Church vacant since 2004 will be transformed into new affordable housing and creative home for youth

Pennrose and Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) celebrated the groundbreaking of the Blessed Sacrament redevelopment, which will transform the vacant 1913 historic church in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood into a vibrant mixed-use, mixed-income development. The community, expected to be completed by the end of 2027, will include 55 affordable apartments and dedicated space for youth arts and cultural programs, as well as community gatherings.

Speakers at the event included: Michelle Wu, Mayor, City of Boston; Karmen Cheung, Regional Vice President, Pennrose, LLC; Rebecca Schofield, Senior Developer, Pennrose, LLC; Celina Miranda, Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force; Jennifer Maddox, Deputy Secretary, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Isabella Loboa Velasquez and Tommy O’Neil, On Behalf of the Office of Senator Edward J. Markey; Sam Montaño, State Representative, 15th Suffolk District and Board Member, Hyde Square Task Force; Nate Robinson, Senior Vice President, Housing Finance, MassDevelopment; Rachel Heller, Executive Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership; and Jonathan Block, Board Member, Hyde Square Task Force.

The new community features a mix of modern studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments available to a wide range of households at 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Of the total units, six will be set aside for formerly homeless residents. Pennrose and HSTF are working with architect DiMella Shaffer to preserve the building’s historic façade, adapt the church’s main nave into a 200+ capacity multipurpose performance and community space, and repurpose the building’s cupula as a community room for residents. 

“The Blessed Sacrament redevelopment is a prime example of how creative, innovative housing solutions can address multifaceted community goals, including preserving an underutilized historic landmark, investing in cultural facilities, and improving housing accessibility,” said Karmen Cheung, regional vice president at Pennrose. “It is an honor to help create much-needed affordable rental housing in a resource-rich, transit-oriented neighborhood.”

The project is the result of years-long, cross-sector collaboration and robust community engagement. In 2019, HSTF and the City of Boston completed a Latin Quarter District Plan that identified the local need for mixed-income housing and community space, and HSTF embarked on a community process to determine the redevelopment options for the Church to best meet local priorities. Pennrose was selected as the designated developer in mid-2021, undergoing significant stakeholder engagement to inform plans and building design.

Once complete, the revitalized 71,000-square-foot Blessed Sacrament site, which has sat vacant since 2004, will anchor the Latin Quarter and help spur continued investment on Centre Street. HSTF will operate the multipurpose community space and Pennrose Management Company (PMC) will serve as the property manager.

"This is a transformative moment for our community," said Celina Miranda, Executive Director of the Hyde Square Task Force. "Not only will this investment help relieve the neighborhood’s affordable crisis, but it will turn this vacant building into a community asset that will include a creative home for youth and Afro-Latin artists and a gathering place in Boston's Latin Quarter."

“Blessed Sacrament Church has long been a symbol of both history and hope for our community,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The City of Boston is proud to support this redevelopment, which will preserve a cherished historic landmark, create deeply needed affordable housing, and provide a community performance space. This project ensures that the heart of Hyde Square continues to serve as a gathering place for residents for generations to come.”

"The adaptive reuse of Blessed Sacrament Church is a powerful example of preserving community history while meeting today's housing needs," said Juana Matias, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. "The transformation of this landmark into 55 new affordable homes saves an important piece of Jamaica Plain history while ensuring that more families have a stable and affordable place to live in the community. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is proud to support this project."

“We’re thrilled to create high-quality housing for low- and moderate-income households in a neighborhood facing significant market pressures and displacement,” added Marsha Blunt, president of Pennrose Management Company. “Today’s groundbreaking was the result of years of work, creativity, and collaboration, bringing us one step closer to the exciting day where we can welcome residents into their brand-new homes.”

The project is funded through Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity syndicated by CREA, tax exempt bond financing and construction period debt through MassDevelopment and Citizens Bank, permanent debt from Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), and federal funds through the Community Directed Spending program administered by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Additional support was provided by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH), MHIC, MassHousing, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), and Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and MassDevelopment's Underutilized Properties Program.

Pennrose is headquartered in Philadelphia, with a regional office in Boston. The mission-driven developer also developed The Pryde in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, New England’s first LGBTQ+ affirming affordable senior housing community, and is currently developing 95 Everett in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood, which will create an 88-unit, transit-oriented, mixed-income community.