Jackson Square Redevelopment

Boston, MA
Key Elements
  • LEED ND Pilot project 
  • Low Impact Development design elements  
  • Boston permitting 

In an effort to reknit the urban fabric blighted from years of neglect and damage, Jackson Square Partners redeveloped 11 acres of private and public land to revitalize the neighborhood where the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury communities meet. Jackson Square Partners, a collaboration of three community-based non-profit organizations, created a mixed-use development aimed at creating a balanced community. The LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) Pilot project, which was the first project in the northeast to earn a Silver Certified Plan rating, includes development of three lots around the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Jackson Square station and improvements to the area’s streets.  

For the four-phase redevelopment project, Nitsch provided boundary retracement and existing conditions surveys for 27 acres in the area, including the 11-acre site. Our engineers then began work on the Phase 1A Infrastructure, which was completed in the fall of 2011, and which supports the area’s new residential condominiums and retail space. Nitsch used Low Impact Development (LID) principles to develop the site; the development includes green roofs, re-use rainwater, and utilizes other green design techniques. We designed roadway infrastructure improvements for five streets in the area: Columbus Avenue, Centre Street, Amory Street, the MBTA busway, and Ritchie Street. We also prepared design documents that include new curb alignments, sidewalks, streetlights, and median dividers. 

Our design balances the need to maintain the vital transportation arterials of Columbus Avenue and Centre Street with the need to support pedestrian and bicycle travel, as well as the need to provide on-street parking and improved landscaping and amenities. Nitsch provided technical support for the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) permitting, and was responsible for providing utility design, stormwater management design, site layout and grading, and construction administration services; as well as permitting with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Boston Public Improvement Commission (PIC). 

The overall Jackson Square project includes 14 buildings with 436 housing units, 61,200 square feet of retail/commercial, 13,500 square feet of office space, 66,500 square feet of community facilities, and open space. 

Key Collaborators

Owner: Urban Edge 
Developers: Jackson Square Partners and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation 
LEED Consultant: Blue Wave Capital, LLC 
Master Planner: Prellwitz Chilinski Associates 
Landscape Architect: Brown, Richardson & Rowe, Inc.