Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- Police reaction to the beating of a South Bay corrections officer was swift, but many in the neighborhood are asking why it took so long for the City of Boston to initiate "Operation Clean Sweep" given that teachers and students at the nearby Orchard Gardens K-8 public school have reportedly been complaining for five years about drug use, discarded needles and prostitution happening on school grounds.

NEWTON --- One mile west of his ongoing Washington Place development, developer Robert Korff is proposing to build a 243-mixed use project on an assemblage of properties that includes The Barn, a longtime Newton shoe store. The proposal is near the commuter rail and on a street with regular bus service to the city. Korff is planning to apply for a Ch. 40B land use permit rather than wait for the city to complete its visioning process for Washington Street, which runs parallel to the Mass. Pike.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD --- In its ongoing series of reports on urban-type issues facing the country's teach towns, City Lab sends visual story teller Ariel Aberg-Riger to Martha's Vineyard to illustrate how wealthy year-rounders and vacationers impact the ability of everyday working people to find a home.

WORCESTER --- The 365-unit Front Street luxury apartment development in downtown Worcester is now fully leased, according to an earnings report by the developer's parent company, Mack-Cali Realty Corp. of New Jersey. The multi-phased project was part of the $565-million CitySquare project, which includes the 168-room AC Hotel along with new retail, restaurant and office space.

BOSTON --- In a move that reflects the growing recognition that stable housing plays a critical part in improving public health, the Boston Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital plan to spend $3 million over three years to fund housing programs through grants to community organizations. The first $1.5 million is slated for families struggling with unstable housing, including those behind on rent payments and at risk of eviction.

BOSTON --- Following up on a 15-story proposal for Boylston Street in the Fenway, the British student housing firm Scape has acquired a 99-year ground lease on string of buildings in Davis Square for just under $10 million. The private dorm developer's purchase includes buildings that house the Burren, McKinnon’s Market, the Sligo Pub, several restaurants and a parking lot.