residences at salem point

2012

This proposal for the construction of three affordable rental developments in Salem Point was conceptualized as an aggressive first step in the revitalization of a marginalized and often underserved community in Salem Massachusetts. The proposal was assembled in partnership with The North Shore CDC for a community revitalization effort that sought to fundamentally alter Salem’s common understanding of The Point and help to cultivate new, more palpable ideals of community, self-reliance, and participation.

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Spread between three separate sites in Salem Point, this proposal responds directly to Salem’s brimming need for affordable housing while integrating the existing community’s pent up need for accessible community spaces, formal cultural space, and a closer more collaborative relationship with North Shore. The proposal provides a total of sixty-eight units of affordable rental housing between three separate buildings on Lynch Street, Congress Street, and Palmer Street, along with 6,000sf of new onsite office space for the CDC, a new daycare center and 3,000sf of community space located in the Congress Street property. 

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Currently, fewer than 4,000 people live in The Point, housed in approximately 1,500 units within 0.3 sq. mile radius. The neighborhood has a strong Dominican and Creole population with nearly a quarter of households headed by single mothers living below the poverty line. 

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Between the three new buildings, 10% of the new units will be reserved for very low-income families earning 30% of Area Median Income (AMI), while 70% of the new units will be affordable for families earning 50% AMI and 20% of the units will be set to be affordable for families earning 60% AMI. In working towards addressing these economic and housing needs in Salem Point, this proposal attempts to incorporate the provision for affordable housing with many resident’s need for job-training and child care services, and positioning new community and administrative spaces for North Shore as a neighbor to its residents is a crucial first step in effectively implementing and monitoring such programs. 

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In developing the programming and assessing the financial feasibility and design for the three sites, our efforts were originally complicated by a burdensome provision for parking mandated by the property’s current owner.  The owner of the Lynch and Congress Street properties required that any new development had to provide space for 180 parking spaces to service adjacent properties also under his ownership. Reconciling this provision for parking with the parking requirements for the new residential proposal proved to be a formidable challenge that would undergird nearly every design and financing decision we made.  As is explained in the preceding pages, financial feasibility was demonstrated through a nuanced phasing of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity, state housing subsidies, and construction and permanent loans for affordable housing.  

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The design evolved along similarly nuanced lines, demonstrating the extent to which a potential liability (i.e. 180 spaces of parking) can be used as a provocative design asset and symbol for change in the neighborhood. 

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The unit designs in each building provide a diverse mix of sizes and layouts to accommodate varying family sizes and age groups. Each building is designed to promote a sense of community and encourage regular social interaction amongst residents. Each building has central, shared entry and lobby spaces which can serve as social and community gathering space, as well as communal laundry and mail room facilities to increase resident interaction and sociability. Additionally, through the strategic use of high-performance materials, well-detailed envelope design and efficient ventilation and energy recovery systems, all three of North Shore’s new apartment developments will qualify for LEED Gold Certification, while far exceeding the performance criteria of Energy Star’s prescriptions and saving residents on average 60% in annual utility expenses. 

With its accomplished history and commitment to Salem Point, North Shore CDC and its dedicated development team are well-positioned to make this project a reality. Between these three sites, North Shore will be able to compellingly address some of the neighborhood's most formidable socio-economic needs in the near term while demonstrating the potential for continued growth and revitalization in the years to come. In addressing both the community’s immediate need for affordable housing and the neighborhood’s desire for more accessible civic spaces, this proposal will serve as an inspiring model for future community development initiatives that seek to incorporate well designed, well-positioned housing development into the mainstream of community redevelopment practice.