New housing approved on Dorchester Avenue

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved two new housing developments - one with room for restaurant - a couple blocks apart along Dorchester Avenue.

In the larger project, on two connected lots, one at 1121 Dorchester Ave., the other around the corner on Savin Hill Avenue, developer Joey Arcari is proposing a "live/work/eat development" that would feature a four-story, 21-unit residential building with roughly 5,000 square feet of ground-floor space for a restaurant on Dorchester Avenue, and a three-story, three-unit building on Savin Hill Avenue. Three of the units would be marketed as "affordable."

The Dorchester Avenue building would replace an car-sales lot; the Savin Hill Avenue building would replace a one-family house.

The development would have 13 parking spaces in an underground garage.

The mayor's office and the offices of city councilors Frank Baker, Michael Flaherty and Annissa Essaibi George supported Arcari's proposal. "We're very excited about this density increase in the area," Patrick Fandel of the mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services said.

The BPDA board approved the project last month.

Two blocks away, at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Roach Street, the board approved a proposal by the Broadway Companies to add nine apartments in three floors atop what is now a single-story commercial building. Six units would have two bedrooms each; three would have three bedrooms.