Developers signal intent for affordable tower, hotel on what is now a Chinatown parking lot

A consortium of two non-profit groups and two developers today filed a formal notification that they will soon file detailed plans to replace the parking lot next to the Tufts garage on Tremont Street with new affordable housing units, hotel space, an extension of the parking garage and space that could become the permanent home of a Chinatown branch of the Boston Public Library.

In their letter of intent, filed with the BPDA, the Asian Community Development Corp., Tufts, Corcoran Jennison and Millennium Partners did not specify the total number of residential and hotel units or parking spaces they will detail in an upcoming project-notification form.

But the letter says the proposed complex would have a total of 416,500 square feet. Last year, in the plan submitted they submitted to the BPDA to win development rights to the lot, known as Parcel 12-C, the group proposed a $170-million, 369,000-square-foot project development with 171 affordable units, split between apartments and condos, 140 hotel rooms and 240 new parking spaces.

BPL officials have been looking for space in the neighborhood for a permanent branch to replace the temporary one in the BPDA's China Trade Center at Boylston and Washington streets.

290 Tremont St. letter of intent (358k PDF).
Winning (and only) bid for the parcel (71M PDF).
BPDA's 2019 affordable-housing guidelines.