Alliance Advocates for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Parking to be Returned to Parkland

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) unveiled a ten year Institutional Master Plan to guide its growth and change. The plan proposes a new four-story building on the parking lot adjacent to the John Jeffries House, the demolition of four buildings on Cambridge Street (one of which dates to 1889) to make room for a new ten-story building, and an addition/renovation to the main building at 243 Charles Street.

The Alliance has requested additional information regarding the proposed demolition. The Alliance has also supported The Esplanade Association in requesting that MEEI consider turning some of its parking lot area along the Charles River back to parkland. This change would provide additional green space in close proximity to the newly landmarked Charles River Esplanade and the Charles River Basin, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of Boston's most well-loved and well-used recreational and historic resources. It would also improve the setting for the approach to the Longfellow Bridge in concert with its planned rehabilitation.

MEEI has voiced its desire to work openly with residents of the surrounding neighborhoods on the revision of its ten-year plan.

Anderson Memorial Bridge to undergo restoration by MassDOT

As part of the Commonwealth’s $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is undertaking the rehabilitation of the historic Larz Anderson Memorial Bridge, a historically and architecturally significant feature of the Charles River landscape. The bridge, constructed in 1915, is in severe disrepair and is currently a safety hazard, due to crackling concrete, loose or missing bricks, and arches which are structurally compromised.

MassDOT is planning repairs which follow the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.” These plans include the repair and replacement of spandrel walls, parapets, and concrete arches. MassDOT will work closely with the Massachusetts Historical Commission as the project progresses.

The project also includes plans to increase pedestrian and cycling space across the bridge by widening the pedestrian/bike path. Some advocates have pushed for adding a boardwalk-style pedestrian underpass on both sides of the river, as part of the heavily-used network of paths of the Charles River Esplanade. The Alliance has supported exploration of this alternative, although we have expressed that its design would have to be sympathetic to the historic bridge. The plan also includes landscaping design, in which invasive trees near the bridge will be replaced with native species. The Alliance is supportive of the plan for the bridge’s rehabilitation, and looks forward to the project’s commencement.

Alliance Pushes Preservation Planning for Huntington Avenue YMCA

The Boston Preservation Alliance has been monitoring and participating in review of proposed changes to the Huntington Avenue YMCA.

The prominently located, iconic Administration Building and Hastings Wing are part of a cluster of turn of the twentieth century buildings in the area. They speak to the substantial institutional development that occurred along Huntington Avenue and its surroundings during this period. Retaining much of their original appearance, these buildings handsome examples of Shepley Rutan and Coolidge’s work in the Tapestry Brick Style with character-defining ornamental detailing. The administrative activities that these buildings have housed over time also lend them significance, as the headquarters of the regional YMCA which was a leader in the provision of recreational and social services to its members.

A third building, a gymnasium, is proposed for sale to Northeastern University for the construction of a new dormitory tower in partnership with Phoenix Property Company. While the building helps to tell the story about the YMCA's philosophies about health and exercise, and it's leadership in social and demographic integration in the city, it is also in a deteriorated condition. It is adjacent to New England Conservancy's Jordan Hall, which recently underwent a major restoration.

On Tuesday, March 8, the Boston Landmarks Commission imposed a 90-day delay on the demolition of the gymnasium in accordance with Article 85 of the Boston Zoning Code. The Alliance has urged the YMCA and Northeastern to use this time to collaborate on a preservation plan for the complex that will outline what measures will be taken in order to protect the most important buildings on the site and commemorate YMCA's rich history. The Alliance looks forward to working collaboratively with both institutions and with community residents as plans move forward.

New Long-Term Stay Hotel Signals Historic Fort Point's Bright Future

The Fort Point Channel Boston Landmark District is well on its way to becoming one of Boston’s most vibrant neighborhoods. With a still thriving arts scene and growing residential community, the area also borders the city's emerging Seaport District and burgeoning Innovation District.

The Alliance is supporting the rehabilitation of the Stillings Building, located at 368 Congress Street, for an extended-stay hotel. The six-story, turn-of-the-century warehouse was built in the Classical Revival Style in 1901 by Morton D. Safford, chief architect for the Boston Wharf Company. The building features a highly ornamented exterior, and a unique, glazed tile central atrium with iron walkways which rises six stories and provides natural light to all floors of the building. Criss-crossed by steel bridges that connect the east and west sides of each floor, and topped with a massive skylight, this atrium is a reminder of the building’s industrial past, and will remain a prominent feature of the restored structure.

The extended-stay hotel will include a ground floor lobby, restaurant, and retail space. In addition to the high quality of restoration proposed for the building’s exterior, the project includes sensitive new interventions that are in keeping with the industrial history of the area.

Fort Point Channel was developed from 1836 to 1882, almost entirely by the Boston Wharf Company. The area’s warehouses, originally used for sugar, molasses, and wool storage, now comprise Boston’s largest and most significant collection of industrial lofts. After the manufacturing and storage uses declined, artists moved into the abandoned lofts in the 1970s, creating what is now the largest artist enclave in New England.

The development team consists of Norwich Partners of Boston, LLC as the proponent; Colliers International as the development manager; Group One Partners, Inc. as the project architect; McCarter & English and Brennan, Dain, Le Ray, Wiest, Torpy & Garner as legal counsel; Howard Stein Hudson as transportation consultants; and Lee Kennedy & Company as construction managers. This project, which is being embraced by the Fort Point community, will bring more vitality and activity to the area, promising its continued revitalization.

