Jackson Square Infill and Small Developments

FK4 said:
tear down Bromley Heath first and rebuild before putting in another drab affordable building.
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Bromley Heath is in dire need of TLC. It's a POS place, and that's why the people there treat it like a POS.
 
I doubt there's any money to redo Bromley Heath for a while. BHA is going to do a huge reno of the Chucktown projects and then move over to Orient Heights. I think there are some others on the docket as well. They probably won't be able to do a complete take down at BH at least until that's done. Maybe they could get some money from a RAD conversion from the Feds in the near term, but that's like a band aid at this point.
 
underground said:
I doubt there's any money to redo Bromley Heath for a while. BHA is going to do a huge reno of the Chucktown projects and then move over to Orient Heights. I think there are some others on the docket as well. They probably won't be able to do a complete take down at BH at least until that's done. Maybe they could get some money from a RAD conversion from the Feds in the near term, but that's like a band aid at this point.
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They've been repairing the "building envelopes" of Bromley Heath since last summer, meaning there's cranes and staging out there daily to replace cracked bricks, etc on the exterior.
 
FK4 said:
Im actually not a fan of this one. The design will be utter shit and it's way too small for where it is. I believe only one bidder competed for this project, and it's more affordable housing next to the worst projects in Boston. They should build something big here and if not, tear down Bromley Heath first and rebuild before putting in another drab affordable building.
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The two CDCs involved in this project have been doing the yeoman's work of revitalizing this part for JP for decades. The architects they use sometimes design crap, sometimes some pretty nice contextual buildings.

I lived down the street from Bromley Heath for ten years and took the Orange Line downtown every day. It's not nearly as bad as some people portray it.

The idea of not doing anything until some big, unlikely fantasy project happens is ridiculous. These lots have been vacant for over twenty years and sat on by the city and the BRA. It's high time that they get developed and it's great that a local CDC will be doing the work.
 
elemenoh said:
The two CDCs involved in this project have been doing the yeoman's work of revitalizing this part for JP for decades. The architects they use sometimes design crap, sometimes some pretty nice contextual buildings.

I lived down the street from Bromley Heath for ten years and took the Orange Line downtown every day. It's not nearly as bad as some people portray it.

The idea of not doing anything until some big, unlikely fantasy project happens is ridiculous. These lots have been vacant for over twenty years and sat on by the city and the BRA. It's high time that they get developed and it's great that a local CDC will be doing the work.
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Bromley Heath is bad. No, it's not as bad as the lay public thinks - especially now - but that's true for all the bad areas. However, there is no question that it's one of the worst project in the city. Whether or not innocents are safe is another question. I used to be a Jackson Square guy, before converting to Stony Brook. Bromley is sketchy to walk by at night, even right on Centre not too late I watched a woman get mugged once... And I sure as hell wouldn't walk through it at night. That's not judgment, that's being realistic.

I'm just not in favor of concentrating poor people into a single area. It does nobody any justice. That's my main concern with yet another affordable housing piece here. And JP is changing, and so is Mission Hill, and so is Fort Hill. I would be OK with waiting on this lot because it could support a much larger building and someday not very far off the market would support it too. There aren't many big vacant lots right next to T stations left. We don't need to keep blowing it the way we have been on stubby buildings when she should be making real TOD.
 
elemenoh said:
Proposals have come and gone for that one over the years (it's the Eblana Brewery). The most recent I heard was this in 2013 from the JP Gazette:
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2013/09/13/new-eblana-brewery-owner-meets-with-community/

Apparently it has lots of asbestos so remediation costs will be very high.
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Yeah my first thought when passing this a couple of years ago was that there must be some sort of lead paint of asbestos problem in that building or else it would have been renovated already. It's a shame really. The top floor already has an awesome balcony for a pent house! Thanks for the link.
 
Blackdog, you playin' with us?

Coincidentally, the BRA updated its website regarding 117-127 Heath Street. It shows "Inactive" now, but I don't know if what was updated was the status or if the BRA is about to add some documents.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...jects?sortby=date&sortdirection=desc&type=dev

Here's the LOI from 2013 regarding the project. Not clear to me if it was both buildings or just the one to the right, when facing the two.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/161c074b-91d1-49e4-bf97-792336f42472

Project as proposed was 167 units and 185 parking spaces. Peter Zagorianakos (Jesus Saves) was the developer although Mayo is still listed as owner of the parcels on the city's assessing site.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Blackdog, you playin' with us?

