A Land Court judge yesterday rejected a developer's request to order the city let it immediately tear down two long vacant and increasingly decrepit buildings at 80 and 100 Smith St. that it claims are in danger of imminent "catastrophic" collapse - but which the city says could be repaired. Read more.
Abby Niezgoda at NBC Boston reports city inspectors have condemned the under-renovation building at 43 Fleet St. that partially collapsed last week and that it will have to be torn down. Still up in the air: What happens to the neighboring buildings connected to it. In 2019, a building around the corner on North Street also had to be torn down after partially collapsing.
West Roxbury's own Filene's Hole, as seen through tear in fence covering tonight.
Gary Martell, who tore down a 19th-century home and a 1960s-era pillbox of a bank branch on Centre Street to make way for a 21-unit condo building, today sued the BPDA for failing to schedule a vote on the project, which has now left West Roxbury's main shopping area with a large fenced-off pile of dirt. Read more.
Friday, one day after a contractor demolished the old Keith House on Centre Street, ISD issued a stop-work order rescinding the permission it had granted Tuesday for the work.
Developer Gary Martell tore down the house, built in 1839, to make way for a 21-unit condo building he wants to build. He also plans to tear down the former People's Federal Savings Bank building next door, although he has yet to receive permission from the BPDA to actually put up the condos.
City Councilor Ed Flynn says he's had enough with South Boston residents ignoring state and city regulations that ban large parties - next week, he will ask the City Council to call in BPD and ISD to figure out how to enforce the Covid-19 regulations that too many people are flouting, even if that means increasing the current $300 fine for violators. Read more.
Update: The market passed a re-inspection on Feb. 21 and was allowed to re-open.
A city health inspector yesterday ordered Ming's Supermarket, 1102 Washington St. in the South End, shut for a variety of health issues, including all the frogs on a rear loading dock without a permit, 600 dozen eggs sitting in a too warm warehouse and rodent droppings found at several spots, including the produce area. Read more.
The Globe reports that William "Buddy" Christopher, who until recently had been ISD commissioner, is taking a leave of absence from his new job overseeing Methadone Mile while the feds and a law firm hired by Mayor Walsh investigate just how development projects wend their way through the city approval process. Read more.
WBUR reports ISD today cited Corolla Contracting for violations that led to "an unsafe and dangerous worksite" at a site off Atlantic Avenue that left a woman walking nearby with critical injuries after metal construction material fell on her from several floors up yesterday.
The Park Plaza Au Bon Pain didn't just put its "A" health-inspection form in its window, it put it in an illuminated frame that really shows off the letter.
UPDATE: Market cleared to re-open on March 27 after passing a re-inspection.
A Boston health inspector today shut Ming's Supermarket, also known as New York Marts, 1102 Washington St. for a variety of health violations that included dead bugs on a hot-foods light shield and rodent droppings under a sink employees are supposed to use for hand washing. Read more.
It took two follow-up inspections, but China Bo, 49 Warren St., finally met with a Boston health inspector's approval and was allowed to re-open on Friday, according to city restaurant records.
After being shut in November due to a variety of kitchen health issues, the restaurant failed two more inspections before getting cleared to re-open.
Led by Rizz, from New Edition. Also featuring the dancing stylings of Police Commissioner William Gross and Wally, with a very special guest appearance by Zdeno Chara.
For the third time, a federal judge has rejected an effort by the owner of the fire-ravaged building at 97 Mt. Ida Rd. to move his case from state Housing Court to federal court - this time with a warning for the man to knock it off. Read more.
Moldering eyesore on a Friday afternoon.
A housing-court judge had been scheduled today to decide whether to appoint a receiver with the power to raze a Mt. Ida Road three decker ravaged in a 2011 fire, but owner James Dickey may have once again managed to stave off any action for a few months by trying to transfer the case to federal court. Read more.
UPDATE: The restaurant passed a re-inspection and can open again.
ISD ordered MDM Noodles, 351 Washington St., shut earlier this week for violations that included flounder and un-canned Spam not being kept cool enough, cooked lamb not being kept warm enough, a lack of adequate hand-washing facilities for workers and rat droppings on the floor of a closet at the end of the area where hot foods are prepared. Read more.
The Bulletin reports the Fairmount Hill Neighborhood Association wanted to make sure William Christopher could find his way to its monthly meeting, to discuss three problem properties on the hill. Alas, Christopher never made it - but because he was sick, not because he got lost and wound up in Readville or something.
Mayor Walsh is asking the City Council to approve a city ordinance that would require Boston restaurants and food trucks to prominently place a sign with a letter grade corresponding to the results of their most recent health inspections. Read more.
Apparently, city inspectors were watching the Billboard Music Awards last night and agreed with comedian Chris Paul that Madonna should never have been allowed anywhere near a Prince tribute and so retweeted his crack.
Well, either that, or whoever has the keys to ISD's Twitter account forgot to switch to his or her own personal account before hitting the retweet button.
H/t John Keith.
A city zoning rule that bans more than four undergraduates in an apartment isn't working, city officials said today, so they've begun looking at changes that would let them start levying fines on landlords who persist in overcrowding their units. Read more.
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