for publicly owned land that creates new housing opportunities for Chelsea residents,” said Maltez. “We believe we can achieve a similar outcome at 212 Chestnut Street.”
The city-owned parking lot provides an important benefit to the surrounding neighborhood by providing much needed parking, according to Maltez, but at the same time, he said the property has presented significant challenges for the city to maintain and manage.
“Located adjacent to the Tobin Bridge area, the parcel is frequently overgrown with vegetation and, over the years, has attracted homeless encampments and other challenges associated with an underdeveloped and underutilized property,” stated Maltez. “Our objective is to identify a development partner capable of creating a high-quality project that is compatible with the neighborhood. We are particularly interested in homeownership, allowing Chelsea families to build equity and establish a long-term connection to the community.”
The city will issue a request for proposals to begin the conversations in earnest over the next few months, Maltez said, adding that the administration will ensure that the city council is involved throughout the process.