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Mission Hill nursing school conversion to 103 apartments approved

Mission Hill nursing school conversion to 103 apartments approved

Built World Boston, MA local

Former Boston Baptist Hospital nurses' home, closed since 2022, gets new life as housing

Today: Zoning approval for 103 apartments

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

A Mission Hill building that once trained nurses for Boston Baptist Hospital will become 103 apartments. The Zoning Board of Appeal approved the $18 million conversion on September 23.

The 1922 complex later became an assisted living facility so troubled that the state decertified it in 2020. Developer Jason Savage bought the building and its 1.1-acre lot for $6.1 million in a March 2025 foreclosure sale. The plan preserves the exterior while filling the interior courtyard with new apartment space.

Why it matters

Boston's housing shortage gains 103 units as a shuttered institution with a COVID-era scandal becomes homes.

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Key Indicators

103
Apartments planned
The approved conversion will create 103 apartments in the former nursing school.
$18M
Project cost
Developer Jason Savage's proposed budget for the conversion.
$6.1M
Purchase price
What Savage paid for the building and 1.1-acre lot in a March 2025 foreclosure sale.
1.1 acres
Lot size
The property backs up to the Back of the Hill urban wild.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 1922 September 2026

7 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Zoning approval for 103 apartments

    Today Regulatory Approval

    Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal approves the $18 million conversion into 103 apartments.

  2. Foreclosure sale

    Transaction

    Jason Savage buys the building and 1.1-acre lot for $6.1 million in a foreclosure sale.

  3. Facility shuts down

    Closure

    The assisted living facility closes for good.

  4. State decertifies facility

    Regulatory Action

    State decertifies facility after inspectors find staff locking dementia patients in rooms during pandemic.

  5. Reopens as assisted living

    Reopening

    The building reopens as an assisted living facility.

  6. Nursing school closes

    Closure

    The Haskell Home for Nurses closes after decades of operation.

  7. Nurses' home built

    Construction

    Boston Baptist Hospital builds the Edward H. Haskell Home for Nurses at 85 Parker Hill Ave.

Scenarios

1

Construction proceeds, apartments open by 2029

Likely Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Universal Hub, local development observers

With zoning approval secured, Savage moves to financing and construction. The 103 apartments come online, adding housing to Mission Hill. The project follows the typical 2-3 year timeline for adaptive reuse.

2

Neighbors appeal zoning decision

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Local community groups, zoning attorneys

Residents concerned about density, parking, or construction impacts appeal the zoning decision. The project faces months of delay while the appeal is heard.

3

Financing falls through, project stalls

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Real estate analysts

Rising construction costs or interest rates make the $18 million project unviable. Savage fails to secure financing and the building sits vacant.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2020

COVID-19 Nursing Home Crisis (2020)

The pandemic devastated nursing homes nationwide. In Massachusetts, inspectors found staff at this very building locking dementia patients in their rooms, leading to decertification.

Then

The facility lost state certification and eventually closed in 2022.

Now

The building sat vacant until a foreclosure sale in 2025.

Why this matters now

Explains why the building became available for conversion and the troubled history that shaped its path to housing.

2000s-present

Boston's Adaptive Reuse Boom (2000s-present)

Boston has converted dozens of old institutional buildings into housing over the past two decades. Former schools, hospitals, and industrial buildings have become apartments and condos, often preserving historic facades.

Then

Added thousands of housing units across the city.

Now

Created a template for converting obsolete institutional buildings into housing.

Why this matters now

This project is the latest example of Boston's adaptive reuse pattern.

Sources

(1)

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