A Jamaica Plain developer has filed plans with the BPDA for a four-story, 23-unit co-operative building on Highland Street that not only would pump electricity back into the grid, it would have a higher percentage of affordable units than called for by city regulations.

The city selected Jon Rudzinski last year to develop seven vacant lots on Highland Street between Marcella and Centre streets. Unlike occupants of condos, who own their own property, residents of the building would essentially get shares of a concern that owns the entire building.

Rudzinski has proposed a building in which 15 units would be marketed as affordable - with three limited to people making no more than 30% of the Boston area median income, seven for people making no more than 60% of the area median income and five for people making up to the amount of the area median income. The remaining eight units would sold at market rates.

The building would have 19 parking spaces in a garage and an 850-square-foot space for community art space.

The building's roof would be covered with solar panels, coupled to units with triple-glazed windows and LED lighting aimed at minimizing energy use - along with a high-efficiency HVAC system and an "air-tight envelope" that would mean the building should generate more electricity than it consumes. The application says it would be one of the largest such "passive house" residential building in the city and could serve as a model for further development of buildings aimed at reducing electricity consumption.

In addition to the BPDA, the zoning board will also have to approve the project before an estimated 15 months and $7 million worth of construction can begin.

Highland Street small-project review application (3.8M PDF).