SBOL_08_10_23

Increasing Construction in South Boston

by Rick Winterson

The southwestern quarter of South Boston is experiencing a rapidly increasing share of local construction, reconstruction, and projects designed for the future. Couple this with South Boston being a “walking neighborhood” and it is just about time for you to catch up. But be sure to walk – something that South Boston Online has always recommended. If you’re on foot, you’ll really get to know these new projects.

Perhaps the biggest single project planned for this part of South Boston, as well as the most recent one to be proposed, is the project first called “On the DOT”, the name once posted on their gates fronting Dorchester Avenue. On the DOT sits on a long plot of land along the west side of Dorchester Avenue that extends essentially from the Southampton Bridge across Alger Street and half a mile down to the mega-

intersection of Dorchester Avenue, Old Colony Avenue, Seventh Street, and B Street. It ends only about a quarter of a mile from Broadway Station. The entire plot of land, although quite narrow, amounts to nearly a million square feet.

Some work has already begun. New signage includes the name “Algerworks”, no doubt named for Alger Street, not Horatio. Initial work involves upgrading existing buildings for immediate use in life sciences, as well as a 300-unit apartment building on Alger Street. Eventually, the final project will involve over 1,000 new residences, 4 million (4,000,000) square feet, and extensive laboratory and office spaces devoted to life science technologies. Just walk along the project’s Dorchester Avenue fence line to get a feel for the project’s size, and then stop at the fetching Cannonball Café for coffee.

Then, amble along Old Colony Avenue, especially along its east side.

Continued on Page 2

“Coffee with a Cop”

The rainstorm last Tuesday morning didn’t keep South Boston guests away from the August edition of Station C-6’s “Coffee with a Cop”, which was held at Deja Brew, 704 East Broadway. Between showers, the many guests overflowed onto the sidewalk in front. A constant stream of coffee, along with many tasteful goodies, were provided by Marissa Walsh, the current Manager of Deja Brew, and Cathe Walsh, the Founder of the original Cranberry Café. Their gracious hostessing was perfect. Boston’s Police Commissioner Michael Cox was on hand for the whole event, as was Station C-6 Captain Joseph Boyle and the Community Services Unit supervised by Sgt. Jeremy Fitton. In addition, many ranking Police Officers from BPD Headquarters showed up, as did many of our elected officials and candidates. The Station C-6 summer interns attended also.

More Photos on Page 4

Officers O’Connor and Lawton, Supt. Chin, and Dep. Supt. Davill take one last “Coffee with a Cop”.

Continued from Page 1

Construction

Pass by the Castle Island Brewing Co., Shy Bird and Tatte. Cole Hersee has long since departed that area, although its name is still legible on one of the buildings. When you walk up Old Colony, you’ll soon pass the Ironworkers Local 7 Hall across the way, and then you’ll arrive at the first building in the Washington Village project on the corner of Dorchester Street. This sevenstory structure is almost complete. And across the street, another building has assembled ground floor ironwork. Before you move on, look back down

Damrell Street. A few years from now, the Washington Village project will stretch 1,000 feet along Damrell, from Old Colony down to Dorchester Avenue. If you have time to walk further, proceed along Old Colony to Preble Circle, where Old Colony joins with Columbia Road. At Devine Way, the 30-acre Old Colony/Mary Ellen McCormack housing development begins. Over the past three years, plans have been made to demolish this development and build mixedincome units instead. That would mean constructing up to eight “towers” with as many as 19 stories in some of

them. Only two or three acres would be retained as open space; most of the existing trees would be felled and removed. The Old Colony/Anne Lynch housing project across Preble Circle is almost finished with its rebuilding. Did that work? Think about this as you walk. Further on, at the point where Old Colony and Columbia split apart for good, sits Kosciuszko Circle, a South Boston landmark. We mention this because a massive, $5 billion ($5,000,000,000) project called “Dorchester Bay City” was approved by Boston’s Civic Design Commission recently, and it will now go before the

Boston Planning & Development Agency. Even though this project is entirely located in Dorchester on the Columbia Point side of the Circle, its effects on nearby South Boston roads, especially those going into the Circle, will be major. Keep that in mind as you complete your walk. There’s a motive in asking that you walk around or near the many huge projects slated for the southwestern corner of South Boston: Will they benefit the residents who are already there? Will they eliminate existing problems in this part of South Boston? Think about that as you walk. Thanks.

