Hang onto your hats, Southie!

So could it be that the mystery of the Boston Athletic Club has been solved?  Universal Hub is reporting that Pappas Enterprises, Inc., which owns land in the West First Street/Pappas Way area, in addition to leasing land from Massport also in this area, is teaming up with Oxford Properties Group of Toronto to develop this neighborhood.

A letter of intent was filed with the Boston Planning and Development Agency to develop eight acres with seven buildings for commercial space and residential housing.  The project also includes potential for “a neighborhood grocery store, new fitness, and wellness options for the neighborhood and locally owned eateries.” So could the BAC or another gym be opening in this new development? Perhaps.  See the project description below!

Project Description

The Project envisions improved and expanded public sidewalks along its sections of First Street which borders the residential area, with thoughtfully designed open spaces, high-quality landscaping, and new building heights and massing that respect and connect with the adjacent South Boston residential neighborhood. The Project is proposed to include approximately 1.7 million square feet of development in 7 new buildings, of which approximately 1.1 million square feet is anticipated to be located on the approximately 6 acres of land along West First Street and approximately 600,000 square feet along Pappas Way. Proposed building uses would include a variety of commercial and employment-based opportunities, with a portion of residential housing that responds to the needs of the neighborhood. Visioning for ground floor uses could include a neighborhood grocery store, new fitness and wellness options for the neighborhood and locally owned eateries, with a building massing and heights calibrated to respect the existing structures along First Street and the residential section of South Boston, and with increasing building heights moving north, away from West First Street.

According to Universal Hub, because of the size of the project, the companies can also file for a “planned development area” designation. What does this mean?  It basically means this would let them throw out whatever zoning now exists for the land and negotiate new zoning with the BPDA.

This area is located right across from the new 776 Summer Street Development.  So lots of changes coming to this neck of the woods.

You can get the full details of this project here.  You can also read the full filing, including meeting schedule, here.