Planned 25-Story Tower in Dudley Square Would Be Tallest Building In Roxbury

Planned 25 story tower in Dudley Square. Rendering via Stull and Lee Inc.

A 25 story mixed-use high rise is planned for a parcel in Dudley Square currently occupied by a a small bank building on Washington Street.

The building, proposed by developer Ken Guscott of the Long Bay Management Company, would set aside its first floor for street level retail space and reserve floors two through nine for office space. The remaining floors of the high rise will be designated as residential with a mix of market rate apartments and condominiums. Affordable housing will be located at an offsite location in order to comply with city housing and zoning laws.

The proposed structure comes on the heels of redevelopment of the Ferdinand Building as the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, home to the Boston Public Schools administrative offices, the Roxbury Innovation Center, and 18,000 square feet of street level retail space available to local businesses.

If completed as proposed it would be the tallest building in all of Roxbury.

At-Large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, one of the power brokers present at the first meeting on the development, said in a Boston interview that she welcomed the project but noted that it was still in the very preliminary stages.

“It’s not secret we’re moving toward greater density in our development and that’s the way we need to move,” said Pressley.

Pressley said that the development was needed in Roxbury in order to retain professionals in the neighborhood.

“What I think is even more paramount is we are retaining life long Bostonians and in particularly life long Roxbury residents. There are many professionals that reside within Roxbury and I want them to stay there to form the inspiration of our youth,” said Pressley, noting that many young professionals from Roxbury move to Randolph and Milton.

District 7 Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson told the Bay State Banner that denser development needs to happen in Roxbury because they have the space to build unlike other parts of the city.

“If we’re concerned about affordable housing in Boston, we’re going to have to deal with the fact that we have something most other neighborhoods don’t have — land. This project gives us an opportunity to jumpstart development in Dudley. I’m supportive of density in housing. When you look at transit-oriented development, buildings tend to be higher,” Jackson said to the Banner.