The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has filed plans with the city for the construction of a new facility on the same site as its current building at 10 Chandler Street.

According to those plans, the new 30,000 square-foot three-story building will replace the existing two-story building that has served as the ARL’s primary location for the last 68 of the organization’s 125-year history.

“Our Boston facility is our only facility accessible by public transportation. It is our largest facility and our busiest facility. And it is a facility that we have outgrown, many years ago,” said ARL President Edward Schettino.

More space was a conversation ARL had in the early 2000s but was ultimately put on hold due to economic conditions and lacking resources. It has been a topic of discussion for the last 12 years that Schettino has been involved with the organization. Schettino said that renovation would be too difficult a task, partly due to the age of the building.

The first floor of the new facility will be dedicated to housing the dogs, who will have indoor and outdoor access.

The second will house the cats and small animals. The third will be used for the veterinary clinic and staff space. The additional square footage not only allows ARL give animals a higher standard of care but provide even more resources to the community.

“Animals should be housed where they’re separated from pray species by sight and sound. Currently in Boston we cannot do that. If anyone’s ever been to our location in Boston, you have to walk through where we have our cats and our small animals, which are right next to one another, into where the dogs are housed,” said Schettino.

“Our dogs have no outdoor access currently, and they have to be leash walked through the cats and small animals to go outside. This causes a lot of stress on the animals in our care.”

Schettino said the project is estimated to cost around $40 million. In early 2025, ARL plans to launch a capital campaign to raise funds for the project.

ARL’s existing building will remain in operation throughout the construction of the new facility, expected to break ground spring 2025 and take approximately 12-14 months. Once construction is finished and the organization is fully moved in, the existing building will be demolished, and expected to take 3-5 months.

Animal Arts, a Colorado based architectural firm specializing in animal welfare facilities and veterinary hospitals designed the interior, ensuring a state-of-the-art facility that will fit their needs. JGE Architecture + Design, a local firm is ensuring that the exterior of the building will blend with the neighborhood.

The site will include both employee and visitor parking areas as well as an outdoor dog yards and training center. Sidewalk improvements and landscape buffer areas are also planned for the site.

A public virtual meeting for the plan is scheduled for November 13 from 6pm until 8pm.