Representatives for a project at 9 Chelsea Street that would bring new units and retail space to the area shared plans for their development at the Gove Street Neighborhood Association’s (GSNA) latest meeting last week. The project, at the site of the old Rapino Memorial Home, calls for a six-story mixed-use building with 109 units and about 2,875 square feet of space for three retail spaces on the ground floor. Domenic Coppola of Drago & Toscano LLP, the project counsel, indicated that the development will “bring much-needed housing and retail spaces to Maverick Square.” As for the unit mix, the development is slated to have 59 studios, 34 one-bedrooms, and 16 two-bedrooms. With average square footage of 420, 586, and 835 for each unit type. Regarding how the project aligns with zoning, Coppola said it is “primarily zoning-compliant.” The project is located in the mixed-use-7 zoning subdistrict and would need relief for the side yard and the building’s lot coverage. In terms of the community engagement that has occurred with the proposed development, Coppola indicated the team has spoken with the Planning Department, elected officials, and others. Additionally, he said the project received support from the Maverick Central Neighborhood Association. As part of that community engagement process, tweaks to the project have been made, such as reducing the height from seven to six stories and adding stepbacks, among other changes. Later in the presentation, John Williams, the project architect, walked through other aspects of the proposal. Specifically, Williams pointed out plans for sidewalk improvements along Maverick and Chelsea Streets, and native plantings. He also went over plans for a proposed roof deck. “Since we don’t have much site to work with down below, we do want to give the residents a very nice amenity space up on the deck,” Williams said. As the presentation progressed, Williams outlined floor plans, elevations, renderings, and more before the floor was opened for questions and comments from attendees. One resident had asked whether there were plans for a loading and unloading zone, especially given the number of units with new tenants moving in. In response, Williams said, “We’re trying to find ways to get an off-street loading zone. Currently, we’re going to be working with the city to have two spaces striped as a loading zone on the street, but that is a topic we’re trying to explore to make better.” Another resident commented that something needed to be done about the fencing around the project, claiming that it was not secure in the wind. They also thought something needed to be done about mice around the site. The same resident who asked about the loading zone also noted a disconnect between the proposed building’s scale and materiality and the surrounding area on the Bremen Street side, which is something Williams said the team would look into. According to the Planning Department’s website, the comment period for the project is open until April 6. For more information about the proposal and to comment, visit https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/9-chelsea-street. For a recording of the presentation to the GSNA, visit the group’s website at https://www.govestreet.org/. The next GSNA meeting is scheduled for April 27.