2019: Year in Review

2019 was another fantastic year for Traggorth Companies. We had projects at every stage in the development process moving forward, delivering a transformative impact to the communities where we work. And as promised in last year’s update, we partied hard this past spring at Dan and Gen’s beautiful Maine wedding.

• In April we dipped our toe into Worcester by acquiring the smallest, most complex project we could find. While the conversion of the former Mission Chapel, near Union Station and the new WooSox ballpark into seven high end residential units will take every design and finance tool in the toolbox, we think this beautiful building with an important history is worth it.

• This fall we cut the ribbon at the Granville in Haverhill, completing construction on our second Haverhill adaptive reuse of a shoe factory along Washington Street (the first being JM Lofts). The 24 lofts are all spoken for and we’re looking forward to finding the perfect tenant for the 3,000 square feet of retail space in 2020.

• Travelling down the Haverhill commuter line to Reading, we broke ground on 24 Gould Street. Permitted under the Commonwealth’s smart growth incentive program, this project adjacent to the train stop with its 55 apartments (25% affordable) and 3,500 square feet of retail is a poster child for smart growth, transit oriented design, that Boston desperately needs.

• We’re close to wrapping up construction of the Riverhouses and Modern Mills at Cable Mills, 8 river front homes in Williamstown, Massachusetts. We cannot wait to unveil these spectacular homes in early 2020 with their massive windows, riverfront location, mountain views, and decidedly modern aesthetic. Meanwhile, the buzz around the Northern Berkshires as a great place to live, work, and play grows.

• In one of the more heartburn inducing experiences of 2019, we successfully permitted our next Chelsea project which will bring 38 affordable apartments and more than 5,000 square feet of open space along the Mill Creek. We look forward to securing the necessary financing in 2020 and starting construction in 2021.

• Last but not least, a big part of what we do on a day-to-day basis involves helping our non-profit clients align their real estate to their mission and vision. In 2019 we were honored to work with so many organizations doing good work in the Commonwealth. To name a few they are: United South End Settlements, YES, East Boston Social Centers, Southwest Boston Community Development Corp, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, and the Eliot School.

Thank you all for supporting, encouraging, mentoring, and following our work in the way that you do. We look forward to another exciting year in 2020.

Dave, Dan and Tanya

2018: Year in Review

Our last ‘latest news’ blog posting, was last year’s ‘Year-In-Review’, so you might draw one of two conclusions — Traggorth Companies hasn’t been very busy at all, or we’ve been so busy we’ve forgotten to post about any of it on our website. If you know us, or if you follow us on Twitter (and soon Instagram), you know its the latter — not only with our work, but with our families; with Tanya's family welcoming Ida Jean in July and Dave's family welcoming August Lee in August. Dan wasn’t about to be outdone; so he and Gen were engaged earlier this year, and we’re all looking forward to a big party in 2019 to celebrate their wedding.

Our project and consulting news this year represents much of what we like best about our work: partnerships, and expanding our commitment to those communities that we know and love.

• Mayor Walsh joined us for the ribbon-cutting at the Residences at Fairmount Station’s in November. We celebrated with Southwest Boston CDC and other members of the community the completion of a project that represented the first new affordable housing in Hyde Park in 20 years.

• In September we joined Mayor Fiorentini in Haverhill at 87 Washington Street (soon to be called The Granville) to break ground on 24 market rate lofts over 3,500 square feet of retail just down the block from our enormously successful JM Lofts. We love creating spaces that drive the continuing transformation of Haverhill.

• We’ve started the construction of the Riverhouses and Modern Mills at Cable Mills, 8 river front homes in Williamstown, Massachusetts, building off of the success of the historic rehabilitation of the original mill completed back in 2016. The buzz in the Northern Berkshires, about it's natural beauty, art, and culture is undeniable and growing.

• We've partnered with The Neighborhood Developers, to bring much needed affordable housing, open space, and Mill Creek access to the Chelsea community by restoring an old muffler shop site, long since vacant at the gateway to Chelsea from Revere.

