Allele features 48 sleek, lofty condos
Allele, rhymes with ideal, defined as “a genetic element that is responsible for individuality or variation from one generation to another.”
Allele is a brand new building at 150 Dorchester Ave., marketed as “thoughtful homes with loft attitude.”
Built of brick, concrete, steel and glass, it comprises 48 one-plus and two-plus-bedroom condominiums, which are spacious, ranging in size from 979 to 2,202 square feet.
West Roxbury developer Bernard McFarland of South Boston LLC is the second generation of McFarlands to develop residences in this part of the city – at the edge of South Boston, the South End and the Seaport District – an area which has seen dramatic changes.
A few years ago the McFarlands converted the former Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the adjacent rectory at 45-55 West Broadway, which are just around the corner, to condos.
Since then, across from Allele, the Court Square Press building was converted to condos, and the Macallen Building, a new “green” development that rises from six to 11 stories, was constructed.
At the corner of Dorchester Avenue and West Broadway, the Broadway MBTA Red Line station is slated for a redesign, and across from the church at 50-72 West Broadway is a former school, slated for 139 residential units. More condos have been built at 36 A Street.
Allele is a six-story, mixed-use development that encompasses a 20,295-square-foot parcel that once was the site of the Albany Radiator Company.
R. Wendell Phillips, who designed the condos in the church and rectory, also designed the finished lofts at Allele, which Mary Kelleher and Ken Smith of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty are marketing.
Prices range from $429,000 to $979,000, and the first five units that are sold will include garage parking.
Kelleher says a. popular, well established South End restaurateur plans to open a 100-seat bistro on the first floor, at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Silver Street.
With a dining spot in mind, a friend of Kelleher’s “bought the space before the first shovel was in the ground” and struck a deal with the restaurateur.
Eleven of the residential units already are under agreement, including the corner penthouse, which sold for more than $1 million.
Nine of the condos are available now, ready for occupancy in May, and one of them, Unit 406, has been staged as a model so that buyers and brokers can envision use of the space.
Every unit will have 10-foot-4-inch ceilings and bamboo flooring.
The bamboo has been cut vertically and carbonized to create an appealing color and design.
There are abundant, operable windows, 8 feet tall. In addition, each home has a private, 70-square-foot balcony.
The entry doors and the interior doors are solid core architectural birch and are 7 ½ feet high.
There are several different floor plans, but the model unit, an –06, and the –07 units have similar floor plans.
These condos, listed at $569,000, have 1,116 square feet of living space, and the open kitchens flow into the dining and living areas.
The counters and the bath vanities are CaesarStone, a quartz composite that is more durable than granite.
There are varying colors used in the homes, and the sleek kitchen cabinetry has different complimentary colors – maple, cherry or mahogany and espresso.
Some of the cabinets have opaque glass fronts. The stainless steel appliances – the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave and compactor – are by Bosch, and the four-burner gas range is from the GE Profile series.
The baths feature an oversized ceramic tiled shower with two rain showerheads and faucets.
In some baths, the long tiles are laid vertically, rather than horizontally. Penny-round mosaic tiles cover the walls, and a vessel sink tops the vanity.
For the two-bedroom-plus condos, there is a second bath with a combination tub/shower. The master bath is en suite.
The “plus” room in each of the condos is designated as a study, but it could be relegated to storage.
Each unit also has hookups for a washer and dryer. The homes have central air conditioning and forced hot air by gas heating systems.
The hallways will be carpeted, and two elevators will provide direct access from the garage. At the end of the hall is a trash chute.
The below-ground garage, with an entrance from Silver Street, can accommodate 48 parking spaces and space for bicycle storage. Deeded parking spaces will be offered at $40,000.
The lobby, which has not yet been finished, will feature gray metallic tile on the lobby floor and a ceiling drop of sea glass.
Drapes on the window will have a similar color. “It all will look very contemporary and elegant,” says Kelleher, “like these lofts.”
DETAILS
Address: Allele, 150 Dorchester Ave., South Boston
48 units; 11 under agreement, 9 presently on the market
BR/BA: One-plus bedroom, one bath and two-plus bedrooms, two baths
Size range: 979 to 2,020 square feet
Price range: $429,000 to $979,000
Taxes: To be determined
Fees: Between $318 and $624 per month (includes heat, water and cooking gas)
Age: 2007-2008
Features of building: Forty-eight loftlike units in six-story brick, concrete and glass building with part of first floor designated for commercial space; below-ground parking garage for 48 cars; two elevators; pet-friendly.
Features of condos: High ceilings, huge windows, private balconies, open floor plans with sleek kitchens, stainless steel Bosch appliances, oversized tiled showers with two rain showerheads, bamboo floors, in-unit laundry hookups; deeded garage parking available for $40,000.
Close by: Restaurants and shops near Broadway; close to South End, Seaport, Downtown; Massachusetts Convention and Visitor Center; Boston Center for the Arts, Institute of Contemporary Arts; easy access to MBTA Red Line Broadway station, to Routes 93 and 90 (Mass. Pike) and Logan Airport.
Contact: Mary Kelleher or Ken Smith, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, 566 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118. Phone: 617-426-6900. Web sites: www.alleleboston.com or www.gibsonsothebysrealty.com.
PhoBOalleleEXT_0329
Allele is a new mixed-use development with 48 condominiums and below-ground garage parking at 150 Dorchester Ave. in South Boston. Nine units are on the market, priced from $429,000 to $979,000.
COURTESY PHOTO / ARTISAN DIGITAL IMAGING
PhoBOalleleVIEW_0329
Nighttime views of Downtown Boston and of the South End are spectacular from many of the private balconies.
COURTESY PHOTO / ARTISAN DIGITAL IMAGING
PhoBOalleleLIVnew_0329
The living room in Unit 406 has a wall of windows 8 feet high. A glass door opens onto a private balcony.
COURTESY PHOTO / ARTISAN DIGITAL IMAGING
PhoBOalleleKITnew_0329
The kitchen features CaesarStone counters, contemporary cabinets, some with glass fronts, and stainless steel appliances.
COURTESY PHOTO / ARTISAN DIGITAL IMAGING
PhoBOalleleDR_0329
A dining area has been created between the open kitchen and living area, unified by beautiful carbonized bamboo flooring.
PHOTO BY MARILYN JACKSON
PhoBOalleleBR_0329
All the bedrooms have spacious closets with interior lighting.
PHOTO BY MARILYN JACKSON
PhoBOalleleBA_0329
A vessel sink tops the CaesarStone vanity. All the baths include a double-sized walk-in shower with two rain showerheads.
PHOTO BY MARILYN JACKSON
in South Boston’s Westside,
close to South End, Seaport
BY MARILYN JACKSON
STAFF WRITER