The Algerworks – the first step in “On the DOT”.

Cannonball Café welcomes “On the DOT” visitors.

The first Wahington Village building nears completion.

The rest of the Washington Village “arc” down Damrell.

Old Colony: Will it be reconstructed? Will those trees be kept?

The traffic now at Kosciuszko Circle – what’ll the future bring?

by Rick Winterson

Recently, South Boston Online took part in an “Andrew Station Walkthrough”, an inspection tour that had been arranged by Lydia Polaski of ASCA (Andrew Square Civic Association). This walk-through, which numbered 50 participants, included police officers, elected officials, MBTA personnel, and other ASCA members. Andrew Station was found to be in an absolutely terrible condition, nearly to the point of being hazardous to enter.

Two weeks after the walkthrough, South Boston online was pleased to report that Andrew Station had been extensively cleaned up (see first photo), although much major repair work remained. Janitorial care was being done on a regular basis. And the station’s wire-mesh ceiling had been patched so that the hundreds of annoying pigeons could no longer roost there.

Pigeons Return to Andrew Station

However, we have noticed that a gaping hole had been made in the recently patched wire-mesh ceiling cover (see second photo) . The hole is still there, it measures three feet by five feet, and it lets pigeons return to roost in the Station –leaving their feathers (and other kinds of droppings) behind and below them. As it happens, this hole is right over the end of the two escalators from Andrew Station’s lower platform. One of these escalators has been out of service for months.

“T” passengers who use the other escalator will end up exactly underneath the hole where pigeons (and their droppings) are now back in Andrew Station once again. We have no idea why the hole was made in the overhead wire-mesh to begin with. Perhaps maintenance was necessary, such as changing light bulbs. But not putting the mesh back over the hole where it belongs after the work is finished is inexcusable. When you go to Andrew Station, watch out for the pigeons.

A cleaner dutifully wet-mops the brick walkway in Andrew Station.

A gaping hole in the Andrew Station overhead mesh allows pigeons to roost once again.

“Coffee with a Cop”

by Rick Winterson

South Boston’s beaches aren’t only for sailors, swimmers, and sunbathers. All summer long, games played on the local beaches have ranged from a simple session of “Catch!” (with a football or baseball) up to the cluster of volleyball games now being played on Southie’s spacious Carson Beach – perhaps as many as eight games at once, extending from the McCormack Bathhouse southward towards Mother’s Rest.

Earlier this week, we took a long look at volleyball on Carson Beach. The games were well-equipped, with real volleyballs, properly marked-off playing areas, and regulation nets seven-and-a-half feet high. All the teams had a full six members, who wore brightly colored T-shirts embossed with the word “VOLO”. Beneath VOLO is a line that reads “Kids Foundation”; above VOLO is a slogan saying “We Play so Kids Play Free”.

VOLO Volleyball on Carson Beach

So, what is VOLO? VOLO in South Boston is a chance for anyone to play in a variety of well-managed sports and athletic leagues, either here or nearby.

VOLO Sports first began back in 2010. Then, the VOLO Kids Foundation was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, nine years ago in 2015. The Foundation was created in response to legal issues and criminal offenses seriously affecting Baltimore’s young people. Its mission was to provide kids with increased opportunities to play sports and help them stay out of trouble. Actually, VOLO’s mission is two-fold: It sponsors adult sports programs and athletic leagues, and then uses the fees from these efforts to fund youth sports programs that are free – “We Play so Kids Play Free” and “Sports Make People Better” are VOLO’s two slogans.

Since its 2015 beginnings in Baltimore, the VOLO Kids Foundation has opened branches in New York, San Francisco, Denver, Miami, and San Diego. They acquired Social Boston Sports in 2017, and we’ll quote VOLO

Pickleball! Is It Everywhere?