• Our consulting work continues to be largely focused on the nuts and bolts of affordable housing execution for many of our long-time clients, and we love putting our skills and relationships to work for these great organizations. While I thought that the early education center we built at the ground floor of Mosaic would be a one-off adventure, we're working on two more mixed income early education centers in the Boston area. We've found that our skills in navigating the complex finance and regulatory world of housing is quite applicable in the equally high need and high demand world of early education. Needless to say, our experiences as young parents, balancing life and work, also provides helpful perspective.

As 2018 wraps up, we thank so many of you for supporting, encouraging, mentoring, and following our work in the way that you do.

- Dave, Dan and Tanya

RTH Awarded State's First Homeownership Resources in Years

Governor Patrick announced Friday in Uphams Corner that our client, the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, which is redeveloping a portion of the former Massachusetts Mental Health Hospital site in Boston's Longwood Medical Area, will receive critical State funding for 43 new affordable condominiums in the project. This funding is the first in Massachusetts for affordable homeownership since before the recession in 2008. 

The 43 condominiums are part of a larger multi-family project which will consist of 60 units of affordable rental housing, 43 units of affordable condominiums, and 42 units of market-rate condominiums. The building, which will be 11 stories tall, and is designed by ADD Inc., will sit on a one acre lot next to the Brigham's Building of the Future which is currently under construction.

TC provides RTH with turnkey project management services related to this project and assisted with application and preparation for the State funding rounds. 

For more about the announcement, click here.

Rendering from Fenwood Road and Binney Street looking toward Brookline Ave.

Overall site plan and neighborhood context

Chelsea Flats Awarded HDIP Tax Credits

Joined by US Representative Michael Capuano and friends of the Box District, on Friday, May 10, Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein announced the award of $800,000 of Housing Development Incentive Program Tax Credits (HDIP) to Chelsea Flats -- a Mitchell Properties project that TC staff is managing through the development phase.

The Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) rovides tax incentives to developers for market rate housing in "Gateway Cities" in Massachusetts. In addition to working with the State for several years in the creation of the regulations, TC worked with the City of Chelsea to create an HDIP district centered around the Box District to allow for Chelsea Flats to utilize the credit and encourage the further development of market rate housing in the District.

or more information about the use of HDIP for project contact Dave directly at 617-542-6500 x705.

n addition to the award, TC was also excited to start demolition on Chelsea Flats which coincided with the Highland Terrace Ribbon Cutting --The Neighborhood Developers newest affordable housing development across the street from Chelsea Flats.

Incentives for Walkable Neighborhoods

At DHCD's "Under One Roof" Conference this month, Governor Deval Patrick announced  a production goal of 10,000 units per year for Massachusetts with a new "Compact Neighborhoods Policy" to help everyone get there. Essentially under the Compact Neighborhoods Policy, municipalities that apply and are certified will receive preference for DHCD's funding programs. More about the policy can be found here. 

It's exciting to see that in what's been written about the policy since then, Atlas Lofts, Standard Box, and 225 Centre -- all projects we've been working on -- are cited as examples of the kind of development DHCD and Governor Patrick want to see; transit oriented, affordability mix, nearby or ground floor retail, lower parking ratios, and more. 

For an article on the policy from Atlantic Cities, click here. 

NAHB's Land Development Magazine Highlights Box District

The National Association of Home Builder’s recently highlighted the successful redevelopment of the Box District in Chelsea despite difficult economic circumstances in 2008-09. The article highlights Atlas Lofts which was managed by Dave from closing through construction and lease-up. TCLLC staff continues to oversee the ongoing asset management. 

To read a copy of the article visit The Neighborhood Developer's website.

Dave Discusses Pittsfield’s Potential on YNN News

Dave served as co-chair for the Urban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) in Pittsfield, MA. The panel was asked to address ways to renew and encourage development of an area of Pittsfield that had not seen the benefits of the recent development successes in the City. After the public presentation, Dave was interviewed by YNN News out of Albany and the link can be found at the link here.