Developers and Boston Children’s Hospital are laying the groundwork for an expansive apartment building in Kenmore Square, prompting some concern from residents over its impact on traffic and the neighborhood’s character. The firm responsible is Scape North America, a British developer that initially arrived in Boston intending to construct student housing.

After getting pushback from residents, Scape now boasts a broader portfolio, including the 450-unit plan for 819 Beacon Street.

In total, the plan redevelops 280,000 square feet, with a new retail space taking up 1,600.

A parking lot for the nurses at Boston Children’s Hospital, used regularly for game-day overflow parking, will be relocated underground.

Developers also plan to add greenery and sidewalk improvements along Beacon Street and Overland Street.

The proposal includes 53 units dedicated to Boston Children’s Hospital. They will be used by patients and their families as both long- and short-term housing while they receive treatment.

Parking for these residents, a perennial concern in the Fenway, will be handled by the hospital with minimal impact on the immediate area.

That hasn’t stopped residents from worrying about the traffic impact of the rest of the building. Tenants would be prevented from seeking residential parking permits by their lease, but the addition of so many apartments in a project that removes a net 40 parking spaces has proven a subject of concern.

“450 units is a huge, huge building. And that’s going to have a significant impact on how things feel in the neighborhood, how traffic flows, everything that’s going on in this part of Boston,” said Dolores Boogdanian, president of the Audubon Circle Neighborhood Association, at a July 27 public meeting.

Another area of concern is the type of apartments being constructed. Sandeep Karnik expressed concern that smaller floorplans and furnished apartments would attract traveling, transient tenants. “I appreciate that it provides an amenity to people that might be coming and travelling, but those aren’t the people that are staying and creating a vibrant community” he said.

Edward Carmody, the BPDA planner for the project, was quick to push back.

“That’s just not true, it’s an assumption.

These apartments can provide a pathway into Boston for many new people,” he said.

“That’s what we see in Boston, and they stay. We don’t get a lot of young people at these meetings, but it’s important that their interests are represented.” Andrew Flynn, an executive with Scape Boylston, also noted that the minimum lease duration would be a year, making the apartments untenable for short-term occupation. He said more compact, furnished housing would fill a niche that Boston has neglected in recent decades. “There’s a citywide need for mid-market housing. Our intention is to design units that are very versatile and very diverse, meeting the thick part of the housing market rather than the top of the pyramid,” he said. Despite the complications inherent in such a large project, most residents at the public meeting seemed satisfied with the developers’ level of responsiveness.

“I think Scape’s open approach, engagement, and thoughtfulness are really important,” said Pam Beale, a local business owner.

“This community is something they greatly care about, and that shows in how they’ve reworked the project, really listening and taking to heart our comments.”