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Flint Cleaners, a dry-cleaning business that has been operating on Western Avenue for over half a century, will expand from a single-story business into a mixed-use eight-story building that includes both retail and residential units. 

Owners of the business, Hun Jae Lee and May S. Lee, filed for redevelopment as part of 170 Western Avenue Realty LLC in late February. The development proposes to build 20 new residential units with two ground-floor retail units. While Flint Cleaners will be closed for about a year, it will resume operations as one of the ground-floor units; the other is expected to be a beauty/nail salon.

The development comes as Flint Cleaners is adapting to the changing needs of the community and the dry-cleaning industry, according to a representative of 170 Western Avenue Realty, the Project Proponent. The Lee’s immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea a few months after getting married and took over Flint Cleaners in January of 1986 from a local couple who had owned the business since at least the ‘60s. 

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, demand for the business was high because people were more frequently wearing clothes that required dry cleaning, like suits and dresses. At one point, the business had six or seven full-time employees. 

However, with the emergence of fast fashion in the 2000s and remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic, sales went down since people started to work from home and own clothes for a shorter amount of time. 

In response, the Lee family plans to scale back the size of their dry-cleaning business through this new development while hoping to fulfill a need for affordable housing in the neighborhood, according to the representative.

“We are not a big developer, we are a small family. This is our corner, we have taken care of it for over 40 years and we want to keep taking care of it,” Mary S. Lee said during the 170 Western Avenue project public meeting on March 16. 

“We ask ourselves what is the best thing we can do with this land, the answer is what you see here, new home, new retails, a beautiful building and Flint Cleaners stay.”

Jay Walsh, the community outreach coordinator for the project, said the redevelopment project of Flint Cleaners presents an opportunity for the business to become more competitive in the market and contribute to the local community development.  

“They’re looking to adapt to the ever-changing business climate that they’re in,” Walsh said. “I think that developing the site, consistent with other recent developments in the area, is something they saw as an opportunity that would give them the flexibility to stay in operation.”

The redevelopment plans to use materials such as mass timber to create a more durable, eco-friendly, and long-lasting structure.

“This appears to be a building that’s being designed to last, rather than a building that’s designed to be flipped quickly for profit,” said Scott Johnston, an Allston resident of 13 years. 

Johnston said numerous development projects throughout Boston typically use five-over-one construction, that is usually using lightweight wooden material because it is a faster and cheaper option. He favors the incorporation of mass timber since it is environmentally friendly in its use of lower embodied carbon and its strength allows for larger structures.

“They’re aiming for something higher than that, and trying to build something that will be a building that will last and be enjoyed and appreciated in decades from now” Johnston said.

The site plans to take on a “zero-parking approach” with no designated on-site parking as well as no loading bay area. The renovation includes improvements in public transportation, such as adding 28 bicycle parking spaces, additional bike lanes, and maximizing walkability within the pedestrian areas of Western Avenue, with sidewalk and landscape paving. 

Allston resident Clark Warner said he is in favor of the project because it involves a local developer and will provide much-needed housing in the city. But, similar to his neighbors, he has concerns about the lack of on-site parking. 

“There’s a lot of public transportation in the area, but we’re all nervous about a lot of cars,” Warner said. 

On the other hand, Mark Reczek, an Allston-Brighton resident for eight years and a cyclist, said he appreciates the project’s mission to support public transportation within the Allston community, and no site parking would be a great way to utilize Western Avenue as a cyclist-friendly area.

“To create a bunch of car free housing on a corridor and a corner that’s been designated as a 

MBTA high frequency bus route, I think that’s exactly what they need to be doing,” Reczek said. 

“Bike parking, great. Vehicle parking is not needed at all because you have the buses there.”

The project is still in early stages and the application is under review. The representative from 170 Western Avenue LLC said that though a timeline is uncertain, demolition could begin in a year. 

Walsh said that the Lee’s are committed to the project, and the redevelopment allows them to show their significant support for a community they have served for over 40 years.

“This project is not your typical development team. It’s a longtime business that has a presence in the community that’s looking to keep that,” Walsh said.