Roxbury Infill and Small Developments

[lynqueezy]

New bpl dudley branch renovation (still in progress I'm guessing)

At night, led lights outline each of the letters and most of the marquee. Sorry couldn't get photo.

 

[datadyne007]

In before "Lipstick on a pig."

 

[lynqueezy]

Actually at night this thing alternates between the colors red, yellow, and orange.

 

[Brad Plaid]

More of this please. Signage and graphics can make a huge difference, something that isn't done here nearly often or effectively enough. Start consulting some artists! Landscaping wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Matthew]

Those photos just highlight how terribly awful glass bricks are.

 

[RandomWalk]

Derelict YMCA by day. Times Square by night.

 

[kingofsheeba]

That's half assed.

 

[Matthew]

Got a short tour of Bartlett yard yesterday. Looks really cool.

Also really cool, they're probably going to start demolition next month and there are plans for a mixed-use mixed-income development to be built in stages. I think the first stage is 60 units, and a Harvest Co-op.

On the other side of Dudley, the Tropical Foods guy said that they anticipate a soft opening of their new building in November, maybe save the grand opening for the new year. It's just an empty lot right now, so that's seems like they have plans to push things up fast.

The BRA supposedly has plans to develop a bunch of vacant lots and parking lots near that, as well.

The Ferdinand building is largely intact now. The sides are made up of some kind of fancy brick. A lot of people were whispering that the brick is ugly, though. I didn't mind, I was just annoyed by the lack of street interaction, but supposedly there will be a public space inside.

Dudley is going to be quite different in a few years it seems.

 

[lexicon506]

The Ferdinand building is largely intact now. The sides are made up of some kind of fancy brick. A lot of people were whispering that the brick is ugly, though.

Too bad, because that brick is the most beautiful thing Boston has seen in a long time.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Dudley is going to be quite different in a few years it seems.

How long before people start complaining that the developments are driving long time residents out, etc., etc.

 

[Matthew]

They're already on that. A repeated theme, including from Mr Mayor himself, is that they intend to make sure that the pre-existing residents are not pushed out by the changes. High percentages of affordable and mid-range. Bartlett is going to be something like 40-30-30 affordable-midrange-market.

Also, besides Bartlett, it seems that a lot of the development is CDC-led, FWIW.

 

[underground]

How long before people start complaining that the developments are driving long time residents out, etc., etc.

I give it 6 months based on today's appearance of the precursor complaint, Parking Apocalypse: http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2014/05/dudley_sq_facing_parking_nightmare

 

[Matthew]

Well the page refuses to load due to it being loaded up with ads and crap. But I'm guessing that it's more moronic comments from the Herald no doubt. Dudley is mostly a parking lot at the moment.

Just goes to show that the more you destroy your neighborhood and turn it into a parking lot, the more parking that people will demand even further.

Two people did bring up parking while we were standing there and the answer from the organizer was basically: street parking is unenforced right now but once things are in place we'll be investigating options like metering and actual enforcement.

That reminds me, the organizer was also standing in front of the ugly, old police station and saying something about how there's some vision to demolish it and replace it with something big, maybe even going tall. Probably commercial space, maybe some residential mixed in.

 

[bigeman312]

Form the article:

Stanley said public transit is not an acceptable replacement for parking spots.

 

[Matthew]

Oh, I know there are snobs who are too good to ride the buses. I just don't believe public policy should stoop to subsidizing their anti-social behavior. If they want parking, they can pay the proper price for it, instead of dumping the burden on the backs of the less affluent.

 

[underground]

But I'm guessing that it's more moronic comments from the Herald no doubt.

It's coming from our seemingly otherwise levelheaded councilman, Tito Jackson.

 

[Matthew]

Speaking of politicians, during his remarks, Marty Walsh kept talking about his experience "driving through Dudley" before finally biting his tongue, as he realized he was addressing "Walk Boston". Kind of an awkward moment there. It really doesn't sound so great if his main experience of Dudley is from behind a windshield.

Just one of those things -- sigh. In general, politicians are driven around to places and some of them never really get out and experience places the way their constituents do. Now, for the record, I don't think Marty is like that -- at least not entirely -- but his slip-up was an interesting window onto that world.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

How could public transit be an acceptable replacement of parking in a neighborhood centered around THE LARGEST BUS STATION IN NEW ENGLAND!!!

 

[pixelsand8]

Got a short tour of Bartlett yard yesterday. Looks really cool.

Same here though I imagine we weren't there at the same time, as I didn't see anybody else. I was there around 1:30-3pm. A few of the many pics I took;

 

[kz1000ps]

Not sure where to put these but here's the two-story going up on Melnea Cass (note the building comes right up to the sidewalk -- is our beloved Melnea going urban?)