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Old Unitarian HQ to be turned into the sort of condos that have their own au-pair units

The Zoning Board of Appeals next week hears a request from the new owners of the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters at 25 Beacon St. to completely gut the building and turn it into nine condos and three apartments for au pairs.

SDC-DLJ, which bought 25 Beacon and two other UUA buildings next to the State House for $23.6 million earlier this year, needs zoning-board approval in part because city zoning prohibits au-pair units.

SDC-DLJ is a partnership of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, Sea-Dar Real Estate and CNW Capital Partners LLC.

The building, which had an elevator that didn't go all the way to the top as well as inadequate wiring and air conditioning, had served as the association's headquarters since its opening in 1927.

The Unitarians actually had been headquartered at 25 Beacon St. since 1886: The address used to be on the other side of the State House, but when they built the current building, they got permission to move the address there as well.

The association picked an office building in the Seaport district as its new headquarters.

The zoning hearing starts at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the ZBA's eighth-floor hearing room in City Hall.

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Comments

I love the idea of turning a dilapidated office into new housing. But ... au pair units? Even on Beacon Hill, that's a little ... what's the word I'm looking for?

Is this just housing for jerks?

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Its just an apartment for a nanny. Very wealthy people have Au Pairs, wealthy people have Nannys and us regular folk have day care.

They want to give the Au Pair his/her own space to come and go as they please without having to disturb the employer. I would imagine offering their own place to an Au Pair would be a great selling point to a prospective employee.

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Au pairs are foreign women desperate to move to the US and are much cheaper than full time local nannies. Except they need a place to live. And thus, the so called "very wealthy" or "job creators" usually house them in their basements or attic bedrooms and pay them a $100/week stipend. Sometimes they even allow their au pairs to have a Sunday off. That is, if they are not hosting a Sunday brunch for their golfing buddies that they need maid service for.

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Do you know what daycare costs?

I have friends with twins who have an Au Pair because the cost daycare for two infants in Cambridge is less than the cost of an Au Pair.

Also, the agency they used she is limited to 45 hours a week (So if they want that brunch they need to find the time somewhere in the week)

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... but not a love-in one. It was cheaper than day care for three young kids (an older child ith three years-younger twins). And we managed to pay all the requisite taxes etc ourselves (and gave sick leave and vacation time).

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They also need ZBA approval for the roof deck they want to add.

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...it's like an in-law apartment. I would assume the 'real' apartment renter pays for the in-law or au pair or whatever and they work out a deal for payment, room and board, whatever.
I would think if it's a separate apartment, it needs two separate egresses.

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I suppose you could look at it as 'housing for jerks'... however, because of these wealthy people you all jerks, there are going to be people of less means who need jobs and housing who will then have jobs and housing. Try to look at things from multiple perspectives.

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I'm not clear what this is. Is it different from a regular apartment, with only one room, bath, and possible a basic galley kitchen? Or is it a bedroom across the hall from the employers?

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Usually has it's own outside entry, not unlike an "in-law apartment".

I should know, I done tagged my fair share of au pairs in my day, shiiiiiiiiiit

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What sounds more exclusive? Room for the help or an apartment for the au pair? Having dinner at the Algonquin club you can bet that term will be dropped on more than a few occasions.

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Why would having a condo/apartment building need a zoning variance?

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The city zoning code specifically prohibits units for au pairs.

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That's interesting.

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Not quite the same thing, but ... when Club 47 (predecessor to the current Club Passim) moved from 47 Mount Auburn Street to Palmer Street, the city of Cambridge passed a special bill to assign them the street address 47 Palmer Street. There are no other buildings with addresses on Palmer Street.

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That interior is clearly not worth saving

God I hate developers sometimes

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