RODE Partners with The Community Builders and Pine Street Inn

This story ran in the Boston Globe on March 13th, 2019

RODE Architects is excited to announce our partnership with The Community Builders (TCB), a leading nonprofit developer of mixed-income housing, and the Pine Street Inn (PSI), New England’s largest homeless services agency, to build a mixed-use building at 3368 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, the most significant project of its kind in Boston to date.

The new building will replace the existing PSI warehouse/office building and proposes to create 225 income-restricted apartment homes, 140 of which would be housing units with support services for men and women moving out of homelessness. RODE's design includes an estimated 18,000 square feet of PSI office space on the ground floor and community space and amenities for residents. In addition, the plan offers approximately 60 vehicle parking spaces, 85 bicycle storage spaces, and 13,400 square feet of outdoor space.

RODE co-founder Eric Robinson commented, “Far too often architecture is perceived as an unapproachable luxury. RODE is on a mission to change this perception - we believe that good design improves quality of life and enhances the daily experience no matter the budget or the income level of its residents. For this reason we’re excited to partner with Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders on this important initiative. Working within our neighborhoods gives us the opportunity and responsibility to work in collaboration with abutters, community civic groups and stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of creating buildings that are good civic neighbors and enhance the overall quality of the community.”

The development team is currently meeting with neighborhood associations, community leaders and city and state officials to share details of the proposed project and engage them in the community process. Additional public meetings will be announced after the project is formally filed with the City of Boston.

“This project represents a major step forward in our efforts to solve homelessness in Boston,” said Pine Street President Lyndia Downie. “The number of units in this building will allow us to scale up our housing to a new level, bringing us close to 1,000 units of supportive housing throughout Boston and in Brookline. With the average age of our tenants at 55, this will provide a safe, secure community as they grow older,” she added.

"Our goal in Boston is simple: end chronic homelessness throughout our city,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “This proposal has the potential to get us even further to that goal, and Pine Street's expertise and history of success in supportive housing means that these facilities would create opportunity for so many who need a helping hand. We're looking forward to this project and its possibilities as we work together to make sure every Bostonian has a safe, supportive home."

“TCB is a responsible neighbor that’s committed to Jamaica Plain,” said neighborhood resident and TCB Regional Vice President of Development in New England, Andy Waxman.

“We are honored to work with Pine Street Inn to develop this level of permanent supportive housing. In addition to serving formerly homeless individuals, this building will also create a place where people who work in Boston as teachers, firefighters and hairdressers struggle to find apartments they can afford. This development helps ensure more people who help our city run can afford to live here too.”

TCB is a nonprofit organization founded in Boston over 50 years ago. Today, TCB works in 30 cities and is on track to provide rental homes for more than 800 families of all incomes in Jamaica Plain in the coming years.

PSI owns or operates 40 residences throughout Boston and Brookline with over 850 tenants, and has been part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood for nearly 30 years. Currently, PSI manages 115 units in the neighborhood.