Hebrew SeniorLife is redeveloping our Center Communities of Brookline campus on Centre Street in Brookline, MA. The project includes building 54 affordable senior independent living apartments and expanded community space at 108 Centre Street. We will also make enhancements to the overall campus, including landscaping, lighting, and green space. The new indoor and outdoor community space will offer Center Communities of Brookline residents and the town’s other senior residents significant benefits.
The new building will be built to Passive House Standards, which is one of the world's most proven approaches to energy reduction, assured indoor air quality, durability, and thermal comfort.
Residents of 108 Centre Street will have access to all the services and supports offered at Center Communities of Brookline, including a rich calendar of activities, health and fitness programs, social work, and more. This includes our award-winning R3: Right Care, Right Place, Right Time program that integrates wellness teams into the community to proactively support the health of residents.
We appreciate the support we've received from various town departments throughout the approval process, including the Housing Advisory Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Brookline Historical Commission, and many other town boards, committees, and individuals.
Throughout the planning and approval process, we have been committed to transparency and collaboration and intend to continue that approach during the construction phase. Keep reading to get the latest project updates, and learn more about our expansion plans.
Project Updates
- What is happening: Backfilling around foundation, start of front elevator shaft, minor steel work, concrete pours.
- When is it happening: Construction all week.
- What will it affect: Wood materials may be delivered at the end of the week.
There will be NO update next week.
- What is happening: Backfill of foundation, installation of stairs, and installation of elevator shafts.
- When is it When is it happening: The site will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday.
- What will it affect: There should be no surrounding effects.
- What is happening this week: Continued steel installation, backfill of foundation, and concrete pour on decking.
- When is it happening: All this week.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks on/off site during concrete pours.
- What is happening this week: Continued steel installation, backfill of foundation.
- When is it happening: All week.
- What will it affect: Minimal impact compared to recent weeks.
- What is happening this week: Continued steel installation, backfill of foundation.
- When is it happening: All this week.
- What will it affect: Minimal impact compared to recent weeks.
- What is happening this week: Steel delivery and install, foundation work. The steel is installed from back to front and encompasses the first 3 floors of the building.
- When is it happening: Starting Monday, steel will be installed all week. There will be some continued form work.
- What will it affect: Steel is generally one truck at a time and installed directly from the truck, so there should be minimal surrounding effect.
October 9, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued site work, concrete pours, and start of steel installation.
- When is it happening: Concrete pours on Tuesday and Thursday. Steel delivery and installation on Friday.
- What will it affect: Minimal effects overall. Concrete pours will have less trucks than previous pours. Steel delivery days will have one additional truck that will be parked inside the fence line.
October 1, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued site work and concrete pours.
- When is it happening: Concrete pours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- What will it affect: Increased trucks on/off site.
* Test pit in Centre St. will be delayed to a future date.
September 25, 2023
*The site will be closed on Monday 9/25/2023 for Yom Kippur. There will be minimal work occurring this Saturday around form placement.
- What is happening this week: Continued site work, concrete pours, and the digging of a test pit on Centre St.
- When is it happening: No construction on Monday. Test pit on Centre St on Tuesday morning. A police detail will be there to direct traffic. Concrete pours scheduled for Tuesday through Friday.
- What will it affect: Half of Centre St. in front of 108 Centre St. will be closed with a police detail for traffic starting on Tuesday morning. Expect this to slow down traffic.
September 18, 2023
*The construction site will close today (Friday 9/15/2023) at 3:00pm for Rosh Hashanah.
- What is happening this week: Continued site excavation and concrete pour.
- When is it happening: Concrete pour scheduled for Tuesday.
- What will it affect: Increased trucks on/off site.
September 11, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued site excavation, form placement and concrete pour.
- When is it happening: Concrete pour scheduled for Tuesday.
- What will it affect: Increased trucks on/off site.
September 4, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued excavation and concrete pour
- When is it happening: Concrete pours scheduled for Tuesday and Friday. The site will be closed on Monday for the holiday.
