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Image courtesy of Core Development
A 22-acre cluster of industrial properties and parking lots near South Boston’s Andrew Square is being prepared for redevelopment including a last-mile distribution center for Amazon.
The plans call for the demolition of two industrial buildings and Amazon’s occupancy of a former Blue Cross Blue Shield warehouse on Dorchester Avenue and represent the first phase in “On the Dot,” a mixed-use development that could span up to 8 million square feet, Boston-based Core Development announced.
The site runs for a half-mile along Dorchester Avenue, where major developers have acquired a series of industrial parcels between Andrew and Broadway stations for redevelopment as housing and retail uses.
Core Development owns 15 parcels between Dorchester Avenue and the MBTA tracks, including a former Blue Cross Blue Shield warehouse and former junkyard now used for surface parking.
In a recent presentation to the Andrew Square Civic Association, developers said Amazon delivery vans would depart in 20-minute intervals following the peak morning rush hour and return following the evening rush hour, many of them using Interstate 93 to reach delivery routes.
In presentation materials, Core Development said it plans to begin demolition work next week and begin tenant improvements this summer.
The site includes the the following parcels:
- 409 Dorchester Ave., which contains a 10,000-square-foot industrial building that would be demolished to provide vehicle entry;
- 2 Alger St., a 40,000-square-foot storage building which Target Corp. plans to vacate and would be demolished;
- 4 Alger St., a 96,000-square-foot former Blue Cross Blue Shield warehouse, which would be renovated for the Amazon facility;
- 501-537 Dorchester Ave., a large surface parking lot;
- 385 Dorchester Ave., which is occupied by Crossfit Southie and would not be redeveloped.
Core Development was not immediately available for comment. The firm is a new subsidiary of Core Investments formed this year to oversee the project and led by John Cissel, a former partner at Cornerstone Real Estate Advisory Services partner.
Core Investments is partnering with Boston-based Samuels & Assoc. on another transformative project located on the opposite side of Dorchester Avenue: the 746-unit Washington Village multifamily complex spanning seven blocks.
And National Development is seeking approvals for redevelopment of a cluster of industrial parcels on Dorchester Avenue and Old Colony Ave.
Core Investments said it plans to apply for eight approvals from the city Zoning Board of Appeals, including a conditional use permit for storage of delivery vans on surface parking lots.