WPA-Era Stone Wall in Mission Hill to be Restored

Nestled among the turn-of-the-century townhouses and triple-deckers, a small, humble relic tells a story from a different time in the history of Mission Hill. It is a story of the neighborhood, and the city, rising out of the Great Depression.

Around 1935, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative resulted in an ambitious agency called the Works Progress Administration. The goal of the agency was to provide employment in a time of national economic strife, and in the process, provide public works for the enjoyment and improvement of cities across the country. From constructing new roads and recreational buildings, to overseeing large art and literacy projects, the WPA provided employment for nearly eight million Americans. Among the many WPA projects in the Boston area, the Sachem Street Wall was constructed to act as a visual connector of several irregularly shaped housing lots along Sachem Street, making the street more visually appealing.

The stone wall is only about four feet high, but over the years it has become much-loved feature of Mission Hill. Constructed of curving river stones and crowned with wedges of granite, the wall now shows signs of wear and tear. Weathering, deferred maintenance, and vandalism have all contributed to its deterioration. Fortunately, the City of Boston has allocated funds for repairs to the wall.

The Alliance has been working closely with the Friends of Historic Mission Hill and others from the neighborhood to ensure that the wall is restored in a historically sensitive and timely manner. Anticipated repairs are set to begin in early Spring, 2011.

Boston Preservation Alliance Addresses Threatened Religious Properties Workshop held on Saturday, November 13, at Roxbury Presbyterian Church

To a packed room of over 120 people, Reverend Hurmon Hamilton, Senior Pastor at Roxbury Presbyterian Church, kicked off the Boston Preservation Alliance’s one-day workshop on the preservation of religious properties on with a rousing call to action. Generously sharing the story of his congregation’s tireless work to raise funds to renovate the historic building, Rev. Hamilton started off the day on a truly inspiring note, encouraging other congregations to have faith and take charge of their buildings.

Throughout the rest of the day, the workshop addressed the grave threat faced by many of Boston’s religious buildings, as congregations with scarce resources struggle to maintain their properties. The event featured advice from experts, information sharing amongst participants, and guidance from preservation agencies and organizations. A number of local ministers who have successfully renovated their buildings presented case studies to serve as models for others. Emmanuel Gospel Center, Historic Boston, Incorporated, The Black Ministerial Alliance, and The Fellowship of Hispanic Pastors of New England (COPAHNI) cosponsored the event.

“Some of Boston’s most beautiful, and architecturally significant, houses of worship are in dire straits,” said Judy Neiswander, architectural historian and conference coordinator for the Alliance. “They often have decades of deferred maintenance and their parishioners, through no fault of their own, just don’t have the funds in this economy to fix them up.”

Many religious buildings dating from the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century are defining landmarks in their communities. They are beloved by their congregations, often have great historical and artistic significance, and provide facilities for an enormous amount of social service. Nevertheless, the upkeep of these buildings can be challenging. The goal of the conference was to assist building managers and others in charge of stewardship of religious properties to developing strategies for taking action.

“Deferred maintenance is a huge issue facing the owners of every church and religious building in the city,” according to Jeff Bass, director of the Emmanuel Gospel Center. “The challenge is immense, but I believe that with hard work, cooperation and God's grace, we can make progress, and this conference is a big step in the right direction.”

The workshop provided tools and information for building assessment and maintenance, described a process for moving forward when a building has problems, provided resources for on-going assistance, and promoted peer-to-peer networking, assistance and support. In addition to the panels of experienced professionals who spoke, extensive handouts were made available and participants were each given an “Owner’s Manual” for religious properties. The workshop took place at Roxbury Presbyterian Church on Warren Street, where a major restoration has recently been completed.  The day concluded with tours of the facility, which allowed participants to see first-hand, the dramatic improvements that have been made to this highly valued space.

Alliance Advocacy Leads to Enhanced Preservation for Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island

Following the Alliance’s comments to the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs a more comprehensive historic preservation strategy will be pursued for the invaluable resources of Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

Fort Andrews was built at the turn of the twentieth century as a major component of the Boston Harbor defense system. It is the only fort constructed in Massachusetts during the Spanish American War and consists of a remarkable collection of historic buildings that form a coherent complex.

The Alliance recognized that it was not be feasible to restore a number of the buildings on the island, which after decades of vacancy were in a state of substantial disrepair. However, the Alliance raised concerns about the amount of proposed demolition, advocated for a more complete plan to protect the landscape features and archaeological assets on the island (which is known for its Native American archaeology), and pushed for stronger commitments with respect to historic interpretation. Now, a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between the Alliance, the island’s stewards, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Island Alliance, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Hull Historical Commission. This agreement will ensure that additional buildings will be stabilized and will require more archaeological survey, landscape planning and interpretation.

Moving forward, the Alliance and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have expressed a willingness to provide assistance in the development of a comprehensive preservation plan for the island, including feasibility analysis for the re-use of the soon-to-be stabilized buildings on the island. Currently there is no proposed long-term use for these buildings. The Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Island Alliance whom we are confident will prioritize long-term preservation of and access to the historic buildings on this captivating, but little known, fort in Boston Harbor.