Brookline's Select Board voted to commit $4 million from the town's Affordable Housing Trust to preserve 115 senior apartments at 99 Kent Street.

The Sept. 15 vote locks in affordability at the Brookline Village building for 99 years. Without the commitment, affordability restrictions on the 1975-era property expire at the end of 2027. Select Board Chair David Pearlman is authorized to sign the related documents on behalf of the board.

The money will go to WinnCompanies, which owns and manages the 117-unit building, as a zero-interest loan with a 45-year term. No payments are due until the loan matures. Ninety-five percent of the funds will be available during construction, according to materials presented to the Select Board.

The town's Housing Advisory Board recommended the commitment at its Sept. 2 meeting. The Select Board's vote followed a WinnCompanies presentation on Sept. 15.

Of the 117 total units, 115 will be affordable, split between households earning 60% and 30% of area median income. Two market-rate units are occupied by tenants who do not income-qualify. WinnCompanies committed to not displacing any tenants during the rehabilitation.

The building has not been renovated in 28 years. The planned overhaul includes full renovation of all kitchens and bathrooms, gut rehabilitation of nine units to meet current accessibility codes, new community spaces for seniors and exterior improvements.

The total development budget exceeds $73 million, combining a pair of federal Low Income Tax Credit deals. WinnCompanies' preapplication to the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) is due Sept. 24, with a full application due in December. The timeline calls for construction to start in late 2027 and finish by mid-2029.

The town's $4 million commitment is conditional. WinnCompanies must secure enough outside funding to finance the project, extend affordability restrictions on the 115 units for 99 years and provide a detailed description of proposed capital improvements. The commitment expires in two years if those conditions are not met.

A separate deep energy retrofit is also in development at the property. That project, funded by $10.5 million from state energy and housing programs plus $7.2 million from WinnCompanies, is expected to begin construction in late 2026 and finish by mid-2028.

The building sits over an active MBTA Green Line rail corridor. WinnCompanies has asked the town for help extending its air rights lease with the MBTA, which expires in 2075, calling the extension "essential to long term affordability."

Fisher Hill West vision event set for Oct. 5

Separately, the town hired Stantec Consulting to lead community engagement on the future of Fisher Hill West, a three-acre town-owned site at 110, 124 and 150 Fisher Avenue and 146 Hyslop Road.

Residents can share ideas at a vision event Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in Brookline High School's 22 Tappan Street building, according to a Planning Department newsletter from Director Kara Brewton.

The same newsletter noted the Planning Department is working toward a Spring 2027 Town Meeting warrant article that would let the Planning Board grant most special permits for one- and two-family homes. The change would eliminate a second hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals in most cases. A draft article will be posted in the coming weeks. Residents with questions can contact Regulatory Planning Director Polly Selkoe at 617-730-2126.

The Planning Board is preliminarily scheduled to take up proposed zoning changes for November Town Meeting on the evening of Oct. 15.