Hartnett Lot Housing Development

At a glance

What: A private developer (LMG) is under contract with the City to build housing on the Hartnett parking lot near the Cathedral on Lowell Street. Speakers described a 16 story apartment building.
Where it stands: The City still owns the lot. The Planning Board heard the plan October 1 and the developer showed about 20 angled spaces. Dexter plans to meet the developers; Belanger warned that breaching the contract would be unwise.
Next: Dexter's meeting with the developers; Planning Board outcome.

Thivierge: 25 people park there from the apartment buildings at Lowell and Chestnut Streets; Waypoint uses 12 spaces and Live Free Recovery 20; the parking garage is full and walking to it feels unsafe; asked where people go.
Veysey: removing the lot takes parking from four neighboring buildings, a youth support center, a recovery center and the church; residents with limited mobility rely on close parking; Veysey expects high rents to push neighbors' rents up.
Ouellette (also August 4 and September 1): stop waiving parking requirements for new apartments; otherwise a costly garage will be needed; meters are creeping into residential areas.

Kantor said many permit holders, churches and residents are "floored" and asked how permits would be honored at Pearl Street or Victory Street garages.
Belanger: the City's April 2021 housing report identified the Pearl Street and Hartnett lots as underutilized; a June 2021 RFP chose LMG for both; an MOU followed in February 2022 and a contract in August 2022, amended about once a year. Every version had Hartnett sold to a private developer with private parking and housing. Pearl Street will have about 450 garage spaces (about 320 there now) and about 135 units, a rough break even. Parking permit pricing is up to the parking division. The Planning Board heard it "last Thursday" (October 1); the developer proposed about 20 angled spaces on the north side.
Fajardo said the lot is full as a parking lot, but the plot of land is underutilized as parking.
Dexter said Hartnett is overused now because Pearl Street users were diverted during construction, that it has not been sold, and that Dexter will meet the developers to look at private parking and Sunday church solutions.

Public comment and Board discussion; the lot remains City owned under contract.

Site plan SP2026-019 for the Lowell Street building (16 stories, 196 units, 330-space garage) is on the November 5 agenda, continued from October 1.