An Alternative Plan
An Alternative Plan
With neighborhood input, we have developed a vision of how to develop the site at 150 Centre Street. This is only an idea — Build Together does not own the Fitzpatrick site, and these plans have not been formally presented to or approved by stakeholders or city planners.
Build Together believes that Boston needs housing, and that it needs many types of housing. We feel that there is a need for transit-oriented, affordable, sustainable housing with units large enough for families to settle in. We believe that community groups are best able to judge what will benefit their neighborhood while creating housing and encouraging expansion of schools and social programs.
With that in mind, a group of neighbors have brainstormed and put together possible plans that provide family-sized housing, a path to homeownership, and green space, while alleviating traffic and parking concerns, and, importantly, allow the Epiphany School to expand its programming. While these plans are still in a very early stage, they prove that development can be of benefit to the entire community.
Meeting the Needs
By combining the Fitzpatrick Lot at 150 Centre Street with the adjacent parking lot, owned by the Epiphany School, there is adequate area for housing, green space, possible school expansion, and better traffic flow, easing school pickup and dropoff times and improving access for emergency vehicles.
We imagine housing units along Centre Street, designed to house families and individuals in different stages of life. Affordable transit-oriented development is of critical importance for many in our community — students, new workers, parents, those without car access — and we believe that a range of unit sizes with a path to homeownership is necessary.
The housing would be surrounded by green space, available to residents. Incoming traffic and parking would be routed through Sharp Street, lessening the burden on Centre Street. A new turnaround would improve congestion at the beginning and end of the school day, as well as providing better access for emergency vehicles.
Space is set aside for future expansion of the Epiphany School.
Looking to the Future
There is an urgent need for housing in the Boston area and an equally urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and improve access to public transportation. With community input and creative thinking, it is possible to provide housing, maintain green space, support educational and social programs, without negative impact on current systems.
Possible development of the lots, combining the Fitzpatrick Lot and the parcel owned by the Epiphany School, with housing on Centre Street and a redesigned Sharp Street improving traffic flow and allowing for off-street parking, and future school expansion (image courtesy Andrew F. Saxe)
More information about the area is available in the presentations.