Boston Condos

You may have heard about the recent rumblings in the community and on other prominent blogs regarding the Concord Baptist Church in the South End at the southeast corner of Warren Avenue and W Brookline Street.

Peter Zagorianakos, a Boston developer, has purchased the church as the congregation plans its move to another location to accommodate their growing size. Local residents have been concerned about Zagorianakos changing the structure of the building, adding further windows, and what the parking situation will mean.

One of the most lively debates on this topic has been at John Keith’s blog. Much of the acute attention on the situation is naturally the result of nearby residents raising concerns. However, will this be a bad thing for the community? Prefaced by the idea that the congregation is voluntarily moving to a location that better suits their needs, the building’s roof could use some work (the exclusive photo below shows a current view of the roof), windows in the building overlooking the outdoor space of neighbors does not infringe on privacy any more than other nearby South End residents experience, and underground parking for the limited number of potential residents combined with church service parking not overwhelming the center line of Warren Avenue multiple times per week will reduce noise and congestion in the area.

Is this good or bad for the South End, what are your thoughts?

If you’ve been along the border of the Back Bay and the South End over the past several months, you have more than likely seen the significant progress that has been made on the buildout of the Bryant on Columbus, a 50-unit luxury boutique condo development, that by the looks of it, will finish late this year if it continues at the same pace it’s on now. For a time series photo set, visit our Bryant on Columbus page.

The latest up close construction shot of the development is below. As well, we have an exclusive photo of the Bryant’s construction progress taken from the rooftop of the D4 condos several blocks away (you can see the crane rising above the completed floors at the Bryant, just in front of the 131 Dartmouth building - D4 opened to residents last year, and they are down to only 3 available units in the 25-unit boutique Philippe Starck condo redevelopment of the 1932 D4 Police Station.

If you have taken the opportunity to sign up for email property updates from the Boston MLS (giving you access to address information, taxes, and other pertinent property details not readily available in generic MLS access levels), you have probably seen the various three letter codes that are used to designate the status of a listing in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system - ACT, PCG, etc.

We’ve received several inquiries lately as to what each code stands for, and wanted to provide a quick punch list with this information for your reference.

ACT: Active
NEW: New*
PCG: Price Change*
BOM: Back on Market*
EXT: Extended*
RAC: Re-activated*
WDN: Withdrawn (temporarily)
BUP: Offer to Purchase Accepted, back-up offers welcomed

* reverts to Active status after 3 days

UAG: Under Agreement
SLD: Sold
EXP: Expired
CAN: Canceled

To gain access to listings that match your search criteria (neighborhood, price, square footage), sign up for Boston MLS updates.

Steps from Christopher Columbus Park in Boston’s Historic North End, Unit 33A at 33 Commercial Wharf boasts large banks of windows, exposed brick and beams, and luxury finishes. Built in 1832 as a warehouse, converted into condominiums in 1978, Commercial Wharf sits between Lewis and Long Wharfs, a short walk from everything in the North End, the Financial District, and Fanueil Hall.

Unit 33A at Commercial Wharf is a luxury unit, currently listed at $1,299,000, offering 1,902 square feet ($683 per square foot) in a loft-style condo feel, with two-bedrooms, two-bathrooms, and excellent views from a corner unit. The HOA fee on this unit is $1,360, and include heat, hot water, master insurance, security, exterior maintenance, and snow removal. Rental parking is available for $290 per month. Our Featured Open House takes place at 33 Commercial Wharf along the North End Waterfront on Sunday, May 11, 2008 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM.

Spend this Saturday (May 10, 2008) discovering the unique spaces, breathtaking views, and convenience of living in Downtown Crossing. There will be a self-guided walking tour that visits 15 homes, from ultra-modern to historic and from loft to penthouse. Find out where over 6,000 people live in Downtown Crossing and discover their favorite shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.

Home Sweet Home in Downtown Crossing
Saturday, May 10
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Crossing
T Orange/Red Lines to Downtown Crossing

Tickets are available in advance for $20 and on the day of the tour for $25 at 520 Washington Street (near the intersection of Washington and West Streets). You can purchase your tickets online now at the following URL:
http://www.downtowncrossing.org/homesweethome/

First it was Wilkes Passage in the South End (see Mass Exodus from Wilkes Passage), then it was the Ritz Carlton towers in Midtown (see Ritz Carlton Flush with Available Condos), now, the 108-unit Strada 234 building adjacent to the North End along Boston’s Waterfront currently has a large inventory of 7 units available for sale. This could be related to the ramp up in the Spring / Summer selling season that is a typical cyclical pattern - this also falls in line with the strong percentage of Boston condo owners who plan to sell within the next several months that was evidenced in our latest Seller reader poll (see Boston Condo Blog Reader Poll).

