The OnyxGroup started this petition to the Town of Oak Bluffs - The OnyxGroup Development LLC is a black woman owned and operated development and brokerage. Shabnam Mashmasarmi and Chanda Smart founded OnyxGroup to develop quality affordable housing with a focus on a pathway to homeownership and reskilling with tangible & inclusive resources for local residences.

Our belief: Developments can and should reclaim and preserve the integrity of our communities. Oak Bluffs has a rich cultural history that requires accountability and commitment to its people and their livelihoods.

Our Motivation: Reinvesting in communities and building equity and opportunity through financial, educational (Trade) & healthcare partnerships.

Our Purpose: Creating quality, affordable, sustainable and resilient communities where residents enjoy “family building” amenities that promote personal and professional growth. The OnyxGroup approach to development starts and ends with the residents of Oak Bluffs. We bridge the cultural gap between the community and the developer and focus on genuine partnerships to develop meaningful authentic relationships. Our developments provide residential and commercial spaces that foster entrepreneurship within our communities. Each project will focus and consist of community involvement, participation and input at the heart of every development and it’s programming.

Why us? Here are a few highlights from our October 29th presentation to the Town of Oak Bluffs ~

• Black Woman owned & operated.
• Culturally competent: We needed affordable housing at one point in our lives!
• Emphasis as an environment-conscious building concept known as biophilic design
• Environment-forward, passive-house-principle design approach
• Geothermal wells for heating and cooling and buildings based on deep-seated posts instead of traditional foundations
• Minimize the impact to the trees and land, from start to completion
  Preserve
• Local Island labor, jobs and teams
• design includes a path for migrating imperial moths, a rare species that makes its home in the area,
• enhanced septic systems and net-zero energy aspirations, harnessing waste heat from the nearby ice arena,
• dedicated art & trade spaces in keeping with Oak Bluffs’ and the Vineyard’s cultural community and creating new pathways towards reskilling the next generation.

Please click here to see our full proposal. 

WE LOVE TALKING ABOUT OUR VISION - GOT QUESTIONS, EMAIL OR TEXT US! 

info@onyxboston.com

Let’s be the change we want to see! You are appreciated!