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401 West First Street

  • 401 West First Street
  • 401 West First Street
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Address

401 West First St.

Neighborhood

South Boston

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Description

One of South Boston's premier apartments are located at 401 West First Street. The building contains 49 units with a combination of homes offering one, two and three bedrooms. Units may also have up to two full bathrooms and offer around 1,250 square feet of living space. In fact, some of the homes offer as many as 3,000 square feet.

This is a brand new building, constructed in 2013. 401 West First Street offers gorgeous penthouse units and condos that are truly unique. Windows wrap around many of the condos, offering dramatic views of the skyline that are unique to this building. Independent heating and cooling controls allow each resident to keep the thermostat at a comfortable temperature.

While unit amenities may differ, some of these condos offer heated bathroom floors and luxurious steam showers that feel more like a spa than bathroom. These units offer Grohe fixtures and much more. Ultimately, these bathrooms feel like much more than a home. They seem more like a resort than anything else.

The condos and apartments at 401 West First Street offer amenities and appliances that have been upgraded from new. The updates are obvious in comparison to other South Boston apartment homes. Many kitchens at 401 West First Street offer custom countertops and top of the line appliances, not to mention the strategic lighting situated throughout the home.

In addition to parking spaces for residents, bike racks and zip car spaces are also available to residents of 401 West First Street. Community amenities also include four roof decks. Some residents also have access to heated garage spaces. In addition to garage parking, this building is made accessible via an elevator. Life here always seems like a vacation.

Valuable Information about the 401 West First Street Development

The building dubbed as 401 West First Street offers plenty of reasons to stay for those who are looking forward to making South Boston their home. It finished its construction process in 2015, but even before that, it was considered one of the best-selling condos in the entire city of Boston in 2014.

The buyers and the lessees cannot be blamed for choosing this property over the others. It has luxurious condo units that have been designed with the future residents in mind. From what they need to the things they want in a place they wish to call home, this building has everything.

After construction was completed, almost ten units were already sold. The median price at that time was $800,000. Initially, the plan was to have 45 units but later on, more were added to accommodate the increasing number of people who want to live in the condominiums.

Triumphing Over the Scrutinizing Public

Just like many developments in Boston, the developers and this project were first met with opposing residents and media. The first convention sponsored by a local organization in the neighborhood where the developers faced the public created a lot of tension.

Two parties met with each other; the first was the developer’s team together with their attorney, and the other was comprised of the residents. In the conference, the residents fought with the lawyer of the company to fight for what they thought was right for their neighborhood. At that time, they saw that the building was not the same as the one shown to them ten years ago.

The people also contested the intentional lack of transparency by the developers regarding the project. There were even threats of a lawsuit made, which came from the camp of the developer against a local newspaper writer.

However, despite the chaos that surrounded the development, it went ahead as planned. It included an interconnected building that had 45 units, along with 63 parking spaces. Formerly, the plan was to have a four-story building, and it would have a peak of 51 feet. The project also includes common roof decks with some rooms that have them as one of the unique amenities.

The building is called Edward M. Sullivan, which is a way for the developers to pay tribute to the Marine combat photographer who risked his life and got killed in Vietnam while doing his job. The construction of the building was finished in 2013. However, a few more units and amenities were added, and the whole project was completed in 2015.

More about the Development

The Edward M. Sullivan building was once the place where the Norcross Lumber Company stood. In 2001, it was acquired by the developers, and the proposal for the residential building was submitted a year later. According to that proposal, the construction would have two connected properties that will contain 45 units.

The first building is now five stories high, and it contains 38 of the units that come in condo-style. There is no retail space in this building. Meanwhile, the second one is much smaller with just one and a half story and now has the seven loft-style units. There is a gallery in the building as well, which was in honor of the late Sullivan where his photographs are shown.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority reviewed the documents and approved the proposal, which also included a 60-space parking garage. Although the plan was already passed, there were some significant problems, and the biggest one concerned the financial side of the project. A new developer took over in 2012, which meant that the project did not start moving until after ten years later.

Even though the project faced some backlash from the community, it obtained all the necessary permits. Therefore, work began, including the groundbreaking for the project. It is true that some changes did occur to the building and the whole project itself. However, the Permit Extension Act of 2012 allowed the developer to continue with the development without having to file a new proposal.

There were some modifications in the design of the building, but the authorities sided with the developer despite the angry residents. According to the ISD Commissioner, people were just taken by surprise because of the construction going on. It was considered an enormous project and could impact their surroundings. They already knew about the development, but it had been years before it was executed.

Soon enough, the residents realized that the development would benefit them. While some threatened to leave the neighborhood, more people came and resided in the area. At the time they calmed down, they admitted that the Norcross site had always been dilapidated and many problems happened because of it.

Therefore, the project went on and was completed just a few years after it started. The developer took the opportunity to talk more about the development. The building would be divided into four portions and would have just a single interconnected foundation. It would have an average height of almost 50 feet with a total of 45 units. Today, it has 49 units with some additions to the affordable condos.

The first building where the condo-style units are has varieties that range from two to four bedrooms. Instead of just 60 parking spaces, it now has 63 spots for the vehicles of the residents in the area. Additionally, there are bike racks and a massive space for zip cars.

The sections of the building have one commercial space each that measures 500 square feet. Also, all the parts have an art space where Sullivan’s works are viewable. Local artists can also gain their space in the gallery for a low fee.

By the time the development was completed (without the added units), all the condos were already sold out. It just goes to show that this particular residential building does contain what people desire. The units are not only spacious and luxurious, but they are also designed in such a way that the residents will feel comfortable and satisfied with the location.

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