The red-shirted VOLO Setter in Volleyball Position 1 gets set to return a high blue VOLO serve.

afterward that happened: “Our team had awesome volleyball experience at Carson Beach, which rivals any experience in Miami or San Diego with good vibes and fun times.” The Foundation’s original sport was bocce. They now sponsor leagues in kickball, flag football, volleyball (of course), and even sailing (in San Francisco) and skeeball (in New York). Locally, VOLO also offers volleyball at The Park in Assembly Row, Somerville. Note

that the VOLO teams are almost all coeducational – both guys and gals are welcome to join up and play together. Look up VOLO Boston for local information about joining up; their fall programs are now enrolling teams. Think about playing volleyball on Carson Beach next summer. And keep in mind that the VOLO Kids Foundation supports thousands of kids in sports programs already, and has set themselves a goal to help 50,000 kids in the near future.

This photo shows a game of Pickleball being played at the Veterans Park’s basketball court on Devine Way in South Boston. The court was converted to Pickleball using sticky white tape and a portable, 34-inch Pickleball net. That really isn’t new news – the tennis court in Veteran’s Park had already been converted to Pickleball early in the spring, as have so many other playing courts since then. This just represents one more casualty as the epidemic of Pickleball seems to be

infecting every paved or parqueted playing surface in the entire United States. And you thought COVID-19 was contagious! Pickleball was first invented over 50 years ago. At first, it was a kid’s game (you’ve probably guessed that already) and it began on the West Coast (you’ve probably guessed that, too). It took well over 40 years for Pickleball to arrive in the East, but it’s now the fastest growing sport everywhere America. And who knows when or where it’ll stop? Around here, you may soon see Pickleball being played during the winter on iced-over hockey rinks.

Permit Secured to Rebuild Bridge and Restore Access to the 35-acre Public Health Campus on Long Island

With critical state Chapter 91 license in hand, Mayor Wu accelerates work to rebuild bridge, outlines vision for restored public health and recovery campus on Long Island

Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the City of Boston has secured its Chapter 91 License from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to reconstruct the Long Island Bridge. With this long-awaited license in hand, the City has secured the most significant state approval required in its years-long efforts to rebuild the bridge and restore access to the 35-acre public health campus on Long Island. With $81 million already available in the FY24 capital budget for the bridge, Wu announced that the City would accelerate progress on construction immediately and set a goal that in four years the bridge would be rebuilt to a campus with a first phase of buildings ready to reopen for programming.

“With this major state approval in hand, our work to rebuild the Long Island Bridge and bring back this critical health care campus can truly begin,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. ”This is a transformative opportunity to support families and meet the needs of individuals and communities across the region. We’re ready to move forward in partnership with health care, recovery, and housing providers, alongside our governmental and philanthropic partners, and the many community members who believe in the enormous potential of this unique resource to help meet our most urgent challenges.”

“We believe that the Long Island campus will be a first-ofits-kind resource that will provide a broad continuum of care and innovative programming for people living with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health illness in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston and Executive Director of the Boston

Public Health Commission. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners and the community to plan and build a campus that will promote health, well-being and recovery for all whom it will eventually serve.”

With receipt of the Chapter 91 License, known as a Draft License until the resolution of any administrative appeal, the City can now proceed to the final two reviews required for the Long Island Bridge project: a federal consistency review by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and a bridge permit from the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has previously issued favorable preliminary determinations on the navigational and historic preservation elements of the City’s bridge design.

With bridge permitting in its final stages, the City of Boston is now accelerating reconstruction of the bridge and the island’s public health campus, more than 350,000 square feet spread across 11 buildings. The City’s next step on bridge construction will be issuing a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) to contract for a bridge project management firm that will provide the City with the additional expertise and capacity to oversee the project. Once secured, the City will bid the construction project itself. The rebuilt bridge will be restored on top of the existing piers, which will be refurbished during construction. Designs are already completed.

