DORCHESTER – After 17 months of construction, the Carruth, a transit oriented development project at 1910 Dorchester Ave., is nearing its projected spring completion.
The Carruth is a six-story complex consisting of 74 rented apartments, 42 condominiums, 80 underground parking spaces and 4 retail spaces, according to the Massachusetts Housing website.
“The rentals are affordable – it’s for the working class,” said Belinda Louie Luscinskas, construction manager for Trinity Financial, Inc. “The main advantage is in its urban and transit attributes.”
Two-bedroom rental units are intended to be for those who earn about $40,380, which is 60 percent of Boston’s median income, according to the Massachusetts Housing website. Eight of the rental units are designated for those who earn 30% of the median income, which is $20,200.
Marketing representative Nathaniel Rashean Kalokoh of Winn Residential, the building’s management agent, said Carruth advertised in 16 publications in January, and by the end of the month, 53 apartments had been rented. The remaining 21 units were rented in February.
Luscinskas said the condominiums are not yet occupied but are now being marketed to appeal to mixed audiences, including young professionals. “We already see a lot of kids in the building,” he said.
Project manager Phil Jean, who works for Trinity Realty, which represents real estate sales for the MBTA, said Carruth was built to defray some of the costs involved with reconstructing Ashmont Station. The Carruth is built on land annexed from the station.
The Carruth is emblematic of the modernization that has become a characteristic of the area, particularly from Fields Corner to Peabody Square. The Boston Redevelopment Authority is working on fostering economic development with the Dorchester Avenue Project, an endeavor initiated by Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry has been actively involved with transit-oriented development and “community building” along Dorchester Avenue. Shasha Link, her spokeswoman, said Dorcena Forry is trying to unite people in the community “whether it’s a development in housing or providing people with a place and a role to decide whether or not they want the new Walgreens down the street.”“Dorchester is attractive because there are little ethnic pockets,” Luscinskas said. “Carruth can lend itself to different communities in that way.”