Strada 234 is a 2004 development that features 24 hour concierge, a fitness room, and garage parking. Current units range in price from $449,000 to $1,259,000, and in size from 675 to 1,468 square feet. Price per square foot on these listings ranges from $506 to $857, with much of the variance coming from unit level and views. See listing details for all currently available Strada 234 condos (Listing Details 11.2 MB PDF).

For more information about these units, or other North End Waterfront condos, feel free to contact us using the link at the top of this page.

We get quite a few inquiries about “the church that is now condos” in South Boston. The church, formerly known as St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church, at 45 West Broadway was converted into 44 condos (8 in the former rectory, and 36 in the former church) with onsite parking in 2003. You may have also heard about the development last year, when a fire broke out in one of the penthouse units (see Former church catches fire in South Boston).

Currently, there are two first floor duplexes (units 102 and 112) available at the church, priced from $439,000 to $494,500 ($350 to $404 per square foot). At over 1,200 square feet each, these units provide great space in a historically (circa 1844) and architecturally unique building. Both units provide one deeded parking space. As you know, the area surrounding the church has been booming with luxury condominium development since 2000, from the adjacent Lofts at 36 A and Allele, to Court Square Press and Macallen around the corner, and 125 B Street Lofts (a former schoolhouse) nearby. A stones from the Red Line Broadway T-Stop, South Station is only one stop away.

For more information about “the condos at the church,” or others in northern South Boston, please contact us.

With all the buzz about the Modern South End auction (see Modern South End Auction), the thought of a second phase of loft-style condos adjacent to the current development site has been tabled as a topic of popular conversation. The official situation is that no record of a potential second phase currently exists in the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s records.

The unofficial word is that there are still rumors that the second phase will eventually happen, which would be a great addition to the neighborhood. One of the underlying goals of building a development like the Modern South End at the far western border of the South End (some may, and do, even say Roxbury), was to take a bold step forward in enriching the architectural landscape and residential options in a part of the city that has not seen a tremendous amount of such development happen. Will the trend continue? We think the answer is yes. At its core, this is a function of supply and demand, and space limitations that are the standard in major metropolitan areas. Simply put, there is little to no undeveloped land remaining in the core of the city, demand to live in downtown Boston (or any major city for that matter) remains high, and thus, we’ll continue to see further development and gentrification of the area surrounding the Modern South End building.

Are there immediate plans to move forward with a second phase of the Modern South End? The blank slate is there and available based on the below exclusive photos of the cleared land to the immediate north of the current Modern building. Time will tell.

We have been receiving an elevated number of inquiries regarding Boston lofts at the Seaport District’s Channel Center development. The Channel Center lofts development is a 2005 mixed-use development, comprising both new construction and renovation of existing warehouse space - residences are spread across three separate addresses at 15, 25, and 35 Channel Center.

Currently, there are six (6) listings available at Channel Center (see currently available listings 8 MB PDF), ranging in square footage from 1,489 to 2,323, and in price from $549K to $1.325 million. Regardless of which address you have at the development, you’re in for a loft feel (high ceilings, flowing and oftentimes open, floorplans), what changes will be the style of the loft feel from true exposed brick and beam architecture, to a more modern look with drywall versus the brick.

Channel Center offers concierge service, and gives you a chance to get in on an area of the city that is poised to see significant development (see John Keith’s recent Seaport Square update). For more information about available units at Channel Center, or to list your loft for sale, please contact us.

Dorchester Avenue in northern South Boston has been a hotbed of activity over the past several years, with multiple condo developments taking shape within a one block radius, including one of the latest developments, Allele.

Allele Boston is a 48-unit high-end condo development (prices start in the $400’s) that sits at the northeast corner of Dorchester Avenue and W 4th Street, opposite the Macallen Building, and adjacent to the Lofts at 36 A. While the Allele development may not feature the same amenities that one would experience with the Macallen / Court Square Press combination across the street, Allele does provide great interior packages (bamboo flooring, Bosch appliances, huge dual showers, etc), large signature bow front units (the 01 floorplan), and private balconies.

The exclusive time series photos above show construction nearing completion at Allele.

A model unit on the 4th floor has been open to potential Buyers for several weeks now, allowing you to get a feel for a finished floorplan. As of last week, the developer was still running a promotion where the next 4 units that go Under Agreement will be given a free deeded garage parking space (parking is typically purchased separately for $40K).

A certificate of occupancy is expected in the June / July timeframe. One final note, it is rumored that the ground floor commercial restaurant space will not be occupied by Jae’s Cafe - two other restaurateurs are in talks currently on occupying the space (no names have been officially released).