After years of doing nothing about neighborhood complaints about the unoccupied, decaying five-story building at 23 Upton St., city officials have given the go-ahead for 24-hour demolition and shoring-up work there following its partial collapse on Thursday. Liana Rogue reports from the block:
Upton Street
Collapsed. Photo by Liana Rogue.
The Boston Fire Department reports the rear fire escape and parts of the 5-story building at 23 Upton St. collapsed last night into Public Alley 701. Read more.
Around 8:30 p.m. at Tremont and Upton streets. WCVB reports the driver stayed at the scene.
The Boston Courant's Mich Cardin reported two weeks ago that developer David Goldman has signed an agreement to purchase the South End rowhouse located at 38 Upton Street, currently owned by the Pine Street Inn (PSI).
According to the Courant (no online edition):
Goldman, who began negotiations with PSI around December, bid on the property, eventually matching the appraisal price of more than $1 million.
38 Upton Street is one of three adjoining buildings originally purchased by Pine Street, back in 2008. The non-profit's plans to turn the properties into transitional housing unleashed the fury of some neighbors, who expressed concern that the development was too big for their bucolic, narrow, one-way street. Pine Street eventually bowed to the pressure and the three-building project was reduced to two, with PSI agreeing to sell the third on the private market.
Some of those same neighbors are still unhappy. According to the Courant, a 2009 written agreement signed by Pine Street and the Union Park Neighborhood Association set out specific deadlines for the sale of the third building; according to it, Pine Street was supposed to immediately begin efforts to sell the property.
![Subscribe to Upton Street](https://www.universalhub.com/misc/feed.png)