The Carol Avenue Apartments in Brighton was formerly known as the Carol Avenue Co-Operative and has been an important source of deeply affordable housing since the early 1990’s, providing 33 stable homes in an area where rents have continued to soar beyond the reach of many individuals and households that have traditionally called Brighton home. These apartments are located within three, three-story apartment buildings in Brighton near the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Washington Street. The property is made up of nine one-bedroom apartments, 15 two-bedroom apartments, five three-bedroom apartments, and 4 four-bedroom apartments. The buildings were built in 1910 and have a brick and masonry building envelope typical of the neighborhood
The Co-Op at the building was established in the 1980s and provided a strong source of affordability for its members for decades but eventually the Co-Op acknowledged that another ownership structure would help ensure the preservation of the housing stock. The continued issues with mounting capital repairs at the site eventually led to the sale in July of 2018 from the Co-Op to ABCDC.
Between 2018-2023, ABCDC’s Real Estate team worked with City and State officials, funders, organizational partners, and residents to plan a significant rehab and Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) at this site. This redevelopment began in September of 2023 and was the most extensive renovation project at the property since the building was built over 110 years ago. After 15 months of construction, this property now features 33 fully rehabilitated units which are home to nearly 80 residents.
This renovation project at Carol Avenue Apartments was focused on green, sustainable, and climate-resilient design. The site now has a new roof, all new windows, and additional insulation in the roof and exterior walls. The property was also converted from oil and gas to all electric heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. All new Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) were also installed throughout to provide fresh air, and exterior ducting was added for bathroom fans.
The property is 100% fossil-fuel free, and it will add to the Commonwealth’s renewable energy grid through the addition of rooftop photovoltaic solar panels. The completion of this project will now reduce energy usage at the property by nearly 54%! All of these changes will provide a healthier and more comfortable environment for residents.