- What will it affect: Trucks on/off site.
August 28, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued excavation, concrete pour, and steel delivery
- When is it happening: Throughout the week
- What will it affect: Increased trucks on/off site
August 21, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued excavation, concrete pour, and set up of the tower crane.
- When is it happening:
- 8/22: Concrete pour.
- 8/23-8/24: Tower crane set up (8/23 will be a good day to view the construction process if interested)
August 14, 2023
- What is happening this week: Rebar delivery and continued excavation and compaction of the front of the site.
- When is it happening: Rebar delivery occurs on Monday, normal work week the rest of the week.
- What will it affect: There will be an increase in noise and vibration from compaction.
August 7, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued forms/rebar placement and concrete pours.
- When is it happening: Concrete pour will occur on 8/8
- What will it affect: There will be an increase in trucks on/off site on 8/8.
July 31, 2023
- What is happening this week: Backfilling of walls, form and rebar placement, and concrete pouring. A wall will also be cut in the Cohen 112 garage.
- When is it happening: The backfill will take place on Monday. The concrete pour is scheduled for Thursday, and the form/reinforcement work will take place on Friday. The wall will be cut in the Cohen garage from Monday through Thursday.
- What will it affect: Trucks on/off site for pouring the concrete. Entry to Cohen 112 garage will be one lane at a time. Staff will be directing traffic. Please allow for extra time.
July 17, 2023
What is happening this week: Backfilling of walls, form and rebar placement, and concrete pouring.
When is it happening:
7/15 - Staff will be on site working on removing forms. No equipment will be needed and it will be a shorter than usual day.
7/17: Backfill of walls.
7/21: concrete pour, remaining days will be form and rebar placement.
What will it affect: Increase in trucks on concrete pour day, increase noise on backfill day. Otherwise no substantial changes.
July 10, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continuation of form placement and rebar with possible concrete pours.
- When is it happening: The pouring will take place on Wednesday. Form/rebar work will continue the rest of the week.
- What will it affect: Wednesday will see an increase in trucks on/off the site.
July 3, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continuation of form placement and rebar with possible concrete pours.
- When is it happening: There will be minimal work done Monday, none on Tuesday for the Independence Day, and full work hours will resume Wednesday.
- What will it affect: No changes from prior week.
June 26, 2023
- What is happening this week: Setting of concrete forms and rebar will continue.
- When is it happening: Full week of 6/26.
- What will it affect: Less trucks in/out of site this week.
June 19, 2023
- What is happening this week: Forms for foundation will continue to be placed and the concrete pouring will start.
- When is it happening: The site will be closed on Monday for the holiday. Work will resume on Tuesday with concrete pours starting Wednesday or Thursday.
- What will it affect: When concrete pouring occurs there will be a steady flow of concrete trucks on/off the site.
June 13, 2023
- What is happening this week: Excavation of the site will continue and then placement of forms/rebar for foundation. (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: Excavation will wrap up Monday and Tuesday and the remainder of the week will be for foundation work.
- What will it affect: Continued trucks in/out of site.
June 6, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued site excavation and mobilization of the site for concrete forms. (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: Excavation will wrap up Monday and Tuesday and the remainder of the week will be for concrete forms and deliveries.
- What will it affect: Continued trucks in/out of site.
May 29, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued site excavation. (Here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: The site will be closed on Monday for the holiday. Work will resume Tuesday and continue through the week.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks in/out of site. Increased noise related to cutting of shoring for retaining walls.
May 22, 2023
- What is happening this week: Excavation of site and continued dirt removal. (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: This will occur all week starting Monday.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks in/out of site. Increased noise related to cutting of shoring for retaining walls.
May 15, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued installation of steel piles as well as mobilization to increase dirt removal. (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: This will occur all week.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks in/out of site. Increased noise and vibrations in the general area.
May 8, 2023
- What is happening this week: Mobilization of steel and equipment and installation of piles into ground using the vibratory drill system. (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.)
