In a Monday evening email to City Councillor Chuck Turner, State Representative Gloria Fox, City of Boston Neighborhood Coordinator Keith Williams, and various neighbors of 85 Centre Street, Darryl Settles wrote that he has decided, after much soul searching, not to go forward with his project for a bar and restaurant at that location. He thanked the neighborhood for its time and consideration, and wished it the best in its vision discovery process.
It has been a tense month. We are glad this episode in the on-again, off-again development saga of this parcel seems to be over. We, too, wish the best for Mr. Settles.
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bummer....
ReplyDeleteoh good, i really enjoy walking my dog past the abandoned graffiti magnet every morning. brightens my day!
ReplyDeleteJessica, I'm sorry you are disappointed. It is pretty clear there was some support up the hill for Mr. Settles's plan for night-time liquor & food. Unfortunately for Mr. Settles, among the 30 or so neighbors immediately affected, there was almost no support.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you are correct, the neighbors did not poll the morning dog walkers for their opinions. As far as magnetic facts are concerned: there is exactly one graffito on the building & it is not abandoned. You'd be better advised to be concerned about the grafitti on the wooden fences down the street.
This decision is a complete disappointment. While other area neighborhoods flourish and property values begin to rise again, our neighborhood will continue to decline due to some residents’ aversion to change.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed as well. I was looking forward to having an eatery with in walking distance, and well as thinking of the jobs that the restaurant might bring to the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI noticed a week or so ago that it is again a church. I have nothing against churches but there seems to be plenty of store front churches in the neighborhood, and they don't bring jobs or income in the neighborhood in exchange for the parking hassles.
Thanks for the thoughtful post, Ah-Clem. Please keep tabs on this blog. Once I plow through more posts on the urban amenities of open space and on the stunning array of mass transit options Fort Hill offers, I'll return to the amenities of shopping and eating out.
ReplyDeleteTo the Anonymous poster of 31 March, it is an interesting assertion you make about the decline and fall of Fort Hill. Comments to this blog can be pretty large. Would you care to back up your argument with facts about declining property values in comparison to other neighborhoods? In particular, I'd interested to learn what you view as evidence of "a flourishing" neighborhood. Are you participating the Highland Park Vision meetings?
I am very happy to hear that Settles will not be opening a bar and restaurant in the Highland park area. Because of his need to make it with the upper crust he ruined a South End landmark.
ReplyDeleteWhat a waste of a man.
I believe he is referring to the fact that someone gets shot, stabbed or robbed every other week at the courts next to Jackson sq. as opposed to the south end where settles put his other 2 restaurants 20 yrs ago....how much do we all regret buying property in Roxbury during the bubble now.... probably be stuck here forever or else lose 100k
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