This past week the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) approved two more real estate projects in the South End’s SoWa district that combined will result in bringing more than 970 new residential units to Harrison Ave.
The first and larger development is The Harrison Albany Block, (shown above from Albany Street), it will include 650 residential units and span from Harrison Avenue to Albany Street between East Canton and East Dedham streets.
Aerial view of The Harrison Albany block
The large development will include three levels of below grade parking garage, 29,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space and 65 affordable units (with some designated specifically for working artists). In addition, the developers will pay into a BPDA fund to purchase or subsidize another 65 units someplace else. Originally proposed as a 710 unit development back in the fall of 2015 modest reductions were made in response to neighborhood concerns.
370-380 Harrison Avenue
The second residential complex approved by the BPDA this past week is for the 370-380 Harrison project, which will include 92 condos and 232 apartments that will be built on the site of the former Quinzani Bakery and Ho Kong Bean Sprout Co. next to the Ink Block. The developer has committed to ensuring at least 20% of the units will be marketed as affordable.
Similar to the Harrison Albany Block, the 370-380 Harrison Ave. project has scaled back slightly from the original proposal shared last March, which initially proposed 280 residential units. It is unclear if their original proposal of including 180 parking spaces and commercial space were changed.
BosGuy 
Too bad the BRA sold out to the developers releasing them from construction of low income housing. “Affordable” units are not accessible financially to people who live with Social Security / SSDI as their main source of income.
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