Development in Dudley: the Scorecard

Click on the map to expand it.

Several developments and improvements, massive and small,  planned within less than a mile of Dudley Square and slated to be created over the next few years, are both exciting and overwhelming to district residents.  With the right massaging,  the geographical heart of the city may go from myocardial infarction to pulsing with positive and vibrant activity once again. Here is a list of these potential improvements and developments, some already underway, some in very early evolution.

Ferdinand's/Dudley Square Office Facility will provide 150,000 square feet of administrative office with ground-floor retail, according to the Dudley Vision website.
Sasaki Associates is the designer.

Melnea Cass Boulevard Design Project which will incorporate principles from the Complete Streets initiative intends, in part, to "create a sense of “place” that will make people slow down and stop in the area. Create a pedestrian friendly, people oriented environment; Increase density of foot traffic rather than car traffic. Provide safe and pedestrian friendly crossings between Parcel 9 and Parcel 10. Investigate new “urban mall” concepts in which businesses are oriented to the street and outdoor space, with café seating contributing to a lively public realm," says the Design Project website.

Parcel 9, currently called Melnea Hotel and Residences
Team: Urbanica, Inc / NADAAA
Current program:
87,200 sf  hotel
22,000 sf retail
3700 sf meeting room
63200 sf of 52 residential units
46,900 of below garage with 139 spaces
Pyramid Group is working as partner in charge of finding a hotel brand.  Developers will keep retail small, around 1000-1500 square feet, to keep it viable and are striving for the new European style boutique hotel where sleeping quarters are podlike and work is done in shared common spaces, according to Kamran Zahedi of Urbanica.

Parcel 10, Madison Tropical
Team: Tropical Foods Market/Madison Park Development Corp.
Estimated cost: $44,000,000
Current program:
residential: 66 units
office: 11,000 sf
retail: 22,000 sf
supermarket: 35,000 sf
This is a opportunity for the specialty foods store, Tropical Foods,  which draws thousands of shoppers from throughout New England, to expand and Madison Park Dev. Corp. to build more housing.

Bartlett Place
This week, the 8.5 acre former site of the MBTA's service and parking garages, has been serving as base camp and crew parking for the Bullock/McCarthy vehicle The Heat.
Team: Windale Development Company and Nuestra Communidad Development Corp.
Estimated cost: $137,000,000
Current Program:
commercial uses 40,000-70,000 sf
housing 313 units
Intention is to create an "urban village": Windale President Arnold Johnson.

Parcel 3, currently called Tremont Crossing, on Tremont Street across from Boston Police headquarters will be "truly mixed use" space with a "strong cultural and educational edge" according to partner Barry Gaither. It will become the new home of The National Center of Afro-American Artists as well as the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts
Team:  Gaither/Jeffrey Feldman/Stull and Lee
Current program includes:
large format retail 500,000 square feet
smaller retail 50,000 sf
office 200,000 sf
museum/cultural facilities including performance space 58,000 sf
market rate multifamily residential 200,000 (240 units)
Estimated cost: $300-$320 million

Dudley Square Sewer Separation Project is intended "to reduce pollution levels in Boston harbor" and this work in Dudley Square is a priority because of the redevelopment plans in the area, according to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission's website. The project encompasses an area between Melnea Cass Boulevard, Washington Street, Circuit and Whiting Streets, and Albany Street and includes a few blocks in Highland Park.

A three story office building with ground floor retail is planned for the corner of Taber and Warren Streets, diagonally across from Ferdinand's.

The MBTA is making several improvements to the Dudley Square Station.

Roxbury Community College will get  $20 million to renovate, modernize, and boost its science center.

Powahouse and net energy gain E+ housing will be adding to housing stock and cutting carbon emissions with their vanguard projects.  Powahouse has a completion goal of August 2012 and is fully occupied.  E+ is in the pre-construction phase and looking for buyers.

Jackson Square Redevelopment Initiative