Dorchester lofts have right DNA
A new residential development of 59 lofts in Dorchester, within walking distance of the JFK/UMass trains, presents many choices to homebuyers looking for new construction and proximity to downtown, plus a location in an established neighborhood. In essence, value.
DNA Lofts, located at the corner of Dorchester and Crescent avenues, fits the bill. This Dorchester development comprises three connecting buildings.
The original three-story brick building was constructed in 1929 for the Meisel Press Manufacturing Company, which produced printing presses and gears; it later served as a distribution point for contractors’ supplies.
COURTESY PHOTO / LUCY COBOS
The two new four-story buildings at either end of the historic structure share the roofline, but the new structures have a parapet of bright blue Hardy Board paneling with an edgy, wide light blue cornice.
The result is a U-shaped complex with a beautifully landscaped courtyard with white and red oaks, red maples, silver lindens and tulip trees as well as kousa dogwood, Japanese tree lilacs, Callery pear trees and evergreens, all enclosed by a tall black iron gate. The main entrance will be from the courtyard.
The sleek, contemporary lofts range in size from 577 to 1,648 square feet and in price from $245,000 to $599,000. Each unit is allocated a parking space; in addition, 18 spaces in the underground garage are available for about $25,000 each.
DNA Lofts also has a large community room, where sales director Danielle Meade of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has set up the sales office.
From the mezzanine the camera captures the full 16-foot height and soaring windows of Unit 8 in Building A.
COURTESY PHOTO / LUCY COBOS
In addition to Coldwell Banker’s urban communities division, the development team comprises RaiCoh Partners LLC of Burlington, which builds townhouses, condominiums and retail centers near key transportation centers throughout New England, The Architectural Team Inc. of Chelsea and landscape architect Brian DeVellis, one of the principals of RaiCoh.
Green Builders Inc. is the general contractor, and Gregor Cann of Cann Design, who has worked on buildings in the South End and in Los Angeles, chose the fine interior finishes.
DNA Lofts derives its name from the concept that homebuyers can put their own imprint on their living space. Building A, the original building which contains 36 lofts, and Building B, which has 11 condos, have been built out.
But in Building C, which holds 21 units, buyers will be able to choose the flooring – polished concrete or vertically cut natural or carbonized bamboo – the stone countertops, the European-style cabinets with a deluxe Thermofoil finish, which come in 11 vibrant colors, and the color of the bathroom tiles.
Buyers in this building will be given a builder’s package or an allowance to purchase their cabinets and countertops through R & R Sales Inc., which is less than a mile away, said Meade.
Two model units have been created on the first floor of their respective buildings. In Building A, Unit 8 has a 16-foot soaring ceiling and hand-hewn beams and support columns of Southern yellow pine. With the extra height, a loft within this loft has been constructed for a sleeping space.
Just nine of these units exist; the ceiling height on the second floor of this building is 14 feet, and the top floor is 12 feet. The flooring is polished concrete.
The kitchen in Unit 8 is configured beneath the mezzanine, allowing for the greatest area to be oriented toward the tall, multi-paned windows that look out onto the courtyard and the other buildings. A glass door opens onto a private bluestone balcony.
The mezzanine is roomy enough for a large bed, a table, chais and a cabinet.
The kitchen features a black Hans Stone counter and blackboard backsplash and glossy silver cabinets, complemented by stainless steel appliances – a General Electric refrigerator with double freezer drawers and double doors, a five-burner (one is for warming) gas cooktop, a microwave and a dishwasher. There is Halogen track lighting and under-cabinet lighting, with electrical boxes for additional light fixtures, if the buyer so chooses.
The ceramic tiled bath has a large shower with mosaic details and a stone-topped vanity with an undermounted sink. Like all of the lofts, it has a washer/dryer hookup. Altogether, Unit 8 has 1,277 square feet of living space and is listed at $491,000.
In Building B, the model unit is No. 9 and has 1,112 square feet of open space and a 10-foot ceiling. It is priced at $435,000. The flooring is bamboo, and here the linear kitchen has glossy white cabinets and tan speckled counters. The stainless steel appliances are the same.
Meade said the lofts in this building come with a center island, but the designer for the model unit took it out. Off the living room is a balcony, and at the far end of the loft is a high bookcase, which cleverly conceals the sleeping area.
“There are 30 different floor plans with wide open spaces,” said Richard Strachan, director of the urban communities division. “These developers built DNA Lofts as though they were going to live here. They put in a lot of TLC.”
They also spent a lot of money incorporating amenities that aren’t readily visible, such as hiring masons that would patiently lay brick one by one. It nearly matches the brick of the original building and is beautiful. They also hired a soundproofing specialist to ensure that as much noise reduction as possible could be achieved. The windows are soundproof, and the floors between the units have been insulated for sound as well.
Two elevator banks eliminate long walks down a corridor, and each elevator opens on both sides, so that it seems that the elevator is dedicated to one specific building. One of the elevators goes to the garage.
Other amenities include a vision-phone intercom. The lofts have central air conditioning and forced hot air heating by gas. “The heat will be included in the condo fee,” said Meade.
Strachan pointed out that DNA Lofts have been built in an established neighborhood, where restaurants and corner groceries and artists’ spaces thrive. Before Dorchester Avenue was constructed in 1804, the main pathway in the area was Crescent Avenue, which ran from Allen’s Plain to Cow Pasture or Columbia Point. With the new toll road, houses began to dot the area, but residential development began in earnest with the arrival of the Old Colony Railroad 40 years later.
Today, the neighborhood represents fine examples of many types of housing stock, including the earliest three-deckers, according to the Boston Landmarks Commission. DNA Lofts is one of the newest examples.
DETAILS
Address: DNA Lofts, 944 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
Size: Ranging from 577 to 1,648 square feet
Price: $245,000 to $599,000
Taxes and condo fees: To be determined
Features of complex: Three-building complex with 59 lofts with ceiling height of at least 10 feet; sleek kitchens with stainless steel appliances, laundry hookups; polished concrete or bamboo flooring; landscaped courtyard; private balconies for about half of the units; common roof deck; off-street parking for all units, with underground garage spaces available for $25,000.
Close by: Local restaurants and pubs; Robert Ryan Playground; Bayside Expo Center; John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, UMass/Boston, Carson, Malibu and Savin Hill beaches; JFK/UMass MBTA Red Line and commuter rail; short distance to the South End and to South Boston; easy access to Route 93, Logan Airport.
Contact: Danielle Meade, sales director, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 944 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 02125. Phones: 617-733-2625 (cell) or 617-825-9220 (voice mail). Web site: www.DNALoftsBoston.com.
