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Roslindale to get permanent farmer's market under plan for old trolley substation
By adamg on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 7:39pm
Drawing via BRA. Compare to the present space.
Historic Boston and Roslindale Village Main Street are proposing to turn the long-dormant substation at Washington Street and Cummins Highway into a combination winter farmers' market and event space.
At a meeting tonight, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which purchased the large brick building several years ago from the MBTA, gave tentative approval to the plan, in which the two non-profit groups say they will raise a total of $1.2 million for the required rehab of the structure - starting with $550,000 they already have on hand.
The winter's farmer market would complement the existing summer farmer's market in Adams Park across Washington Street.
- Inside the Roslindale substation - Photos from last spring.
- More details on the project and other projects approved tonight.
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Comments
I'd like to see it happen, but...
I don't think it'll ever happen.
Because...?
...of the lousy record of urban renewal efforts in Roslindale to date?
Yeah, we kind of suck at turning old buildings to good new uses around here.
</sarcasm>
Oh, be a little more hopeful
Gosh, what will the two of you do if this scheme actually DOES happen?
If it does happen
I promise to donate $100.00 to relief efforts for the irony-impaired.
It's great
Great idea. Hard work, but gotta try. Roslindale's humming.
I hope this happens
The Adams Park Farmers' Market is hugely successful. Bringing some of that same buzz to the square year round would be wonderful. I would think it might also be a good venue for concerts, perhaps an expansion of the existing Jazz in the Square programming.
Roslindale Square is great
Roslindale Square is great and this is going to make it even better. I love that Roslindale has this functioning and actually really useful "downtown" that is missing from so many places--like JP in my opinion. Why did Roslindale survive intact when so many other places died away? I know that lots of the businesses are new, but I think a lot of the reason the center is interesting and alive is that many older businesses stuck around and never went anywhere. In how many neighborhood centers can you actually do all your grocery shopping and never have to set foot in a supermarket again? My version of something near to heaven is never having to go to Stop and Shop again.
I'd call it a rebirth rather than an evolution
There was a period, starting not long after the Dedham Mall opened, when Roslindale Square became the sort of windswept nothingness that people would avoid at night. Yes, some businesses managed to hold on (Wallpaper City and Sullivan's Pharmacy, for example), but I remember when the Village Market was just a fenced-in hole in the ground (bonus fun fact: Roche Bros. actually started in Roslindale Square).
Give the longstanding businesses and nearby residents credit (the Village Market originally started out as an effort at a Harvest-like co-op), but let's not forget Roslindale Village Main Street and Tom Menino - who got the city's first Main Street program started way back when he was just the district city councilor, ahd who, as mayor, got the city to clean up the Village Market site when it turned out to be full of hazardous wastes.
Then there were the new pioneers who dared move in - like Fornax.
And let's give some credit to Stavros Frantzis, the JP guy who bought up much of the block bordered by Birch and Corinth and who made a point of bringing in the boutiques and restaurants and restored that courtyard back there.
Social Security building
It's too bad the new building on the square is so terrible and charmless. The architect and developer put almost no effort or creativity into making an interesting or attractive building.
I would hope that failing any successful renovation, the BRA will at least ensure that something is build to replace it which add to the square instead of detracts, maybe through a design contest or something.
I agree that the SSA building is short on charm
And I hate that it has a national chain fast food business front and center - one of Rosi's great strengths is the predominance of locally owned businesses.
But...
- it beats the heck out of that crummy old half-abandoned gas station lot,
- we didn't lose our library,
- and if they take a cue from the library and do a nice job with greenery this summer, the arcade may be a nice respite from the heat and sun for folks walking along that stretch of Washington Ave.
The arcade
is an interesting and unique enough feature (for Boston) that it saves the building. I have no use for the upper floors, nor the current occupant of the first floor. But one or two good local businesses added to the mix, and the location will be decent enough, potentially even charming.
I love it!
That building, while perhaps lacking wild imagination, is top-quality. The developer splurged and built the best building in Roslindale, hands down, in terms of quality of materials. There are buildings downtown and in Coolidge Corner that are not built to this level of workmanship. We got lucky!
Are you serious?
I'm glad the contractors who built the structure took pride in their work then because the architect who designed that building does not care about buildings, architecture, or urban planning. If they spend more than a day thinking about how it would look in the neighborhood, I'd be shocked.
If the developer paid 'top money' for the design, they were badly robbed.
Looks great!
I'm looking forward to this.
great news! can't wait for it
great news! can't wait for it to become a reality.