Coincidentally, the BRA updated its website regarding 117-127 Heath Street. It shows "Inactive" now, but I don't know if what was updated was the status or if the BRA is about to add some documents.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...jects?sortby=date&sortdirection=desc&type=dev

Here's the LOI from 2013 regarding the project. Not clear to me if it was both buildings or just the one to the right, when facing the two.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/161c074b-91d1-49e4-bf97-792336f42472

Project as proposed was 167 units and 185 parking spaces. Peter Zagorianakos (Jesus Saves) was the developer although Mayo is still listed as owner of the parcels on the city's assessing site.
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No I am not, but what crazy timing haha. I used to live by that building so that's why I know about it. Kinda crazy timing though.
 
BRA board vote on Bartlett II delayed

The Bartlett II project was pulled from the agenda for the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) board meeting on Oct. 15 in order for the developer to address concerns over traffic impact and retail programming, according to BRA spokesperson Nick Martin.

Bartlett II is a proposal by local developer Chris DeSisto for a mixed-use building at 450-456 Amory St. that would have apartments, office space and ground-floor storefronts. The proposal is similar to the “Bartlett Square” building with its popular cafe at 154 Green St., created by DeSisto’s Mission Hill-based Maple Hurst Builders. The new project needs several zoning variances.

Desisto did not respond to a request for comment.

“There were last minute concerns raised about traffic impacts and how the retail space will be programmed,” said Martin in an email. “We’re going to work with the developer to make tweaks to the project and present final plans at a soon to be held community meeting. We expect that Bartlett Square II will be on the agenda for approval next month.”

The four-story building would include 15 rental apartments, two of them priced a City-determined affordable rate. A parking garage for nine to 10 cars is part of the plan, as well as six on-street spaces created by moving the sidewalk.

DeSisto and Maple Hurst have built many Jamaica Plain homes over the years, including the condo building at 131 Green St. on the other side of the T station.
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http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2015/10/23/bra-board-vote-on-bartlett-ii-delayed/
 
^
This belongs in "Jamaica plain developments" as it is nowhere near Jackson square... You may be thinking, given the Roman numerals, that it is past of the Jackson projects. And re: those, whatever the current phases of development is well underway… The one between Amory Street and the Orange line tracks. Would be nice to see some photos, as I see it from the subway on the way in in the morning
 
No photos, but the Amory St construction is moving along slowly but surely; the core is at about 40 feet and a vast area is being dug up around it, presumably for parking lots and the new buildings. You can see it from the Orange Line.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Props to you for taking the time to find this thread...
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Haha, it wasnt hard because I actually compiled all the JP-related links on a proposal on the Board Issues thread (here) where among other things I proposed merging the two separate threads for "Jackson Square" and "225 Centre St" - since people have been using a free-for-all pproach to posting about various phases of the Jackson project on either thread... In any event, there's both the Jackson-Amory project and also a recent demolition of a smaller building further on down Jackson that is disparate from this project - though not sure what the plan for the site is.
 
I think this is part of the Jackson Square development plan, but correct me if I'm wrong. I woke up this morning with several backhoes parked on Highland Street - at first thought they were parked on the playground. Unsure if they're staging for the rebuild of the city's buildings on this site or if they're more equipment for the in-progress Site 3 construction.
 
This is in the hood. Hopefully they build affordable here, it has to go somewhere I would imagine this would be the spot.
 
stick n move said:
This is in the hood. Hopefully they build affordable here, it has to go somewhere I would imagine this would be the spot.
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I think market rate would be better than continuing to concentrate affordable housing in areas of high poverty.
 
True i didnt mean throw up a bunch of section 8 here Im saying "affordable" in terms of the middle class being able to afford rent.
 
BLDUP said:
Notable Jamaica Plain developer expands Jackson Square land portfolio: http://www.bldup.com/projects/amory-street-parcels

I'd say "notorious" rather than "notable". He's the property owner who evicted all of the artists from the factory building on Amory St. decades ago and left it (still) vacant (except for the Aids Action Committee office space). He also owns the building in Hyde Square where Bella Luna was and it is (still) empty even though it's a prime spot next to Whole Foods. He was successful in getting the strip mall plaza built at 315 Center St. as part of the Stop & Shop project after the shoe factory burned.

Anyway, I expect he'll just sit on these parcels until everything else is developed and then sell them on, just like the developers in the Seaport did with the parking lots for all those decades.
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