L Street Edison Power Plant redevelopment project OK’d

The BPDA has signed off on the massive L St. Edison Power Plant redevelopment, advancing a project that would bring major changes to the South Boston neighborhood.

The long-dormant colossal puce power plant that rises above Southie’s City Point neighborhood, visible for miles around, is on track to be replaced by a 1.7 million-square-foot development that would include 636 apartments and condos, 860,000 square feet of office and research uses, 60,000 square feet of retail space, 240 hotel rooms and up to 1,214 parking spaces.

Developers Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate Capital Partners bought the 15 acres that hold the now-123-year-old former coal plant in 2016.

“This milestone marks a years-long community review process, throughout which our plans for the redevelopment were revised and improved,” said Ralph Cox of Redgate. The developers will build the site out over the next decade and a half, incorporating the old turbine room into a new building.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, state Sen. Nick Collins, state Rep. David Biele and City Councilor Ed Flynn all supported the project, the Boston Planning & Development Agency said.

“This project will transform a vacant, decommissioned power station into a dynamic mixed-use site that will bring jobs, new housing, open space, cultural spaces, and resiliency investments to South Boston,” BPDA Director Brian Golden said. The project caused some controversy and had some hangups over transportation in the already busy area.