Proposed 41-unit building draws fire from Rox. residents

Yawu Miller

Yawu Miller is the former senior editor of the Bay State Banner. He has written for the Banner since 1988.... VIEW BIO

A proposed 41-unit apartment building at the corner of Warren and Alpine streets has drawn pointed opposition from members of the surrounding Tommy’s Rock and Moreland Street neighborhoods.

Aside from a newer foundation, the parcel of land at the corner of Warren and Alpine streets has remained vacant since a fire destroyed the church sited there in 1986. Banner Photo

During an Aug. 22 Boston Planning and Development Agency meeting, residents voiced objections to the size of the six-story building, large number of units and small number of on-site parking spaces proposed for the market-rate building. The development would be sited across the street from a lot where a developer has proposed 21 studio units in a four-story building.

The two proposed apartment buildings are the largest of several ongoing new construction projects and condo conversions in a section of Roxbury that has garnered increased interest from real estate developers looking to cash in on the neighborhood’s increasing property values.

During the August BPDA meeting, one former Mission Hill resident complained that real estate developers are seeking to transform the neighborhood into a new student enclave.

“You do not want this neighborhood to turn out like Mission Hill,” said Rafael Feliciano, who now lives on Winthrop Street.

Asked by developer Joseph Federico what would be acceptable to abutters, Feliciano asked that he withdraw the project.

“We don’t need you,” he said. “To answer your question succinctly, we don’t want you at all. You’re exploiting zoning law to maximize your profits.”

The project, which would occupy a parcel that has remained vacant since a fire destroyed a church on the site in 1986, is one of many large apartment buildings proposed for this neighborhood and elsewhere in Roxbury. On Townsend Street, Kensington Investments drew fire last year with a proposal for a 311-unit development on the site of the former Radius Hospital. That proposal, with its call for just 220 parking spaces, has stalled amid fierce opposition from neighborhood residents.

Like the Radius Hospital site, 125 Warren Street is in close proximity to bus lines and is being billed as transit-oriented development — a concept that calls for larger, denser development with limited parking in areas close to public transit. Opponents of the 125 Warren Street project pointed out that the neighborhood does not have the amenities found in other business districts, such as major supermarkets and restaurants, making it less likely that residents would forgo use of a car.

Speaking on behalf of the development team, attorney George Morancy argued that the apartment building would enhance economic development of the area by bringing in market-rate tenants.

“Joe is trying to build up the economic base here,” he said.

Residents weren’t buying that argument.

“This land is not zoned residential,” said Alpine Street resident Bette Toney. “This would not help Dudley Square, nor does it help the Tommy’s Rock neighborhood. We already have apartments. We already have condos.”

Toney and others at the meeting complained that while Federico first came to them months ago with the proposal, he has made few changes to the it, despite repeated complaints about the density and lack of parking. In response to the pointed comments at the Aug. 22 meeting, BPDA project director Tim Czerwienski stressed that the city’s role is to come up with a compromise between the developer and neighborhood residents.

“I think it’s become very clear how people feel about this project,” he said. “I think we have to work with Joe and change this project. We are looking to facilitate a process where we get as close to a middle ground as possible.”

City Councilor Kim Janey, who did not attend the meeting, said many in Roxbury are overwhelmed by the volume of proposed real estate projects in the neighborhood.

“Residents feel fatigued,” she said. “There’s so much development happening in Roxbury.”

One Warren Street project that saw near-unanimous support from Roxbury residents was 280 Warren Street, a 95-unit building with 105 parking spaces across the street from the Washington Park Mall. The project, advanced by the Roxbury-based Cruz Development Company, calls for moderately-priced apartments affordable to people living in Roxbury. That project has been approved for construction by the Boston Redevelopment Authority board.

Janey said developers can succeed in Roxbury if they advance projects with community support.

“You want the right development to happen,” she said. “You want it to benefit the people who live here.”