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Developer Chris DeSisto has submitted an application to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the mixed-used project he proposed at 450 Armory St. in Jamaica Plain, across the road from another project he built that houses Cafe Bartlett Square, Universal Hub noted.
As originally reported in March, DeSisto described early plans for a restaurant he plans to open in the four-story building. (In the new proposal, DeSisto calls the neighboring developments Bartlett Square I and II.)
Jamaica Plain News reported he has a seafood place in mind, with a patio and a mezzanine-level bar, potentially called Havana Pete's. The newspaper soon followed up, noting a volunteer, neighborhood council deadlocked on whether to support his quest for a new, limited liquor license. A call to the Boston City Clerk's office this morning confirmed DeSisto withdrew his liquor license application with the city before a hearing slated for March 11 and has yet to reschedule.
In the BRA proposal, submitted June 5, DeSisto doesn't detail plans for the restaurant, but he does say he intends to run it. It will take up about 1,800 square feet of space on the ground floor of the building, next to a smaller retail space and its office, and a shared workspace. The three upper stories will offer 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments over ~14,300 square feet. From the proposal:
The area needs more residents to assist making the neighborhood more vibrant and safer, especially at night. The restaurant and second retail space will serve a similar purpose. Currently, most persons pass through the area, but Bartlett Square II will provide amenities to attract residents and patrons.
The development would be an improvement over the "pork-chop shaped" lot's current use storing construction equipment, and as a parking lot for Bartlett Square I, DeSisto writes. The building is proposed for a site across from the Green Street MBTA Station.
Parking may be an issue, as his proposal calls for a maximum of 16 new spaces, but he notes its proximity to the Orange Line makes "the property an appropriate candidate for smart growth and transit-oriented development, which favor increased housing density near public transportation."
