Thinking Outside the Box: City Buildings Potentially to be Developed

1.2 min readBy Published On: February 8th, 2018Categories: News5 Comments on Thinking Outside the Box: City Buildings Potentially to be Developed

The neighborhood is growing by leaps and bounds; new developments, new housing, new businesses. It’s hard to imagine that the city is actually in a housing crisis. Well, according to the Boston Globe, the Walsh administration is looking for ideas to think outside the box when it comes to more than 80 city-owned buildings i.e. firehouses, libraries and community centers in order to create housing. The city is trying to reach the goal of 53,000 apartments, condos, and houses by 2030.

Other cities like San Francisco, New York and Washington have done something similar where developers partner with cities to improve and revitalize sites like our neighborhood library, firehouse or community center while adding affordable housing.

We reached out to City Council Ed Flynn for a statement:

On Wednesday, I was informed by the Mayor’s office that the Curley Recreation Center was incorrectly added to the list of city-owned buildings identified for the development of affordable housing. I agree that the City of Boston must look for new and creative ways to address the affordable housing crisis, while adhering to an extensive community and public process. Specifically, the city should look closely at any properties that are currently unoccupied or underutilized to add housing and improve services.

So what does that mean?  Nothing yet, it’s only in the “Request for Information” phase – so don’t panic.  This idea is only in the beginning stages.

 

5 Comments

  1. Not So New To The Hood February 8, 2018 at 3:15 pm - Reply

    What about forcing land bankers to do something with their land? That waste of space (billboard) at 7th & D needs to be turned into something useful. As does that junker lot with the fence around it at 6th & D.

    • Not So New To The Hood February 8, 2018 at 3:15 pm - Reply

      I have trouble coming up with a situation that makes that billboard more lucrative than 3-6 condo units.

  2. Kevin Conroy February 8, 2018 at 4:20 pm - Reply

    With some of these locations it could possibly work. So far there are no details, but plenty of rumors.
    One thing I figure is a given; that there will be no preference given to neighborhood people. It’s something I’ve noticed with other ‘affordable’ units.
    The future of this neighborhood appears to be one that will have an increasingly more affluent and transient population as we long timers fade of into the sunset.

  3. Oldtimesouthie February 10, 2018 at 8:13 am - Reply

    Affordable housing? Affordable for who?some refugees from somila,Russia, hati! Some long time SOUTHIE RESIDENT should be given PREFERENCE but they don’t. They are put in the same “pool” with refugees, and other ” residents” of BOSTON when it comes to affordable/no-income housing list.GIVE THE LONG TIME SOUTHIE RESIDENTS PREFERENCE!

  4. Not So New To The Hood February 14, 2018 at 9:05 am - Reply

    St. Vincents church would be a great for a condo conversion….much better than vacant.

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