Tent City Corporation, JMB/Urban Development Company, Boston, MA
Turning a protest site into an award-winning urban neighborhood
This urban, mixed-use, mixed-income residential development for 1,200 residents was born of the 1968 “Tent City” sit-in, when neighborhood activists protested the loss of their homes to redevelopment. Goody Clancy worked closely with neighborhood groups to design this new development for the site that had been vacant for 20 years. The complex is an example of how a new, mixed-income community can be designed to be aesthetically pleasing, financially sound, and beneficial to local residents. It is also a model for how successful developments and community participation can change public policy.
Located between Boston's historic South End and the shops and hotels of Copley Place, this complex of townhouses and a mid-rise apartment building includes retail activities facing the commercial streets while creating a secure and peaceful residential environment within.
- The architectural design reinterprets the Victorian South End, while providing an appropriate transition to the massive Copley Place complex beyond.
- The 269 units range from one to four bedrooms and offer a variety of configurations for both flats and duplexes. Bay windows in many of the apartments open to dramatic skyline views. All townhouses have private front and rear entrances and patios facing shared community courtyards.
- The entire development is constructed over a 700-car, below-grade garage, which also serves the adjacent Copley Place. One-quarter of the units are subsidized for low-income families, one-half for moderate, and one-quarter are rented at market rates.
