You'll know immediately what square the new Ferdinand building is in

By adamg on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 6:39pm

The Bay State Banner reports on the latest plans for the Ferdinand building in Dudley Square, which will feature a brick and glass extension with "DUDLEY" in giant letters on top.

The long shuttered building will become the new home of the Boston School Department on its upper floors, with stores and community space on the first two floor.

Neighborhoods:

Roxbury

Free tagging:

Development

Boston Public Schools

Dudley Square

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Comments

Excuse my ignorance

By Will LaTulippe on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 7:28pm.

But we're going to spend public money on THIS?

Would it satify you if the

By anon on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 7:35pm.

Would it satify you if the words Dudley were left out?
Or should the just leave the eyesore there until it collapses?

Why is our tax money going to subsidize a part of the city which is so unappealing to major businesses and developers that it is literally crumbling into ruins? If the mayor really wanted to move city offices to Roxbury there are plenty of other locations better suited for them.

Sticking a bunch of government office buildings at large expense isn't going to help Dudley Square! Dudley needs actual businesses to employ and sell to local people. Property owners that are actually going to be able to build and maintain their own buildings without cash from somewhere else in the city.

People need a chance to make a living in a real economy and not be trapped beholden to some government plantation. But I suppose the mayor and certain members of the city council would prefer that everyone stay dependent on the city for work. Easier to win the election when everyone is and has to stay bought to keep their neighborhood's main employer from walking away. Places like Walmart get chased away because that might interfere with the city's racket.

Why is our tax money going to

By pierce on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:32pm.

Why is our tax money going to subsidize a part of the city which is so unappealing to major businesses and developers that it is literally crumbling into ruins?

a question and the answer all rolled into one!

Throwing money and government

By Anon on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 10:00pm.

Throwing money and government offices at location which obviously has problems maintaining tenants isn't going to help anything. Downtown Crossing's run down office space is full of government offices and they have done nothing to stem the long term tend of decline in the retail sector there. Consolidating government offices to free up taxable property is a good idea, spending inordinate amounts of money to do so and locate them in neighborhoods which desperately need sustainable investment cash from sources other than government is not.

You don't think that...

By Sally on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 12:58pm.

The current state of downtown has anything to do with the giant screw-ups and swindles perpetrated by private developers do you? Because I don't recall that it was city workers digging that giant hole on Washington Street? And contrary to what you Anon's seem to think, Dudley is pretty lively--not a lot of empty storefronts and certainly not "ruins" EXCEPT for the Ferdinand's building which no small business is going to have the funds to fix.

Fisking the ignorant Anon of 2/8/12 - 8:42 pm

By Jonas Prang on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 11:03pm.

My word. This post from the Anon of 2/8/12 - 8:42 pm is so wrong, it's hard to know where to start.

But, focusing our fisking ray steadily upon it, we can clear away the clouds of ignorance.

Why is our tax money going to subsidize a part of the city which is so unappealing to major businesses and developers that it is literally crumbling into ruins?

You have this backward, sport. Our tax money was sucked right out of Dudley allowing it to crumble before our very eyes. That's why major businesses found it unappealing.

Remember the Elevated. We do. Dudley was pretty vibrant—not great—but doing okay before the interval between the El coming down and the Fraudulent Silver Line "replacement" service.

If the mayor really wanted to move city offices to Roxbury there are plenty of other locations better suited for them.

Right. Like the Renaissance building at Ruggles and Tremont. The state tried to move the Registry there, but was stymied by the brattish RMV employees throwing a tantrum. That area of town was worse than Dudley ever was. Looks pretty spiffy these days, though.

Sticking a bunch of government office buildings at large expense isn't going to help Dudley Square!

Well this is wrong. Those government offices will have nicely paid government employees coming out each day for lunch and for shopping...which...

Dudley needs actual businesses to employ and sell to local people.

Which will induce "actual businesses to employ and sell to" these "local people."

Property owners that are actually going to be able to build and maintain their own buildings without cash from somewhere else in the city.

Right. Like elsewhere in the city doesn't get city largess, too. Dudley just got its 40 year old police station replaced (thank you very much). Unless we're forgetting something, that's the only major city investment Dudley's seen since before you were born.

People need a chance to make a living in a real economy and not be trapped beholden to some government plantation.

Not like the government plantation of...Government Center! and environs.

But I suppose the mayor and certain members of the city council would prefer that everyone stay dependent on the city for work. Easier to win the election when everyone is and has to stay bought to keep their neighborhood's main employer from walking away.

Not really. We just want the same kind of consideration other parts of the city have received.

Places like Walmart get chased away because that might interfere with the city's racket.

Walmart gets chased away because it is a rapacious, community business destroying shark from Bentonville.

Did we miss anything?

Jonas Prang

I just had an urge to shout,

By Miss Modular on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 10:09am.

I just had an urge to shout, "BOO-YAH!" Well done, sir.

I can't really add to this...

By Michael O. on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 3:05pm.

Jonas nailed this one down, hard and fast. I agree with every point.

