Apr. 14, 2010: Can UMass and Columbia Point get along?

PERCHED ON THE SHORE OF THE

COLUMBIA POINT PENINSULA AND

SURROUNDED BY INSTITUTIONS AND

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, HARBOR

POINT IS ONE OF BOSTON'S MOST

PICTURESQUE YET ISOLATED

NEIGHBORHOODS.

NOW THAT A KEY PIECE OF LAND

HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY A

UNIVERSITY NEIGHBOR, RESIDENTS

ARE WONDERING WHETHER THEY'LL

EVER BE CONNECTED TO THE REST

OF THE CITY.

IN HER 35 YEARS ON COLUMBIA

POINT, TERESA CHAPMAN

REMEMBERS THE DAYS WHEN YOU

COULD ONLY ENJOY THE WATER

VIEWS FROM INSIDE YOUR

APARTMENT.

>> YOU COULDN'T GO NOWHERE.

YOU WERE STUCK IN THE HOUSE.

IT WAS SCARED.

>> THE NOTORIOUSLY ROUGH

PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT WAS

REDEVELOPED IN THE LATE 1980s,

AS A MIXED INCOME NEIGHBOR

CALLED HARBOR POINT.

ABOUT 1200 FAMILIES NOW CALL

IT HOME AND MANY SAY THEY LOVE

WHERE THEY LIVE.

>> IT'S SO CLOSE BY TO THE T,

VERY ACCESSIBLE.

>> I LOVE THE KIDS BEING HERE,

AND ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER.

>> YET RESIDENTS OF THE

GEOGRAPHICLY ISOLATED

NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE LONG

LAMENTED THE THINGS THEY DON'T

HAVE.

LIKE A PLACE TO SHOP.

SEE A MOVIE, OR RELAX OVER

COFFEE.

>> WAL-MART WOULD BE SO NICE.

ACCESSIBLE PLACES WE CAN

AFFORD.

>> RESIDENTS CAMING A OH

NICINGLY CLOSE TO HAVING JUST

THAT, WITH A MIXED USE

DEVELOPMENT PLAN FORWARD THE

DEFUNCT BAY SIDE EXPO CENTER

SITE NEXT-DOOR.

THEN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

COLLAPSED AND THE PROPERTY WAS

SOLD.

>> IT WAS QUITE SHOCKING,

BECAUSE WE EXPECTED ANYBODY TO

BE ACQUIRING THAT PROPERTY BUT

U. MASS.

>> BUT U. MASS BOSTON DID BUY

IT, AND THE TASK FORCE

DIRECTOR SAYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD

IS CONCERNED THEY'LL BE

CONSUMED BY THE UNIVERSITY.

>> I HOPE THAT IT'S GOING TO

BE A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A

UNIVERSITY IN IT.

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

YES.

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

>> DORMS OF COURSE ARE THE BIG

CONCERN.

BUT UNIVERSITY SPOKESMAN LABEL

MAN SAYS NONE ARE PLANNED FOR

THE SITE.

IT WILL BE USED FOR PARKING

FOR NOW.

AND ANYTHING DEVELOPED LATER,

HE SAYS, WILL HAVE

NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT.

>> U. MASS BOSTON HAS BEEN AT

THIS LOCATION FOR NEARLY 40

YEARS.

AND BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING

ANYWHERE, WE WANT THAT SITE TO

BE THE BEST USE FOR ALL OF

COLUMBIA POINT.

>> WHERE BOTH A NEIGHBORHOOD

AND A UNIVERSITY HAVE BIG

DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE.

WITH ME NOW IS U. MASS VICE

CHANCELLOR OF ATHLETICS AND

RECREATION, CHARLIE TITUS,

ORLANDO PE --

AND MILES BURN.

WELCOME.

>> GOOD TO BE HERE.

>> DO YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE

REASON TO BE CONCERNED?

ARE YOU GOING TO SLIP IN

DORMS, HOUSING 22,000?

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT

SITE?

>> YEAH, NOT AT ALL.

AND THERE IS NO --

NO, NOT AT ALL.

AND THERE IS NO REASON TO BE

CONCERNED.

