The following letter to Boston City Hall Mayor’s Office and City Council officials is re-published here with permission of the author as a commentary follow-up to last week’s North End Public Safety meeting. I am emailing you in the hope that you finally realize how fed up both the deep rooted and longstanding residents of [...]
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Architecture Critic Robert Campbell Takes a Third Shot at the Greenway Parks
The Globe’s architecture critic, Robert Campbell, took his third annual spring walk down the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway. Regarding the North End Greenway parks, he writes: North End Greenway Parks “Grandstand area”; NorthEndWaterfront.com photo, Summer 2010“My walk began at the North End, where the Greenway consists of two big green lawns overlooked by a sort [...]
Commentary: Congratulations to Pamela Donnaruma on Chronicle’s Hanover Street Show
Commentary submitted by the columnist, Freeway: Freeway at the office.Congratulations to Pamela Donnaruma, Editor and Publisher of the Post-Gazette (formerly La Gazzetta del Massachusetts). Pam was interviewed by Chronicle for a segment on Hanover Street, North End that aired May 10, 2011. Pam was asked if there was any plan that would work for Hanover Street. [...]
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Neighborhood Supermarket’s 10th Anniversary: Here’s to the BRA in Action
Raise a glass to the 10th anniversary of a proposed supermarket for the North and West Ends.
Here, below, from my old files, is a letter describing the need for an “affordable ” and “easily-accessible” supermarket. It was sent May 17, 2001, by Boston City Councillor At-Large Francis “Mickey” Roache to the BRA — with a copy to Marcus Robert L. Beal, chairman of the Massachusetts Development Board.
He stated the “perfect location” would be the state-owned Saltonstall Building on Cambridge St., then being redeveloped. Naturally, no supermarket was located there.
A year or so later, another perfect location was available, the ground floor of the Big Dig vent station at Haymarket Square (Parcel 7). Trader Joe’s was interested, and perhaps other companies, as well. But the building owners at the time, the Mass Pike, wanted one single company to lease the entire empty half of the building — the ground floor and office space above. A brilliant business idea from the financial wizards who brought us the Big Dig.
Of course, nothing happened. Then building was taken over by the state. Of course, the BRA got involved. There were neighborhood meetings and talk and meetings and talk and more meetings and more talk. Bids for development were sought and received. All were rejected.
But wait! A green “non-profit” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) organization came up with the idea that a farmers’ market would be perfect for the space.
Letter to the Editor …. “Where’s the Opposition?”
As published in the April 1, 2010 Post-Gazette and posted here at the request of the author. Dear Editor, The following letter is in response to Phil Orlandella’s editorial in the Regional Review dated March 29, 2011 “NEWNC SUPPORTS OF 2 AM CLOSURE-WRONG.” Being on the NEWNC is not an easy job. As a council [...]
Post-Gazette: “Working with What We Have”
Working with What We HaveIn the North End by Pamela Donnaruma There is much discussion lately on the revamping of Hanover Street in Boston’s North End. As editor of the Post-Gazette, which is located in the North End since 1896, I spend a lot of time here. The North End has always been a great [...]
Cab Stand Makes History; City Switch Speed Record
The brand new Cab Stand on North St., at the corner of Commercial St., is no longer a Cab Stand. In record-breaking speed by the City of Boston, it has been transformed into a marked Handicap Ramp. Readers of this blog learned the story of the space a few days ago, when a handicap ramp was [...]
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Solving a parking problem, Boston Style
A handicap ramp on the North St. sidewalk, at the corner of Commercial St., outside the real estate company office (former home of Sarni Cleaners) has been a gold-mine for the city and towing truck operators for quite some time. New Cab Stand – Corner North & Commercial StreetsThe ramp is not at a crosswalk. [...]
Haymarket Pushcarts: A Whole New Market
By Robert Skole, Commercial St. If Public Markets are ever created at Haymarket — in the multi-million dollar white elephant Big Dig ventilation building (Parcel 7) or in a future building on Parcel 9 — the big winner could be the Haymarket pushcarts. That’s because the public markets might introduce countless new customers to the tremendous variety and values offered by [...]