Veterans health center vows to build housing on Brighton campus despite Bill Galvin

The Brighton Marine Health Center says it's going to build 108 units of housing on its campus because helping veterans get a place to live is more important than assuaging the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth.

At issue are several structures on the campus that the health center wants to raze to make way for the apartments.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who lives in Brighton, says the buildings are historic and has had Massachusetts Historical Commission, which he controls, withhold its approval of the proposal. Without that approval, the health center can't get the state tax credits that would let it offer most of the units to veterans who do not make enough to pay market rates.

The health center says the buildings are not on any official lists of historic buildings, including the one maintained by the Boston Landmarks Commission. Both the Brighton Allston Historical Society and the Brighton Allston Improvement Association approved Brighton Marine's plans - as did, more formally, the BRA and the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals.

In a recent letter to supporters, Brighton Marine President Michael Dwyer says the center has tried for 14 months to get the commission to consider alternatives - including moving the buildings elsewhere - without success. And it may be time for the center to look to private financing - which will let the center tear down the buildings but also raise the project's cost considerably, he wrote.

Brighton Marine remains singularly focused on the welfare of veterans and doing what we can do to help meet their needs. That is why we are writing our community today to say that if we cannot secure the necessary tax credits to build for maximum affordability, we will need to explore securing private financing, thus eliminating any official role of the Massachusetts Historical Commission in our project. It must be understood, however, that if we are forced to use private financing to make the project work financially, we will not be able to offer 80% of the units at below market rates. Our financial analysis indicates that, with available conventional financing, the unit mix will be about 20% affordable units and 80% market rate units. All of the units will still be for veterans.

On Veterans Day, Mayor Walsh made an appearance at Brighton Marine to push for more housing for veterans.