Jamaica Plain Infill and Small Developments

The major limiting factor in JP is the affordable housing requirement...the JP ROX plan has mandated affordability ratios that approach 25%-30% for a project of any real density. Financially it's almost impossible to make such projects economically viable...but we live in an age of uncompromising radicals on both sides so expect all these provisos to get more and more extreme until development grinds to a halt.
 
sidewalks said:
The major limiting factor in JP is the affordable housing requirement...the JP ROX plan has mandated affordability ratios that approach 25%-30% for a project of any real density. Financially it's almost impossible to make such projects economically viable...but we live in an age of uncompromising radicals on both sides so expect all these provisos to get more and more extreme until development grinds to a halt.
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What exactly does that refer to? The Jackson Sq master plan? Or to the new corridor plan? If true, that’s ridiculous. I agree about radicals; they nearly defeated what would’ve been a perfectly fine project in Egleston by Iantosca, and we’ve just wound up with less housing and a smaller building.

The JPNDC is overall a force for good but it was with a great deal of dismay that I saw them renege on their agreement with the Blessed Sacrament property plans to build lots of affordable housing, financed by planned high end condos in the church itself, that the JPNDC then turned around and after all else was built demanded more affordable development in the church and made a big stink about it. The church remains empty. A lot of liberal activists unfortunately are helping fuel the rising cost of living in cities... it’s not just the NIMBYs.
 
FK4 said:
The JPNDC is overall a force for good but it was with a great deal of dismay that I saw them renege on their agreement with the Blessed Sacrament property plans to build lots of affordable housing, financed by planned high end condos in the church itself, that the JPNDC then turned around and after all else was built demanded more affordable development in the church and made a big stink about it. The church remains empty. A lot of liberal activists unfortunately are helping fuel the rising cost of living in cities... it’s not just the NIMBYs.
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I was a member of Stony Brook Cohousing, which had a purchase & sale agreement for the Blessed Sacrament Church. The plan was to develop 37 units (4 of those affordable), restore the exterior, and have 1,600 sf of community space in the front of the building. The JPNDC backed out right as we were closing on financing and ready to commit millions to the project.

An article about the project: http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2010/03/05/church_cohousing_could_cost_125m/

That was about nine years ago, and the building has sat vacant ever since.
 
elemenoh said:
I was a member of Stony Brook Cohousing, which had a purchase & sale agreement for the Blessed Sacrament Church. The plan was to develop 37 units (4 of those affordable), restore the exterior, and have 1,600 sf of community space in the front of the building. The JPNDC backed out right as we were closing on financing and ready to commit millions to the project.

An article about the project: http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2010/03/05/church_cohousing_could_cost_125m/

That was about nine years ago, and the building has sat vacant ever since.
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Such a shame. The landing in front of that church is a great urban space, and deserves so much more activity than it gets.
 
FK4 said:
What exactly does that refer to? The Jackson Sq master plan? Or to the new corridor plan? If true, that’s ridiculous. I agree about radicals; they nearly defeated what would’ve been a perfectly fine project in Egleston by Iantosca, and we’ve just wound up with less housing and a smaller building.

The JPNDC is overall a force for good but it was with a great deal of dismay that I saw them renege on their agreement with the Blessed Sacrament property plans to build lots of affordable housing, financed by planned high end condos in the church itself, that the JPNDC then turned around and after all else was built demanded more affordable development in the church and made a big stink about it. The church remains empty. A lot of liberal activists unfortunately are helping fuel the rising cost of living in cities... it’s not just the NIMBYs.
Click to expand...

The affordable housing requirements are dictated by the JP Rox plan which has been adopted by the city as the standard for zoning in the neighborhood. It's an unprecedented level of affordability and that has led to smaller projects being approved. In the two years since the plan was adopted projects are approximately 50% of the size they were previously approved at.

http://www.bostonplans.org/planning/planning-initiatives/plan-jp-rox
 
I am not crazy about the entrances compared to the rest of the building. Otherwise awesome
 
I attended the public meeting for the 10 Stonley project. Per usual, there is a very loud and vocal group of neighbors who are insisting upon lower density in this location. The contention is that this is the wrong place for density. We all know that the greater Boston area is desperate for new housing. This provides 23% affordable units without public money. If we can't build FOUR story projects immediately next to the bus yard of the MBTA, and two blocks from the terminus of the orange line, where can we possibly get real density?

If you live in Jamaica Plain, you can send letters of support to Aisling Kerr, the BPDA staffer in charge of the project. Aisling.Kerr@Boston.gov
 
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