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Frenzy as valuable Beacon Hill property goes on sale
By adamg on Fri, 09/13/2013 - 7:37am
The Herald reports 90 potential buyers are sniffing around the Unitarian Universalist Association's three buildings around the State House, which the religious group is selling as it decamps for the Innovation District.
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Comments
Another 58 story condo building?
How about using the building sites for affordable housing?
...because Beacon Hill isn't
...because Beacon Hill isn't an affordable place to live. A more useful place to build an affordable 58 story condo building would be in an affordable section of the city such as Roslindale.
This could ONLY have been
This could ONLY have been written by a resident of Beacon Hill.
Hyde Square
They already have one tower - let's put 2-3 more in.
wrong thread
these buildings are much smaller and already built.
Right
How about it, fellas? You're all screaming for affordable housing for the poor, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and have some section 8 housing built in back bay and beacon hill, right next to your million dollar condos? Or is it the usual limousine liberal "we need more of it, just not in my backyard" sort of BS?
Limousine Liberal
Limousine liberal, I really like that one. Now get off my lawn, hippie.
I thought...
that's what Eastie, Chelsea, Roxbury and (certain non-prime parts) of Southie were for.
Damn.
Really makes me wish I had a few extra million laying around.
UUA should be ashamed
It's like selling the Vatican. Seriously. I used to work there and there were tours from UUs all over coming to see the place. And the address was such a big deal that they got to keep it when the moved the headquarters in the 20s.
No, they shouldn't, and no, it isn't.
In general terms, if they can better serve their mission by selling real estate, why not? What's the big deal?
And, speaking specifically as a Unitarian Universalist, your reference to the Vatican is misguided at best. I'm sure many people have strong feelings about the building, but it's not a designated holy place, and given the way the faith came together, it doesn't have any great historical significance in terms of the church generally.
The UUA of today might have
The UUA of today might have more in common with the general vibe of the innovation district than it does in the stuffy, rarefied air of Beacon Hill.
Do we know why they are selling? Do they need more space? Very often, residential buildings make for awkward (and expensive) office conversions. I wonder if the buildings were in need of some serious systems upgrades and the UUA decided to seek more modern space elsewhere.
I will forever love the UUA's signs in favor of gay marriage that were hung in sight of the Statehouse during that whole debate.
I used to work there too.
Some 15 years ago and this was being discussed then. Those opposing did so on the point that histroy means something and these buildings have it. If it was up to me I would have done what I can to hold the property but there were issues with them - maintenance, needed upgrades, accesability - that as practical matters made them somewhat dinosaurs. Having said that I wish the UUA had chosen a more insprirational building venue/location to move to. The new address looks like just another corporate office, not very spiritual and certainly will not be noticed by passer bys the way 25 Beacon was.
Unitarian Universalist Association Beacon St. Building
It is in an Historical District and changing the color of your front door is even forbidden. Low income housing not, no absentee landlords in that hood. Boston will gain at least $100,000 in taxes if it is turned back into a private home and close to a million plus if becomes condos. Herb Chambers home and the Webster House where on the market, asking somewhere in the 20 million. This piece of property should end up selling for somewhere $30 to $40 million. The Parkman House is next door, also a private home owned by the city. Across from the Public Garden a 5 story home just added a swimming pool small house paying $68,000 a year in taxes.
I guess you are forgetting about the 1%.
It was a joke
There is no way the rich and powerful want any sort of affordable housing in their back yard. Historic district designations seem mostly to protect rich neighbors, while old neighborhoods elsewhere have redevelopment projects green lighted by historic commission boards.
Added a swimming pool? Did historic preservation committee approve it?