Two Dorchester housing projects intended to accommodate disabled and low-income residents were approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority last week. One, the Harmon Apartments project on the campus of the Boston Home, has faced pushback from residents whose properties abut the proposed development.

In March, the Boston Home introduced plans for the 36-unit Harmon complex to be built on a parcel of its Dorchester Avenue grounds. The proposal was quickly met with resistance from nearby residents, prompting a design reconfiguration that did not entirely assuage neighbors’ concerns.

In the plan approved by the BRA at a board meeting last Thursday, developers estimate the mixed-income, four-story building will cost $14.1 million, down from an earlier figure of $17 million.

Boston Home says it will seek public funds to ensure that 32 of the apartments will be available for low-income residents, along with 4 units offered at market rate.

The complex has been designed as an independent living community with disabled residents in mind, offering one- and two- bedroom units, according to the BRA statement. Construction is expected to begin next year.

The Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation’s (CSNDC) Four Corners Plaza project will consist of multiple affordable housing units at and around the intersection of Bowdoin Street and Bowdoin Avenue, according to their BRA proposal. Work is expected to begin in 2017.

The CSNDC plans to construct two buildings housing 31 rental units and 9,200 square feet of commercial space on three vacant lots bordering on the existing Down Home Delivery restaurant.

One of the buildings will be a four-story, mid-rise building will be built along Bowdoin Street. The plans state that this building will contain 28 apartments – three studios, eight one-bedrooms, and seventeen two-bedrooms. In addition, three three-bedroom townhouses are planned to face Bowdoin Avenue in the second building.

Commercial space and a basement parking structure will also be located in the mid-rise building. Plans call for 40 parking spaces to be split between residential and commercial purposes.

All of the Four Corners Plaza housing is designated for low-income residents. The 43,537-square-foot development is projected to cost $14.5 million. In its proposal, the CSNDC emphasized the environmentally friendly plan for the property, which it said is expected to be at least LEED Silver certifiable or above.

(LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a widely accepted rating system for the development of green homes and communities. Its four levels are certified, silver, gold, and platinum.)
The two Dorchester developments were among eight projects that were given the nod at the BRA session. In a statement, the BRA estimated that, in total, they will cost $401.6 million and introduce 413 new housing units to the city’s stock.