The attitude that Dudley isn't part of Boston, or that it should be simply cut off and discarded is short-sighted, counter-productive, and unjust. With some time and energy, this neighborhood (two minutes from Mass Ave.), can be another fantastic Boston neighborhood, as distinctive a Boston destination as the North End, South End, etc.

In addition to the Ferdinand, the blooming of Parcels 9 and 10 along Melnea Cass (which, for those that know their history, were razed by the city of Boston to make way for a project that never happened...so they've got some repayment long overdue) will help turn Dudley into the hotspot it should be, considering it's location and people.

Amen

By Sally on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 4:02pm.

Well said. I find it kind of amazing that anyone could be so short-sighted, especially after the past week when we've all been discussing Kevin White's legacy. Anon clearly doesn't remember the South End of yore or the waterfront or a lot of other neighborhoods that were in much rougher shape than Dudley Square is today. It took all kinds of energy and public and private efforts to make those places what they are today. The idea that the onus should rest on a bunch of small business owners seems pretty misguided.

I resent that

By anthoknee on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 10:10am.

I live very close to Dudley Square in the Frederick Douglass Square area and I have to say I can count on one hand the amount of times I've walked through Dudley and still have some fingers left. Yesterday, I decided to change pace and instead of walking up the "nice" side of Washington Street I figured I'd go down to Dudley and walk around. My oh my. Every time I go I am amazed at the beauty of that Ferdinand building. It is in dire need of some TLC, but that building is so opulent, so beautiful. When the Boston Public School moves in and (hopefully) drives more businesses to the building it will be reinstated to its glory.

Dudley Square is a beautiful area with specialty shops serving the community. No, it isn't the "gentrified" South End complete with stuffy restaurants, $6 lattes, and dog poop on the sidewalk. But I appreciate the grittiness. I think the Square is beautiful. Yes, it needs some work, but I think Dudley is vibrant right now. I hope for a day when city residents start flocking to Dudley for a night out. For too long has this wonderful urban square been forgotten.

For the record

By Stevil on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 12:51pm.

The city will probably make money on this deal. The current building at Court Street is incredibly valuable due to its location. Dudley currently has almost no commercial value due to the cost to fix it - BUT - if the city sells the Court Street building and fixes up the Dudley building - they will probably come out positive - so while it may not make sense for a private developer, it might not be such a bad deal for the city. Plus, you add at least daytime population to the square plus you add tax revenue if you sell off court street to a private developer for say office or residential (granted, there isn't much demand these days for either - but it also might not make a bad small hotel which is one of the few types of real estate we do probably need and still incremental tax revenue for the city).

As for the sign, personally I think it's kinda cool in a retro sorta way. To each his own.

I know many of you find it odd for me to be on this side of the fence, but it goes to show you, I'm not anti-development, I'm just against bad development that's either stuff we already have too much of or has been supersized and is justified only so that some developer can make money on land s/he vastly overpaid for.

I think the city's keeping Court Street

By adamg on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 1:03pm.

But selling off BFD headquarters on Mass. Ave. BFD will move to 1010 Mass. Ave. after some other city agencies move to Court Street.

Harkens back to Dudley's prime era

By HenryAlan on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 3:50pm.

As for the sign, personally I think it's kinda cool in a retro sorta way. To each his own

Completely agree. The restored Ferdinand, plus new construction, plus sign conjures images of a cool, interesting place where you might spend an evening listening to live music. Dudley Square can and should be a funky, edgy kind of place, and this sign feeds that image nicely.

Leaving the sign out would be a start

By Will LaTulippe on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 10:53pm.

As for eyesore, look in a different direction if it bothers you. Not on my dime, especially when the schools themselves are so terrible.

Copper top

By Crankycoffey on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 11:41pm.

I hope they replace the fancy copper molding at the top of this building that was removed a few years
back when they started renovating. This came down shortly after vintage copper was stolen from
the Longfellow Bridge during renovations.

and you squares can f off; there's nothing wrong w Dudley! Just cuz honkeys don't feel comfortable ...

Honkies in Dudley Square

By Jonas Prang on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 9:01am.

We don't remember the copper work on the top of the Ferdinand building, but here's hoping it is part of the renovation plan. The metal theft from the Longfellow Bridge was cast iron, yes?

As far as honkies in Dudley, have you been paying attention the last five or six years? Have you noticed the honkies up by Mt. Pleasant and Fountain Hill, the northwest edge of Fort Hill, and even Egleston, and between Egleston and Dudley along Washington Street.

Why they've even been seen sneaking into cheap housing near Harris Park.

They seem pretty comfortable, even if you don't.

Just wait until the development and the rebuild of Melnea Cass are completed and Northeastern starts to leak even further southeast into Lower Roxbury.

Jonas Prang

Not an ounce of racism or

By Whatever happened to celebrati... on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 9:25am.

Not an ounce of racism or bigotry in that post....nope. You're no better than the thugs in Southie that don't want any non townies or people of non-Irish descent moving into the neighborhood.