The biggest public housing development in Boston is officially under construction for a massive redevelopment after nearly 90 years.

“When this was built, the federal government didn’t really understand or have an organized program for public housing, and so this development led the way around the country,” said Mayor Michelle Wu, noting the early hot water, laundry and “basic dignity” on site. … “Now in Boston, we also know that being the first will soon mean that you’re the oldest if you don’t maintain things over in time and renovate and redo them. So today, we’re making right on that part of it with what will be beautiful, incredible spaces and homes.”

The Mary Ellen McCormack was built in 1938 and is currently “one of the largest public housing developments in New England,” with over 1,000 subsidized public housing apartments in 18 mid-
rise buildings and 16 townhome buildings in South Boston.

Under the massive redesign in two phases, city officials said, over 2,000 new units will be added to the development, along with a YMCA, veterans park and more. The project is projected to last up to 20 years.

After the groundbreaking ceremony Monday, Phase 1 is projected to cost $1.1 billion dollars in public and private funds. The phase will take place across the northernmost 18 acres of the approximately 31-acre site with 1,365 units of new mixed-income housing, allowing residents to move before the second phase.

The residents at the groundbreaking Monday expressed enthusiasm for the long-awaited upgrade.

“I talk about this site where we’re going from 1,000 units to 3,300 units, and people always say to me, ‘Wow, the community opposition to that must have been insane,’” said Kenzie Bok, administrator of the Boston Housing Authority. “And I say, ‘No, the community have been cheerleaders for this project. They have recognized that our residents here deserve state of the art homes, and they have recognized there’s an opportunity to have a mixed income community here that doesn’t trade those two things off against each other.”

Bok said they will replace every deeply affordable unit while also adding that mixed income density.

The McCormack has been the site of controversy in recent years as disrepair and safety incidents have led to greater scrutiny of the historic development.

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Construction, led by the company Winn, was approved by the city in 2023 and already underway Monday.

“This is truly a one of a kind project,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch, a champion for the project’s federal funding. “Shouldn’t be that way. I’m hoping that it will become the national model, and it’ll set a precedent for the rest of the nation about what public housing and deeply affordable housing can look like.”