On Tuesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the plans to convert the old Gate of Heaven School into condos. Oranmore Enterprises will build 26 units with 40 parking spots at the home of the former neighborhood school. Mayor Marty Walsh had temporarily blocked this proposal last summer after the Gate of Heaven Neighborhood Association was so passionately opposed to it.
The Boston Archdiocese closed the school in 2008 and neighbors wanted a new public school or charter school to take over the space. But eight months later, no school tenant has been found, so Walsh decided to let the project go before the BRA and it was approved.
The neighborhood seemed to be divided on this project. Kids Before Condos – lead by Gate of Heaven Neighborhood Association President Kevin Lally – wanted the school to stay a school with the hopes of a charter school occupying the building. Another group of abutters did not like the idea of a charter school and were in support of the developer’s proposal sighting it was a better fit for the neighborhood.
No date has been set for when construction will begin. The Boston Globe is reporting that Lally and the Gate of Heaven Neighborhood Association is playing on suing the developer.
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How many of our Southie politicians attended the BRA meeting? How many sent letters opposing the developer? How many have deposited this particular developers money into his/her campaign account? Will Caught in Southie do a real report and ask our "leaders" these questions?
To see how the deck has been stacked against the long-time residents of the neighborhood, go to www.ocpf.us/reports/searchitems and see how the politicians have lined their pockets with developer money. The average guy who wants to raise his family in the good neighborhood that he was raised in doesn't stand a chance.
Its actually 31 Condo's the interior property is around 49,000 SF. will turn into hopefully some beautiful condo's but is devastating for the locals who use the parking lot in off school hours. I was personally pulling for this to become an elementary school or middle school, oh well.
What about making it a parking lot for all the people who live in that neighborhood and can't park? That would be better than more condo's.
While change can be a good thing, when do people decide it's enough?? Can't believe they let this happen. Doesn't South Boston have enough condos?! If they were going to do that, a nice elderly complex would have been appropriate so the ones who can't afford to live in the only place they have ever called home don't have to become forced out financially! So so sad, will the greed ever end?
There was so much talk of a school here, and a school would have been good for the neighborhood, but in all of these meetings opposing condos, when developers presented schematics, time lines, money to buy the property and the know-how to restore it, did any of the community groups reach out to a school? Try and find a specific tennant for the building if it were to become a school? Figure out, realistically, what sort of budget that would require and petition non-profits and local governement to raise that money? Or did everyone just show up angry about where they are going to park their cars for free now?
I don't understand why the uproar really the neighborhood is long gone and will never return to what it was ! Where was the anguish when the same thing happened to Saint Agustines ? It sat there empty for years. It's discusting what happened to our neighborhood but this has been going on for years. The only thing left standing will be the Heights and Castle island . Not one of the children that grow up there now will ever afford to own or even rent an apartment now. People should have stood up then and said hell no ! Original southie families are the minority now once again we should have stood together ages ago
The community group did seek out potential schools for this building. The archdiocese would not allow the building to be used as a school if it was not a Catholic school. The Archdiocese did not want to operate a school there any longer, so they killed that idea. There was an agreement between the Archdiocese and the developer which legally prevented negotiations with any other party, a school included. However, there was/is an interested charter school but the agreement legally prevents negotiations. Also the Archdiocese does not want a charter school at this location and would not agree to sell or lease to one. There has been several community meetings about this very issue. Please don't assume that people just showed up angry with no thought or foresight put into their efforts to prevent condo development at this location. When you assume you show your ignorance.
Buy a bike? From your comments you obviously did not show up to any of the meetings. Thanks for adding nothing to this discussion.
Time to get Linehan and Walsh out of office. They’re inept.
Why the uproar ? This has been happening for years now look what they did to Saint Augustine's ! The fight should have happened then. Only thing left about Southie is the name and they even wanted to change that . Wake up people a little to late to save anything that was
Just wondering…if the Abutters agreed the school should be turned into condos, did they get a parking spot out of not opposing the developers? Just wondering…