Eliot School may have outgrown its space in Jamaica Plain after more than 340 years, could move out of neighborhood

The school is sitting on a gold mine of insanely valuable development land. Considering that condos in 3 deckers in JP are now going for over a million each I can not imagine that the development value of their land is not in consideration.

But this is failure by success. Because the neighborhood is now so successful by the standards of real estate value, what makes it valuable is sacrificed. Part of what makes JP valuable is that it is a village in the city. The open spaces and largers parks, the historic structures, the way that the various historical sites anchor JP as a village in the city, keep it from being mauled by the never maul of urban development.

Social scientists have concluded that 120 minutes a week in parks is necessary for good mental health. The smaller open spaces, such as the land around the Eliot School, supports a neighborhood that supports good mental health. The historical structures maintain social health by the physical existence making real and tactile connections to our past.

When institutions such as the Eliot School leave the value of the neighborhood where mental health and social is concerned weakens.

Just as the desire of Hellenic College's desire to build above the tree line near Jamaica Pond would have harmed part of the beauty and spiritually uplifting power of the Pond area, developing Eliot School would be a cut into the flesh of the body of JP.

JP as a neighborhood has given much to the Eliot School. It's current leaders should not abandon what the neighborhood has given the school for 340 years.

Boston Center for Adult Ed sold their place on Comm Ave about 10+ years ago. I think the Egans (of EMC ) bought it and did a masterful renovation. BCAE landed millions for the building and built a state of the art facility just down the road.

Win, win all around. Could be for this school as well, but sad to see 340 years of history gone.