Development of Roxbury MBTA Site Takes a Step Forward
An 8.5 acre site in Roxbury that the MBTA has used as a bus depot and maintenance facility for over fifty years will become a new “smart growth”, transit oriented development community if a unique partnership of developers has its way. The non-profit Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation and its two private partners – Windale Developers and Banc of America CDC – have announced that they have signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the MBTA to acquire the site known as Bartlett Yard, located just blocks from Dudley Square. The developers of Bartlett Place plan to build up to 315 units of mixed income homeownership and rental housing and 30,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the site. New streets will be created on the site, making it an important transition area between commercial Dudley Square and the residential neighborhoods of this section of Roxbury. The Developers will focus the project-related community benefits on small business and workforce development initiatives. The development plan emerged in response to a Request for Proposals issued in March 2007, following a two-year community planning process driven by the Roxbury Master Plan Oversight Committee with the participation of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the MBTA. “We fought hard for an RFP with both vision and details that serve our community, said Dan Richardson, the vice-chair of the Oversight Committee.” Bartlett Place LLC, which is the name for the joint venture, was designated the developer of the site last November. “We are very excited about the Bartlett Place proposal”, said Richardson “This team understands what we are looking for and put together a good balanced project.. We are especially heartened that the plan is coming form credible, experienced developers who know this community and have worked here for many years.” Roxbury-based Nuestra Comunidad, one of the premier community development corporations in New England, has developed some 800 units of homeownership and rental housing as well as commercial and retail space, and has launched numerous social and economic development initiatives in Boston’s inner city neighborhoods. Windale, is the development arm of Crosswinds Enterprises, a Roxbury headquartered minority-owned general contractor; Crosswinds has built a significant portion of the affordable housing in Roxbury and Dorchester in recent years, and through Windale has developed highly praised affordable and mixed income homes throughout the community. Banc of America CDC is the nation’s largest bank owned community real estate development entity, and has undertaken ambitious community development and revitalization projects around the country, usually in partnership with local non-profit and for-profit developers. The three organizations (or their parent companies) have worked with each other often in recent years. Evelyn Friedman, the former Executive Director of Nuestra Comunidad, now heading Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development, was an instrumental member of the partnership before accepting her new position with the City of Boston. The development is moving forward in an uncertain financing environment. “Although we have seen a serious erosion of the economy and the housing and capital markets since we were designated, we remain committed to developing Bartlett Yard and believe there is a feasible plan to do this,” said Arnold C. Johnson, a principal of Windale Developers. “The development timeframe and the number and mix of rental and ownership units may need to change to accomplish that, but we believe that there is a feasible program that is consistent with the intent and spirit of the RFP and the expectations of the Roxbury community,” added Marcia Thornhill, Director of Real Estate Development at Nuestra. “The immediate concern is determining the environmental condition of the site,” said Banc of America CDC’s Gene Clerkin. “Because of its long history involving transportation uses, we worry about the potential cost of cleaning the site and how it might impact feasibility.” Environmental site assessment is currently underway and the results of the testing of site conditions should be known in the next few months. “The environmental condition of the site has been a persistent question for the MBTA throughout the Community process’ said Michael Miles, co-chair of the Bartlett Yard project review committee and member of the Roxbury Master Plan Oversight Committee. “The MBTA is responsible for the current condition of the site and we expect the MBTA to be responsive and continue to work with the community and the developer to ensure that this project is successful”. George Chin, another principal of Windale said, “There are challenges in front of us and it will probably take a number of years to fully realize what we and the community have dreamed about. But we’re the right team to do this and we can get it done.” |