- When is it happening: Monday should include mobilization of materials to the site and some possible pre-drilling. Steel piles will be installed the remainder of the week.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks in/out of site. Increased noise and vibrations in the general area.
- Future considerations: The week of 5/15, the crew will be installing steel beams for the foundation.
May 1, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued removal of dirt and setting up for installation of steel beams for the foundation.
- When is it happening: Work will continue throughout the week of 5/1. It is possible that some steel beams will be installed at the end of the week (here is a video of what it will look/sound like.). Otherwise that work has shifted to the week of 5/8.
- What will it affect: Increase in trucks in/out of site.
- Future considerations: The week of 5/8, the crew will be installing steel beams for the foundation.
April 24, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued removal of debris and site work to prepare for foundation.
- When is it happening: Work will continue throughout the week of 4/24.
- What will it affect: No change from current work.
- Future considerations: The week of 5/1, the crew will be installing steel beams for the foundation using a vibratory drive system. Here is a video of what it will look/sound like.
April 17, 2023
- What is happening this week: Continued removal of debris and site work to prepare for foundation.
- When is it happening: The site will be closed on Monday (4/17) for the holiday and work will continue throughout the rest of the week.
- What will it affect: No change from current work.
- Future considerations: The week of 5/1, the crew will be installing steel beams for the foundation using a vibratory drive system. Here is a video of what it will look/sound like.
March 31, 2023
We are delighted to announce we are ready to begin demolition of the existing wood-frame house at 108 Centre Street. On April 4th, the house will be demolished and removed over the course of a few days. This should not impact traffic and approved dust-prevention measures are in place.
January 20, 2023
As we enter the new year, we are excited to announce that our project has been pre-certified as meeting the standards for Passive House. Passive House is a performance-based building certification that focuses on the dramatic reduction of energy use for space heating and cooling. Passive House projects use 60% less energy overall.
We have also started some of the final due diligence work on the existing structure. All utilities have been disconnected, oil tanks have been removed by an environmental company, and a company has completed an architectural salvage of various building elements. We expect construction to start in March.
October 26, 2022
We are excited to announce that after a rigorous interview process we have selected NEI as our General Contractor. NEI has an extensive history of working on affordable senior housing and with tight spaces. We were highly impressed with their approach to working with the Town and neighbors to keep open lines of communication with the goal of preventing issues before they happen. NEI is currently finishing up a project at 808 Memorial Drive, which was a very large occupied renovation on one of the busiest street corners in Cambridge. The owner could not speak any more highly on their work and communication. We are in the process of finalizing the financing and expect construction to start in February or March 2023. We will keep everyone updated as we refine the timeline.
July 26, 2022
We are so pleased to announce that we have been awarded state and federal resources from the Department of Housing and Community Development for our 108 Centre Street project. In addition to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and private donors, we are incredibly grateful to be receiving funding and support from the Town of Brookline. We are currently in the process of interviewing general contractors.
May 20, 2022
While we continue to wait for a decision on funding from the Department of Community Housing and Development we are actively working on moving items of the project forward. Our application for a Passive House Status has been submitted and is under review. Passive Houses require very little energy to achieve a comfortable temperature year-round while protecting the building structure. In conjunction with all our partners we are continuing to move internal design elements forward so we are ready to hit the ground running when our funding request is approved.
April 19, 2022
The application for funding has been submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development for review. We await their decision sometime over the summer.
Background About the Project
Current Centre Street Development Information
Center Communities of Brookline Fact Sheet
Center Communities of Brookline - A Day in the Life
We'd Like to Hear from You
To share any input, ideas, concerns, or questions you may have, you may leave a voicemail at 617-363-8392 and your call will be returned as soon as possible. You may also contact us via email and/or be added to our mailing list to receive updates and invitations. Please send the following information to CCBCentreStreetCampus@hsl.harvard.edu:
- Full name
- Email address
- Street number, city, zip
- Phone number