I THINK THE HISTORY OF THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

UNIVERSITY AND THAT

NEIGHBORHOOD, PARTICULARLY THE

HARBOR POINT NEIGHBORHOOD,

WHOM WE CURRENTLY HAVE A

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH

THAT HAS PRODUCED A LOT OF

POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR BOTH THE

HARBOR POINT COMMUNITY AND THE

UNIVERSITY.

WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH

THE COLUMBIA POINT ASSOCIATES.

AND AS FAR AS BAY SIDE GOES,

IT WAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY

THAT CAME ON THE MARKET.

WE WERE JUST AS DISAPPOINTED

AS ANYBODY ELSE WHEN THAT

DEVELOPMENT FAILED.

IT WAS THE ECONOMY, IT WAS NOT

THE DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS THE

ECONOMY.

SO THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED

40

ITSELF, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF

IT.

RIGHT NOW IT IS OUR INTENT TO

USE THAT PROPERTY AS A STOP

GAP FOR SOME OF OUR NEEDS AS

WE DEVELOP ABOUT 450 MILLION

DOLLARS WORTH OF BUILDINGS ON

OUR CURRENT CAMPUS.

SO IT WILL BE USED FOR

PARKING,.

LONG-TERM WE'RE GOING TO SIT

WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WITH THE

MAYOR, THE CITY, THE GOVERNOR,

AND ALL THE STAKE HOLDERS TO

TALK ABOUT A PLANNING PROCESS

AND WHAT THE PLANNING PROCESS

WILL BE.

>> THAT SOUND REASONABLE.

ORLANDO, SINCE THEY'VE BEEN

SUCH GOOD NEIGHBORS IN THE

PAST, WHAT REALLY IS THE

CONCERN HERE?

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HOUSING UNIT

NOW.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NEIGHBORS

LIKE THIS.

IT COULD BE WORSE.

>> WELL, WE HAVE, JUST A

COUPLE YEARS AGO MAYOR MENINO

TOOK THIS TASK FORCE TO LOOK

INTO SOME COMPONENTS,

RESIDENTIAL SPACE.

CLEARLY PERHAPS THESE THINGS

WILL NOT BE IN PLACE, AND

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT

CREATE A NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE LOOK ALSO INTO CREATING

ROADWAYS TO MINIMIZE THE

GRIDLOCK THAT THE STREET

CREATES.

AND ALSO ONE CRITICAL

COMPONENT HERE IS JOBS.

JOBS WITH THE MASTER PLAN, THE

TASK FORCE LOOKING TO ALONG

WITH THE B. R. A., THERE WERE

ABOUT 5,000 JOBS TO BE

CREATED.

AND THAT WOULD NOT BE IN PLACE

AT THOSE LEVELS.

>> MILES, WHAT HAPPENED, WAS

IT THE ECONOMY?

WAS THERE MORE TO IT?

DID YOU THINK MAYBE IT WAS NOT

A GOOD PLACE TO PUT THE SITE?

IT'S A HUGE PIECE OF PROPERTY.

IT STILL ISOLATED EVEN IF ALL

THOSE THINGS ARE THERE.

>> WE FELT WE HAD ABOUT 2

MILLION SQUARE FEET OF

DEVELOPMENT PLANS, 2,000 UNITS

OF HOUSING, 2200, I'M SORRY,

220,000 OF RETAIL.

WE THOUGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN ON

THIS PENINSULA FOR OVER 25

YEARS, AND WE HAVE DEVELOPED

IT, STABLIZED IT, PROVIDED

1200 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR

HARBOR POINT, 300 AT PENINSULA

PLACE OF WE STILL MAINTAIN OUR

OFFICES ON THIS PENINSULA.

WE ARE VERY INVOLVED WITH U.

MASS, SAVIN HILL, MCCORMACK.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS

NEIGHBORHOOD COULD BENEFIT

GREATLY BY HAVING RETAIL

SPACE, WHERE THEY HAVE

RESTAURANTS AND THEY HAVE

SERVICES THAT AREN'T PROVIDED.

AND PARTICULARLY ON A 19-ACRE

SITE OF LAND THAT IS

SPECTACULAR, THERE'S OCEAN

VIEWS, AND IT SORT OF DRAWS IN

AREAS OF DORCHESTER THAT FEEL

ALIENATED TO OTHER PARTS OF

THE CITY.

AND WE THOUGHT THIS WAS

PERFECT.

