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The Boston Redevelopment Authority has unanimously approved an extension and amendment of Boston College’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP) that will enable the University to construct a 490-bed residence hall at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue.
The approved 245,000 square-foot facility, which will be built on the site of the former More Hall at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Thomas More Drive, is expected to open in 2016. It will include a mix of four- and six-bedroom apartments and space for University Health Services. The approval of the residence hall represents a pivotal step for the University’s 10-year IMP, as the BRA had designated it as a preliminary requirement for BC’s future building projects within the City of Boston.
The BRA issued its approval last week after the Allston-Brighton Community Task Force, a community group appointed by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, voted 9-1 to endorse BC’s extensive community benefits package over the course of the next six-and-a-half years. The benefits include a Neighborhood Improvement Flexible Fund to be used for community improvements and additional scholarships for residents of Allston-Brighton and the City of Boston.
“We are pleased that the City of Boston has approved the 2150 Commonwealth Avenue residence hall project which will enable us to house more BC students on campus and to move forward with our approved Master Plan proposals,” said Thomas Keady, vice president for governmental and community affairs. “On behalf of the University, I thank the members of the Allston-Brighton Task Force, Mayor Menino, local elected officials and members of the community who supported us throughout this process.”
In addition to the new residence hall at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue, the IMP calls for converting 2000 Commonwealth Avenue to University housing, which will enable Boston College to raze Edmonds Hall and build a long-awaited recreation complex in its place. The Flynn Recreation Complex will eventually become the site of a new student center. The plan also calls for creating playing fields and fine arts facilities on the Brighton Campus and for adding new beds on campus with the goal of meeting 100 percent of undergraduate housing demand.
“This was an important step forward for Boston College and its campus plans within the City of Boston,” said Keady. “We are looking forward to beginning construction of the new residence hall in the late spring.”