Shuttered East Boston church could make way for housing

Two developers have proposed turning the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church properties along Gove Street into 187 new housing units.

In a letter of intent filed with the BPDA, Richard Egan and Timothy White say they are looking to turn the church at the corner of Frankfort and Gove streets - closed in 2004 - into 13 residences and to connect it to a new 15-unit building. They would also tear down the convent across the street for a six-story building with 87 units - with part of the building being just four stories tall and mimicking a row of townhouses to better blend in with the neighborhood.

Egan and Walsh say both the rectory and the convent are "compromised structurally" and no longer fit for human habitation.

They are proposing 52 one-bedroom units, 52 two-bedroom units, 7 studios and 4 three-bedroom units. Some of the units will be duplexes and some will have private decks - in addition to several decks available to all residents.

The letter does not indicate the number of planned parking spaces, but notes the proposal's location near the Maverick and Airport Blue Line stops, which will "minimalize community impact from resident parking."

The next step for the developers is to file a more detailed project-notification form, after which the BPDA will convene meetings and a citizen group to consider the project before it goes to the BPDA and the zoning board for approval.

Mount Carmel letter of intent (639k PDF).