Developer plans 16-story residential building next to fabled Allston train station - and to sell part of the land for the access to the station

City Realty, which used to specialize in small apartment buildings, says it will soon file plans for a 16-story, 262-unit residential building on Ashford Street, next to the West Station commuter rail station that state officials once pushed but which more recently have said they would put off until 2040 or so.

The building would also overlook Harvard's proposed mixed-use "enterprise research campus" development that also hinges on construction of the Worcester Line station.

City Realty says it plans to sell almost half of the roughly 0.8-acre site - now home to a single-story industrial building - to the state to provide access to West Station from the Ashford Street side, which would include bus routes along Ashford Street.

West Station, which officials had originally hoped to have operational last year, foundered after Deval Patrick left office and Charlie Baker took over.

Harvard has since increased its proposed contributions for both a permanent station and a temporary one on the Worcester Line tracks along the edge of the former Beacon train yard, since it has made the idea of commuter-rail access a part of its proposal for redeveloping the land.

In its letter of intent, City Realty says it has had extensive talks with MassDOT, the MBTA and the I-90 Interchange Task Force about its project and proposed land sale for access to the station. It says any money from the land sale would go to affordable-housing groups in Allston/Brighton. The developer adds that 34 of the units will be marketed as affordable - and to people who make less money than the city usually requires for "affordable" units.

City Realty is proposing 63 parking spaces for residents.

It's also promising remote-work space for residents, along with an exercise room as well as a doggy daycare and pet-grooming facilities aimed at the needs of "the modern urban resident" the building will be aimed at.

76 Ashford St. letter of intent (77k PDF).