>> ALSO, KEEP IN MIND THAT IT

CREATES A CONNECTION WITH THE

OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THAT'S CLEARLY, WITH

ADDING THIS RETAIL OFFICE

SPACE, IT WOULD CREATE A

TOTALLY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT

THAT WOULD BRING THE NEIGHBOR

LIKE A 24-HOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY WE WERE

SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS, AGAIN

WE HAVEN'T SAT DOWN WITH U.

MASS AND TALKED ABOUT THESE

THINGS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO

THESE THINGS.

>> OF COURSE, I HATE TO TELL

YOU, I'M THINKING WHY DON'T

YOU JUST TAKE OVER THE HOUSING

PROJECT.

HOUSING.

>> WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN

THAT'S IN PLACE ALREADY.

WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING

IMMEDIATELY THREE NEW

BUILDINGS ON THE CAMPUS, A

SCIENCE CENTER, A GENERAL

CLASSROOM BUILDING AND THE

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE

SENATE.

AND IN OUR MASTER PLAN WE HAVE

THOUSANDING --

HOUSING IN IT.

WHAT WE FEEL IS THAT WE WANT

PROBABLY 2,,000, 2500 BEDS.

AND IT STILL GIVES US THE

FLAVOR OF BEING BOSTON'S ONLY

URBAN PUBLIC INSTITUTION THAT

IS AIMED AT RESIDENTS OF THE

CITY OF BOSTON.

WE WANT TO KEEP THAT COMMUTER

FLAVOR.

SO THAT I THINK IT'S A

REASONABLE AND UNNECESSARY FOR

PEOPLE TO THINK THAT WE'RE

GOING TO BUILD A BUNCH OF

HOUSING UNITS DOWN THERE.

>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD

THEM IF YOU TAKE OVER THE

PROJECT.

>> I'M NOT WE'D ALLOW THAT TO

HAPPEN.

SO MANY YEARS OF WORKING

TOGETHER, WE'VE RECOGNIZED --

I'M ALSO A GRADUATE OF THE

MCCORMACK INSTITUTE AT U.

MASS.

>> I ALSO GRADUATED FROM U.

MASS.

>> BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE

COMMUNITIES ARE SUSTAINABLE

WHEN THEY ARE MIXED.

WHEN THEY HAVE FACILITIES

WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FOR

RETAIL, AND PARTICULARLY IN

THESE DENSE URBAN SETTINGS.

AND THAT WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE

OCEAN AND THE ROOM FOR

RECREATION.

WE HAVE SOME EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITY THERE.

WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS THE FULL

PICTURE.

SO THERE IS SOME ISOLATION,

WE'RE NOT GOING TO --

>> LET ME SAY THIS.

I GREW UP IN COLUMBIA POINT.

I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT

AREA.

I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE

HOUSING IS.

HOW IMPORTANT HOUSING IS IN

THIS CITY, PARTICULARLY MIXED

INCOME DEVELOPMENTS.

ACTUALLY YOUR COMMENT WAS THE

FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD THAT,

TAKE OVER THE HOUSING PROJECT.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT

CLEAR.

THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD

EVER EVER CONSIDER.

AND I THINK THAT HARBOR POINT

AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS IS AN

IMPORTANT PART OF THIS CITY.

IT'S BEEN FOR A WHILE.

IT IS A HISTORICAL HOUSING

DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN

STUDIED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND

USED AS A MODEL.

SO WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT

AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT

KIND OF THING AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

I THINK THAT AS WE MOVE

THROUGH THIS AND WE PUT

TOGETHER PLANNING PROCESS,

PEOPLE WILL BE VERY SURPRISED.

>> WE HOPE THAT'S TRUE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

I'VE GOT TO WRAP THIS UP.

WITH BEACON HILL DEBATING

CASINO GAMBLING, WGBH RADIO

AND TV ARE LOOKING AT WHAT

THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THE STATE.

WE'D LIKE YOU TO WEIGH IN, GO

TO OUR WEBSITE, TOMORROW NIGHT

OUR EXPANDED GAMBLING SPECIAL.

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE ISSUES

FROM ALL PERSPECTIVES FROM THE

POSITIVE TO THE BLEAK.

THAT'S TOMORROW AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.