Ferdinand Building Renovation + Addition | Dudley Sq | Roxbury

Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

So I had typed out an entire rant, but I realized a picture is worth 1000 words, so;land (in yellow) the city could take that would be far more beneficial to the revitalization of Dudley than these two buildings (in red) could ever be:

dudley.png


I didn't even look that hard. So either the mayor is blind, ignorant, stupid, or getting his palms greased in some fashion. I would argue that taking a building that is in decent shape (aside from needing new paint it has newish windows, appears to have full occupancy, etc) and on the tax rolls away from private owners would in fact be detrimental to Dudley. These two buildings will have no effect on the success or failure of any kind of rehab of the square. The sea of abandoned lots, parking, and anti-urban development will.

Not to mention I have any faith whatsoever in the city to rebuild those two buildings in a historically sensitive manner.


edit: I accidentally included a cemetery in the bottom right. Still, tons of space. And I would totally live in that little building next to it which is abandoned. Hey mayor!
 
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

'Abandoned building next to cemetery' is I believe an old fire station, which has been restored and is now headquarters to Historic Boston Inc.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

davem said:
These two buildings will have no effect on the success or failure of any kind of rehab of the square. The sea of abandoned lots, parking, and anti-urban development will.
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davem--I agree that the treatment of the vacant lots will determine the success or failure of Dudley. A couple comments on your map (in addition to the cemetery). The city has an RFP out to develop the two largest lots you identified (on Washington on either side of Melnea Cass). By all indications they're looking for appropriately urban-scaled development there. There's a 5 or 6 story building (senior housing, with ground floor retail I believe) going up in the lot you've marked yellow directly across Washington Street from the eminent domain buildings (the building is almost done). And I'm not sure why you shaded everything between Vernon and Ruggles on Washington as yellow--its a pretty decent stretch of continuous streetwall with active retail storefronts.

Ron--he may have been referring to the Bostonia cigar factory. The other small brick building bordering the cemetery.

Dudley can make it back, and urban development at the Washington/Melnea Cass development will help to knit it back into the rest of the city. But ultimately the biggest challenge won't be filling in the vacant lots, it will be the sea of postwar public housing developments that you run into in every direction as you leave the Square (except when going up Fort Hill). I'm not talking about the residents of these complexes, but the soul-crushing effect these complexes have on the streets.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

This is the Bostonia cigar factory?

9f80d63e912fb45dab9b290fdc97045b


I have been unable to find any record of who owns this. The lot next to this is apparently full of construction vehicles belonging to the Commonwealth, but no record of who owns the building next door. Anyone?
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

“We went out with translators to make sure they fully understood what the city was planning, understanding that perhaps English was not the best language to communicate with them,” she said.
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That's pretty much defines BRA communications in our neighborhood.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

Proving you can't please everyone, some members of the Roxbury community are worried that not enough minorities will be hired to renovate the Ferdinand building.

From Boston.com:

“I fear that the construction of the building itself could have a devastating impact on local business community by driving out existing entrepreneurs. So it becomes a large step toward gentrification and racial displacement,” said Johnson, head of the Roxbury Builders Guild, a coalition of construction workers in the neighborhood. “I’m extremely concerned about their ability to hire minority contractors.”
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Even more, they fear that the rehab of Dudley Square will drive out local businesses.

You know, like the Dunkin Donuts and Foot Locker.

“The 500 people with no investment in the neighborhood are more likely to attract different entrepreneurs, which is going to start pricing our guys out of the market. So when the Starbucks comes in, Haley House closes,” he said, referencing a local restaurant with strong community ties.
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http://articles.boston.com/2011-12-...en-construction-workers-construction-managers
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

belmont square said:
And I'm not sure why you shaded everything between Vernon and Ruggles on Washington as yellow--its a pretty decent stretch of continuous streetwall with active retail storefronts.
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I had done that because I believe they, as one storey storefronts, would be a better candidates for rebuilding then the existing multi-storey buildings they want to take.


belmont square said:
Ron--he may have been referring to the Bostonia cigar factory. The other small brick building bordering the cemetery.
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I was. I thoroughly searched the online assessors database and could not find any evidence of ownership either. Sad, because as part of a development of the vacant lot next door it could be a nice shop with an apartment above.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

“I fear that the construction of the building itself could have a devastating impact on local business community by driving out existing entrepreneurs.
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Isn't this building currently vacant? Or does the project include changes to neighboring buildings that contain these small businesses?

when the Starbucks comes in, Haley House closes,” he said, referencing a local restaurant with strong community ties.
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Didn't happen that way in Davis Square. I'd hope the local neighborhood has sufficient loyalty to Haley House's cafe to keep it in business.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

A developer that knows how to build a community would use the revenue from the office/residential portion of the building to subsidize the retail for a period of time to allow smaller stores a chance to take hold.

It may sound NIMBYish but we've all seen how gentrification can wipe out an existing neighborhood and displace those who don't have the luxury of being able to move where ever they want. We all know the potential of Roxbury but you gotta realize there are people still there.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

Are they still planning on demolishing the other two surviving buildings on this block for that ridiculous POS?
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

I think this is what you're talking about:

From the article:
In another nod to history, the front facades of those two buildings will be retained, making the massive new facility almost appear to still be separate buildings. The Waterman building’s now blank wall facing Dudley Station will contain the windows of retail businesses and upper floor offices.
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I was wondering about the sign. Doesn't Boston have an ordinance against signage like that above a certain height (the obvious exceptions: Citgo, State Street, Prudential, Sheraton etc., being grandfathered in)? Or am I just mistaken about that?
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

LOL WTF?
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

Now that something is going up on the Filene's site the city yearns for equilibrium and has selected Dudley Square for the new money pit.

I doubt this will turn out any better than a Government Center retread featuring a facadectomy.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

I'd like to see a similar sign go up to announce entry to Beacon Hill.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

Shepard said:
I'd like to see a similar sign go up to announce entry to Beacon Hill.
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If it's bright, blinking, and neon I'd love to see the reactions from neighbors.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

If the proposal looked similar to the Boston Wharf Co. sign maybe I'd understand it. This rendering jut exudes a certain cheese factor.
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

Shepard said:
I'd like to see a similar sign go up to announce entry to Beacon Hill.
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Shep -- In case you didn't look recently -- there's a gold dome that's been there since about 205 years ago that says -- Beacon Hill Right Here
 
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated

They could always restore the original bright, beaming Beacon itself! What would the preservationists say!?

For the record the building looks like a bland blob but I'm a huge fan of the no-nonsense "Dudley" sign. Please, please say they will light it up, too.
 
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