While the Ferdinand Building is being redeveloped and the two other buildings located at 2304-2306 and 2326 Washington St. are incorporated into the massive Ferdinand Municipal Administration building (official name to be forthcoming), Boston Water & Sewer will be undertaking a long-planned separation of rain overflow from sanitation flow, necessitating large sections of pavement to be torn up all throughout Roxbury. Construction on the Ferdinand will be taking place during the day, while Boston Water & Sewer will be working at night.
That means orange cones, flashing yellow lights, and people in hard hats around Dudley Square, around the clock.
As if these projects weren't enough, a three-story office building is scheduled for construction directly across from the Ferdinand, on the corner of Taber and Warren, in the fall. The MBTA has also already locked in a developer for improvements to the Dudley Bus Terminal, which means construction beginning there within a month.
Nor should we expect surcease by the end of 2013. Just the opposite. Development of Parcels 3 (Tremont Crossing shopping mall, on the corner or Whittier and Tremont), 9 (Melnea Hotel and Residences, along Melnea Cass Blvd.), and 10 (expanded El Tropical supermarket, also on Melnea Cass, opposite), as well as improvements to pedestrian and bike paths along the boulevard, will be just getting underway when all the original projects are winding down.
Embrace, and even encourage, the certain disasters to befall a living, breathing Dudley Square. Roxbury can't pause while developments are underway, but make no mistake, these "problems" are the best sign that Roxbury is growing again. We should all do our best to remember that special thing that always seems to accompany pain.
Yes, there is soooo much going on in terms of development that it makes my head spin. I do hope people will ratchet up their tolerance levels for aggravation, though, since the (relatively) short term inconveniences will yield (hopefully) some amazing results.
ReplyDelete