Proposal would bring new residential units to Egleston Square

I lived on Montebello, around the corner from this development, through most of the 90s. When I moved into my apartment, the street was almost all families and long-time residents with some students here and there (myself included), and nearly the entire street consists of triple deckers (at the time rental units or multiple generations of one family in the same house, but in separate apartments). By the end of the 90s, most of the units had begun the conversion to condos, the families were gone, and most of the triple deckers suddenly sprouted granite countertops and huge price tags. So gentrification in that area is a done deal at this point.

I totally support this project. That section of Washington between Montebello and Iffley has been needing a facelift for a long time.

I thought Gentrification meant DINKS/money. Hell of a lot of white people in my neighborhood growing up and it wasn't perceived as all that gentrified.

This does look like a good project though. Density on an automotive use lot and sorta kinda near public transport.

Do you mean the feel of the abandoned auto body shop? Or the feel of the chainlink-fenced surface parking?

Uh... which neighbors would those be? The computer repair shop, the bodega, or the barber shop? Or maybe you mean the residents of the apartments above them, in this mixed-use development whose makeup is largely the same as the proposed development?

Or perhaps you just mean this as some sort of dog-whistle about Hispanic people, who comprise the majority of this neighborhood (aside from Montebello, which is admittedly a different crew)?

I didn't see them, I didn't know that I had killed somebody, they must have teleported right in front of me/under the truck!

It is right across the street from an even taller self storage building.

I live 2 blocks from this location and think this development is an obvious upgrade to what is presently there.

I think the timing for a project of this type and size has been on the books long before Walsh was even voted in, nevermind took office.

Those were actually the dominant uses in the neighborhood for many years, owing to the train and the availability of water from Stony Brook, which is culverted under the neighborhood including the small parking area behind Doyle's.

English High was a Boston Gas building, The development that Bruce (I'm All For Affordable Housing, Except When It Affects Me) Marks property was a Hughes Oil facility for years. Extra Space was a brewery as of course Sam Adams being the former Heffenereffer property.

It may have been a case of the neighborhood growing up around the industrial uses and not vice versa.

Stony Brook finally got put underground to keep the area from flooding. It runs generally along the Orange Line until Ruggles when the pipe goes to the Fens. It was open very briefly in the 1980's when Ruggles was being built. There is also an overflow pipe for the stream which runs up Brookline Avenue to the Charles.

Vibrant is used to promote most any project these days. See, this apartment/condo building will make the lives of anyone in or near the building rich and fulfilling, unlike other condo projects resulting in dull, meaningless existence for residents and neighbors.

While not related to Spanish speaking, "vibrant" has been associated with people out and about, including loitering. Its often used to appeal to anti-car, pro-bicycle folks. In this case, the building has bike racks and inadequate parking. The drawing shows two bicyclists wearing helmets (of course) and about 7 pedestrians.

"Sustainable" is another one of those trendy buzzwords popular now. The building is to have a Silver or higher LEED certification. Its not like the building repairs itself and thus sustainable.

I don't see any downside to this. More life on a corner that is not far from a very scary corner. Height along a major thoroughfare and across from another building that is yet taller. Density near a T station. Street level activity. The removal of a cancerous business that is the bane of Montebello Rd. A few affordable units and market rate units. The renovation of a derelict building that has miraculously escaped immolation but would not have much longer. I even gather that they are going to save that lovely oak at the bottom of the hill. Is that true?

You are aware that the "6 unit" building you refer to is empty and has been for, I don't know, at least 10 years? I guess the rats will be displaced. Have you ever even been on Montebello Rd?

I agree with you in general, but they're not using "distressed" in any sort of coded way--the building is literally condemned, and they boarded it up so that high schoolers would stop throwing ragers inside it. The owner has been absent and tax-delinquent for so long that the city is in the process of seizing the property. This is a property that would literally be more valuable to the neighborhood if it were burned to the ground.

I don't know what they mean by "progressive affordability," but I'm assuming it refers to the BRA's Affordable Housing Income Limits sliding scale.

Either they adapt to the changing neighborhood and clientele or they move somewhere where they're a better fit. Same thing that every business owner in every Boston neighborhood ever has done, including Egleston Square which used to be heavily Jewish (and let's not forget the Germans who built and worked in all of those JP breweries). You can't preseve a neighborhood under glass--things change.