By Christopher Haraden

A Brookline architect and developer has purchased the former Atlantic Aquarium building and is planning to build a 21-unit residential development on the site.

Jonathan Leavitt, a principal of 120 Nantasket Avenue LLC, paid $1,450,000 for the two-story, concrete-block building on Aug. 19. He said this week that he would like to begin work on the new project – which would involve tearing down the existing structure and erecting a four-story building on the same foundation – as soon as this fall.

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The property was built as an aquarium in 1972 and most recently was to be the site of a marijuana cultivation and dispensary operation. Hull residents Sean Power and Jeffrey Shaheen outlined the plan after Latitude 42 Real Estate LLC purchased the long-vacant building in 2019 for $900,000. In June 2021, after significant opposition from neighbors and an apparent change in business focus, Power dropped the plan and put the building on the market.

The large “for sale” sign across the facade of the building caught the attention of Leavitt, who visited friends living in the Atlantic Hill Condominiums “and I couldn’t help but notice this big for sale sign” at the bottom of the hill, he said.

“I thought it would be a place for some very good housing,” Leavitt said. “This is a beautiful place to have a home.”

The aquarium project is not the only real estate redevelopment activity in that section of the beachfront. In November, developer Douglas George of Dorchester purchased 42A State Park Road, the former Beachfire restaurant property, on Nov. 16 for $1.3 million. Multiple attempts to contact George about his plans for the property since his purchase have been unsuccessful, and he has not filed yet filed plans with town hall that would outline his intentions.

The restaurant has been closed for several years after suffering heavy damage in a storm. The property has been known by numerous names over the years but originated as a food stand and adjacent hotel known as The Ledges.

With his architectural background, Leavitt said he appreciated the design of the Atlantic Hill project – known locally as “the pyramid” due to its shape and integration into the hillside – and plans to incorporate similar elements into his project at the aquarium. The Atlantic Hill condominium building, which was built in the 1980s and is currently undergoing a substantial renovation project, was inspired by the design of Habitat 67, an architectural landmark built for the 1967 Montreal World’s Fair by innovative architect Moshe Safdie.

Leavitt’s current plan for his four-story, 21-unit project calls for a parking garage on the first level, he said. Each unit will have an open-air balcony as the design “steps back” toward the Atlantic Hill cliff, and the complex will include a swimming pool. He anticipates the units to be condominiums, although the final decision on whether to sell or rent will depend on market conditions.

“There will be no commercial there. I don’t see that as a commercial location,” he said, noting that other projects he has built in Cambridge, Newton, and Brookline have been a mix of sales and rentals. “We have found that permanent residents don’t always want commercial on the first level.”

Leavitt said he is finalizing the building plans and intends to begin the local permitting process soon. The property is within the Nantasket Beach Overlay District, and as currently envisioned, Leavitt said the building is “staying within the regulations and not going over the height limit.” This circumstance, coupled with the property’s status outside the flood zone, allows him to be more aggressive with his timeline.

“After all due deliberation … we hope to be in a position to start construction this year,” Leavitt said. “I think it will be a nice project. I think Hull is ready for something that there.”