In the recently-approved FY24 Budget, Mayor Wu allocated $38 million to repair and stabilize the existing buildings on the 35-acre public health campus. These improvements are expected to be bid later this year with construction, via barge, anticipated to start in the spring of 2024 and completed in 16-24 months. Efforts to prepare the buildings to host public health programs would follow, with services coming online after the bridge reopens.

As envisioned, a restored public health and recovery campus on Long Island would be a regional asset to respond to the interesting crises of

substance use disorder and mental health. Mayor Wu recently hosted a meeting with providers, many of whom had operated on Long Island prior to closure, to discuss plans to rebuild the bridge and begin a planning process for the campus. Mayor Wu has spoken with Bill and Joyce Cummings of the Cummings Foundation about the potential on Long Island who have indicated their support of the project.

“As part of Pine Street Inn’s mission to end homelessness in Boston, we applaud Mayor Wu’s efforts to rebuild the Long Island Bridge,” said Pine Street President Lyndia Downie. “We know we need every possible tool, including both Long Island and the Shattuck campus, to support people in rebuilding their lives and moving toward recovery and out of homelessness. The state permit to rebuild the bridge and reopen a recovery campus on Long Island is a critical step in the process.”

“For nearly 40 years, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) has been caring for individuals, families and unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness with the highest quality medical and behavioral health care. Since our beginning in 1985 until the demolition of the Long Island bridge in 2015, BHCHP, along with other service agencies had provided important medical, behavioral health, substance use recovery care and other services on the island’s campus of medical and shelter buildings. Without access to the island’s facilities, the resultant gap in these services has created significant challenges for our health care providers and for the patients we serve,” said Stephanie Sullivan, CEO of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. “We are grateful to Mayor Wu and the City of Boston for their commitment to this project and strongly support the rebuilding of the Long Island Bridge and resuming the critical health services on the island. This project will restart and improve upon much-needed, separate health care space providing

life-saving care for these medically vulnerable individuals, to promote healing for these individuals and for our Boston community at large.”

“Cummings Foundation has expressed strong interest in the revitalization of Long Island and is eager to join the City of Boston in accelerating work to reopen the critical recovery campus,” said Joyce Vyriotes, Executive Director and Trustee of Cummings Foundation. “The Foundation and the City have had several conversations about potential major support, and Cummings Foundation is hopeful that other funders will also consider making substantial contributions to this extraordinarily critical cause.”

“I’m very excited that the Commonwealth has granted the City of Boston approval to begin the journey back to Long Island. I personally received treatment for substance use disorder on Long Island as a teenager and worked there as an adult, supporting high-risk youth,” said Brendan Little, advocate and documentary filmmaker. “For many like myself, the programs on the island served as a catalyst for positive change for decades. Today’s announcement ensures that Long Island will again serve as a beacon of hope and wellness for the entire region. I’m grateful to the City and the Commonwealth for their commitment to this vital resource.”

Long Island is a sacred space for Native American and Indigenous people, and it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands Archaeological District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As more detailed plans for potential uses on Long Island are determined and developed, the City will prioritize outreach to, and engagement with, the firsts peoples of that land as well as environmental and other state regulators, including the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office. The City is excited to explore how these relationships can help inform Mayor Wu’s vision for recovery and supportive housing on Long Island.

Curley Center Beach Cleanup

Staff at the Curley Center keeping the beach Clean

Meeting

617 Dorchester Ave f/k/a 20 Boston St

September 12, 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Project Proponent:

Project Description:

Zoom Link: bit.ly/617DotAve

Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864

Meeting ID: 161 861 2374

The information at this meeting is crucial to you as a City of Boston resident, and stakeholder. Interpreting services are available to communicate the content of these documents at no additional cost to you. If you require translation services, please contact the following: Tyler.C.Ross@boston.gov. The meeting is scheduled for 9/12/2023. Please request interpreting services no later than 5 days before the meeting date.

Meeting of the general public to review the proposed 617 Dorchester Ave project in South Boston. Please note that this is a Public Meeting. The meeting will begin with a 30-minute presentation of the project by the development team, followed by 45-minutes of public Q&A.

