More change coming to Charlestown

Boston officials are in the early stages of bringing another largescale real estate development project to a fast-changing corridor of Charlestown. The Boston Planning and Development Agency plans to seek redevelopment proposals for a swath of surface parking lots along Interstate 93 just south of Bunker Hill Community College. The BPDA-owned parking lots are bounded by the highway, the Gilmore Bridge, and New Rutherford Avenue, and today are used by Bunker Hill Community College. A draft request for proposals outlines that the 5.6-acre site could host mixed-use development but would focus on “creation of housing for a range of income levels, with an emphasis on deeply affordable and workforce housing, as well as units with three or more bedrooms,” along with 100 deeply affordable Boston Housing Authority units that would be replaced as part of the redevelopment of the BHA’s Bunker Hill complex on the other side of the neighborhood. Other suggestions include a sports practice field, public open space, improved pedestrian connections, a focus on arts and culture, and community-driven groundfloor spaces. The draft RFP outlines three development scenarios: one with six buildings, ranging from 6 to 15 stories; another with four buildings, ranging from 12 to 18 stories with three six-story podiums; and a third with three buildings, ranging from 14 to 17 stories, with two six-story podiums. The chosen developer would have a 70-year ground lease with the BPDA for the lot; the draft RFP does not disclose lease terms or propose a cost. It does, however, say developers could apply to the Mayor’s Office of Housing for funding “to support the unit mix and affordability” in their proposals. — CATHERINE CARLOCK