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Forest Hills pizza place could be razed for six-story residential building
By adamg on Mon, 10/21/2024 - 9:58am
Rendering by Helicon Design Group.
A developer is circulating plans to replace the one-story building that now houses Forest Hills Pizza at Washington and Tower streets in Jamaica Plain with a six-story, 35-unit residential building with retail space on the ground floor.
The proposal, by VinCo Properties of the South End, also calls for 11 parking spaces.
The Forest Hills Neighborhood Association holds a Zoom meeting tomorrow. It starts at 6 p.m. with a moment of silence for Glenn Inghram, who died in front of the pizza place, followed by a discussion of the proposed new building at 6:20.
Some members already have thoughts on the proposal, including questions about how the developer will work to make that intersection safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and whether it will work to bring community-oriented retail to the ground-floor space, rather than just leaving it vacant for years.
The current building is the end piece of a strip of one-story buildings housing a series of restaurants and other small businesses across from the T stop, starting at the Forest Hills Diner, next to the Velo apartment complex where the Laz parking lot used to be.
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Comments
need groceries near FH
Lack of a walkable full scale grocery store is the only reason why living across the street from FH is necessarily a stretch to do without a car.
What about the centre food
What about the centre food hub?
It’s a great resource, but
It’s a great neighborhood resource, but it’s hardly a full-sized regular grocery store. The quality of what’s available varies widely, as does the selection.
I have lived in the city for
I have lived in the city for almost 30 years in almost every neighborhood. Forest Hills T is as close as any of the other neighborhoods. North End, South End, and South Boston. And this was years ago before Whole Foods popped everywhere in the city.
I live near a Stop and Shop now, but it is one of the reasons I bought in Dorchester. And even so, I still get groceries downtown after work.
Orange line
Orange line to Jackson Square to Stop & Shop.
I can see it now.
I can see it now.
This gets built, a new pizza place goes in the ground floor and the residents start complaining about the smell of food overwhelming them.
I have an idea for community-oriented retail.
How about a pizza shop. Where else can you get a quick, inexpensive bite around there. You get off the train after a long day, the next bus is in 11 mins, you grab a quick slice and things start looking a little better. Lots of working stiffs need options like that, no chains, no bespoke lettuce wraps, no pub food, just a quick slice. I will now go outside and yell at clouds.
sure.
Sounds like a good idea. But that doesn't mean it needs to be in a one story building right next to a T stop.
Turns out pizza shops can go on the first floor of multi-story buildings too!
Impossible. Ever hear of
Impossible. Ever hear of Naples, Italy? Famous for pizza? All one story buildings. New York City? Same.
Try this place
5 minutes from the station. Good slices at Italian Pizza and Subs 172 South St.
Honestly, a construction
Honestly, a construction project that closes lanes of traffic for two years might be the quickest way to make that road safer. A hundred new residents with a personal interest in pedestrian safety should also help in the longer term.
Huh?
We've had that EXACT condition [a construction project that closed a traffic lane] two short blocks away from this very location. I can confirm that it has NOT improved safety.
I DO support densification directly across the street from a major T station. But I wish the City/BoPo would provide some level of safety enforcement.
Community-oriented retail
The last time I counted, there were 8 vacant storefronts along that stretch and the next block. Not sure how many of them are in the building that would be razed for this development, but it seems like it will be difficult to attract new residents to an area that is visibly in decline. And I have my doubts about the ability of the developer to attract new business tenants to the ground floor, as well, given the already-high vacancy rate. I’m all for replacing single-story buildings with more density near transit hubs, but the people who live there already don’t have the retail services they need.
Maybe the owner is keeping it
Maybe the owner is keeping it empty to sell and make the big bucks.
Not a sign of decline...
One story store fronts becoming vacant may well be a sign of preparation for development, not "an area that is visibly in decline."
There has been lots of development in that area and there will likely be lots more coming soon.
yes, but EIGHT empty storefronts....
yes, but EIGHT empty storefronts IS definitely visible decline!
Not necessarily...
If it's 8 empty storefronts in the same block, it's possible (likely, even!) that the landlord is emptying out the parcels as the leases expire in order to develop the site into something bigger.
Housing at Forest Hills
Why? Why does anyone think this is a good idea? How much more traffic will this cause? Tons. We do not need anymore housing across the street from the T. This is just greedy developers. NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NONO. WHEN IS ENOUGH GOING TO BE ENOUGH. How about working on the daily influx of homeless people begging in that area. That was NEVER AN ISSUE WHEN I WAS A KID. I've lived in this neighborhood for almost 50 years and my family for 100 years. It looks like SHIT now. Keep taking the trees and greenery away, keep taking what little space there is left for wildlife to live, or do animals not count because they can't vote? Awful, the once beautiful Forest Hills area, now just a parking lot for traffic. Awful. You should be ashamed.
Is this satire?
Is this satire?
I live in the neighborhood, and have since long before the developments along Hyde Park Ave and Washington street. The additions of Velo, Metromark, and the condos just south of the station have all been positive in my opinion. The housing isn't causing the homeless population, that's the drug problem and our overall lack of affordable housing and lack of services for addiction and mental illness playing out everywhere. We'd have it with or without the traffic, with or without the newer buildings. What we undeniably have is 1000s of neighbors, many of who take the T and bike because our neighborhood is perfectly located for those to be relatively easy.
Yes, work on the unhoused population...
Maybe by increasing the housing supply and support services so that people can get housed?
I haven’t been to this pizza
I haven’t been to this pizza joint for over a year, but at last visit this place is one of the few which hasn’t lost the recipe, or knack to make a great, basic, greasy comfort-food slice.
You could raze all pizza
You could raze all pizza places in Rozzie without decreasing the average quality.
True story
.
Brassica makes great coffee.
Brassica makes great coffee. I'm glad it will be spared.
I wonder if American Food Market would be interested in opening a shop where the old Dogwood Café was? Not a full service grocery but just a little smaller than Happy Market and Spirits on South Street and more convenient to the new residents along Washington Street. I hate food deserts.
Next step...
Once this building opens, Brassica should move into the first floor retail and then they can replace their building with multistory too.
Compared to Forest Hills
Compared to Forest Hills diner and the Tikka masala place, but is it objectively that great?
Yes.
Can't speak to it as a coffee shop, but Brassica transitions to a pretty high end dinner option at night and, yes, it is in fact great.
Is it closed on Mondays?
Is it closed on Mondays?
Let me Google that for you...
Pro tip: check their website. https://www.brassicakitchen.com/
I am only in Forest Hills on
I am only in Forest Hills on Mondays. I am relieved that it isn't closed. But closing 2 week days isn't a good sign. Lets build those high rise buildings!!!
It's different. I'm in no way
It's different. I'm in no way a coffee coinsurer but the coffee served at Brassica definitely tastes different than the stuff at Forest Hills Diner. I'd say it tastes richer if that makes any sense?
Richer as in more expensive?
Richer as in more expensive? I don't coinsure or insure coffee either.
I was trying for a synonym of
I was trying for a synonym of aficionado but I trusted spell check and paid the price.
Richer as in more full bodied in flavor @Zhu Hengpeng.
I'm really not concerned with prices when I purchase coffee on the go. I'm in it for the caffeine hit and buy it wherever is open. That being said the coffee at Mike's Donuts inside Forest Hills station tastes better then the coffee at Forest Hills Diner. I've never tried tikka masala; It's never open when I'm around.