This meeting will focus on 617 Dorchester Ave, South Boston by the BPDA.

mail to: Tyler Ross

Bos ton Planning & Development Agency

On e City Hall Square, 9th Floor Bo ston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4214

email: tyler.c.ross@boston.gov

website: bit.ly/617DorchesterAve

Compass on the Bay Gives Back to the Community

Compass on the Bay recently worked on a special project for Boston Medical Center. Our team put together 32 Dementia Friendly kits for BMC’s Emergency Room. These kits are designed to help reduce one’s anxiety during an unexpected visit to the Emergency Room. We are so happy to have the chance to give back to a community partner with whom we work so closely.

J. Gannon PC

Compass on the Bay Director of Community Relations Dean Tricarico with Boston Medical Center Outreach Coordinator Mark Smith and his assistant

Vietnam Veterans of Fitzgerald Post & South Boston Vietnam Veterans Sail to Castle Island on the USS Constitution

Raheem Shepard and Kate Bennett Appointed to Board of Directors

Mayor Michelle Wu announced two new appointments to the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board of Directors.

Raheem Shepard of Hyde Park, Regional Manager of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters for the City of Boston and a current member of the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA), is being appointed to fill a seat traditionally held by a representative of the construction trades. Shepard will fill the seat being vacated by current member Michael Monahan, whose term expires this month. Kate Bennett of Roslindale, the outgoing Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, is being appointed to fill a vacant seat. Current Board Chair Priscilla Rojas, whose seat is in holdover status, will also be reappointed. The new appointments will need to be approved by the City Council. Once they are confirmed, all BPDA Board member seats will be filled and current.

“I join the board members in thanking Mike Monahan for his years of service to the City of Boston and

working people,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Raheem Shepherd and Kate Bennett are tremendous additions to the Board who will bring experience and focus to make Boston the best city for families— affordable and green, with opportunities connecting every generation. I thank them and Chair Rojas for rolling up their sleeves with Chief Arthur Jemison and our entire City team to build a growing and green city for everyone.”

“I want to thank Mike Monahan for 22 years of service – to the ZBA for 12 years and to the BPDA for the last 10. He has been an important voice for the growth of the City,” said Chief of Planning and Director of the BPDA Arthur Jemison. “I look forward to working with Kate and Raheem, who are experts in their own right on building Boston in a thoughtful way. I am confident they will help guide growth that will make our City more resilient, affordable, and equitable.”

Kate Bennett has worked in affordable housing development, policy, and planning for more than 25 years, with a particular focus on public

housing revitalization as the former head of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). Bennett has spearheaded over $2 billion in redevelopment activity currently underway at several BHA sites across the city. She has also been instrumental in the development of the BHA’s green, healthy housing and sustainability programs, and in the expansion of resident empowerment and self-sufficiency initiatives. Bennett holds a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has also managed affordable housing programs for the City of Chelsea and the City of Newton.

“As someone who has dedicated my career to housing for Boston residents and families, I share the Wu Administration’s belief that our growth depends on government, community, and developers coming together to build a stronger City,” said BPDA Board of Directors nominee Kate Bennett. “I am very grateful to Mayor Wu for this opportunity to continue to serve our community.”

Raheem Shepard is the Regional Manager of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters for the City of Boston. His appointment

upholds Boston’s longstanding tradition of including union representation on the BPDA Board. As a member of the ZBA, Shepard reviews development proposals which require zoning relief, and works with his fellow ZBA members and Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison to help advance the Mayor’s goal of rebuilding trust with communities through planning-led development, while advancing equity, affordability, and resilience across all functions of the City’s development review process.

“Serving on the BPDA Board of Directors is not only a great professional and personal honor, but it’s an opportunity to work closely with Mayor Wu’s Administration to chart a course for Boston’s future,” said BPDA Board of Directors nominee Raheem Shepard.

“I am grateful to Mayor Wu for reappointing me to a new term on the BPDA Board, and I am eager to welcome Raheem and Kate,” said BPDA Board Chair Priscilla Rojas. “I appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting smart planning and development that serves the City and its residents.”