A couple of South Boston’s elected officials say they fear all the development going on down near the Broadway subway station, in the up-and-coming SoSo neighborhood.
“The condominiums aren’t selling like they used to, and we are all concerned about what will happen,” said state Sen. Jack Hart, a South Boston Democrat.
“What happens if we’ve got a couple thousand units that can’t be sold or rented and they’re made into Section 8?” Hart asked, referring to the government’s subsidized housing program.
Trust me, that’s not a valid fear. (And, what if some of the housing was rented to people using Section 8 vouchers? That’s a bad thing? It’s actually kind of offensive, what he said.)
Other elected officials have their own (skewed) opinions of what’s going on in South Boston.
“There’s a plethora of one and two (bedroom units) out there, not moving,” Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty said.
Even my new hero Brian Wallace has something negative to say.
About plans to turn the proposed 50 West Broadway development into apartments, he said:
“I’ll never support that because we’ll become Allston-Brighton … [w]e’ll become a college town,” he said.
Hmmm.
But, offsetting these negative comments, are others who like what they see:
… John Keith, a real estate broker who lived at 9 West Broadway between 2003 and 2006, said he’s watched the area improve.
“When I moved in, the place was pretty empty,” he said. “A lot of amazing things happened and the neighborhood got a lot better.”
Tim Pappas, chief executive of Pappas Enterprise, the firm that developed two of the largest buildings on lower Broadway, pointed out that more housing generally means lower prices.
“Let guys like me go out there and overbuild,” he said. “It’s the only thing that will bring prices down.”
True, that.
I don’t see South Boston turning into BU South, but there’s nothing wrong with being an “Allston”. That area needs more and more housing, so does all of Boston (Tim Pappas and I agree on something!).
I said exactly what he said … let them overbuild, what would be the worst that could happen? Lower housing prices?
Apartments would be good, as well. Right now the area has 1) mid- to high-end condos; 2) BHA housing.
How about a good mix?
Source: Southie’s fear? Allston – By Christine McConville, The Boston Herald
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