City solicits comments on plans to add affordable housing atop the West End library
The proposal calls for a two-story library facility, apartments, a teen room, community space, and more.
"The historic West End Branch of the Boston Public Library could get a makeover — and with it, a new affordable housing development.
The nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing, Caste Capital, and the City of Boston are partnering on the redevelopment of the branch at 151 Cambridge St.
The project remains in the planning stages, but is expected to be completed in 2027. The public comment period on the project ends Feb. 10.
“We looked at this opportunity as one that was transformative,” said Patrick Kimble, founder and managing partner of Caste Capital. “This project was one that could be additive for a neighborhood that has historically limited affordable housing.”
The new 186,000-square-foot building would include a two-story library space and 119 units of affordable housing above it. The project would be part of the city’s Housing With Public Assets program, which aims to develop homes for low- and moderate-income residents above city properties, which, in addition to libraries, includes police and fire stations, parking lots, and more.
....The development will also have a courtyard, amenity spaces for residents, and a plaza that will be shared with the Otis House museum. The library, which first began serving the West End neighborhood in 1896, is a social and educational hub for the community."