Mayor Martin Walsh and the City’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommended three projects in Jamaica Plain for inclusion in the next round for the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding. The CPC held a public meeting last week to vote on the Mayor’s recommended slate of projects for funding.
The projects in Jamaica Plain are among 40 projects totaling more than $24 million citywide.
In Jamaica Plain $1.9 million of CPA funding could be heading this way and includes $1.5 million to the Pine Street Inn and the Community Builders project; $200,000 to the Haffenreffer Brewery complex; and $200,000 to the Footlight Club, the country’s oldest community theatre.
“We’re in the middle of a housing crisis that requires bold and creative solutions,” said Mayor Walsh. “I’m proud that through this new round of funding, we are dedicating the majority of this funding round to affordable housing projects. All of these proposals will support our community in countless ways. We look forward to continuing to use this revenue to build on our work related to affordable housing, historic preservation and open space.”
The $1.5 million to the Pine Street Inn and Community Builders will go towards building a portion of 202 affordable rental units, including 156 for formerly homeless households, at 3368 Washington Street. The six story, mixed use building with office space and 100% affordable housing will go up on Washington Street where an existing building owned by Pine Street Inn is located and used for office space.
The $200,000 to the Haffenreffer Brewery complex will go to restoring the roof and windows for a “Prosperity Center” providing small business services, job training, ESL classes, and other programs.
The entire Haffenreffer complex was redeveloped by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, which owns and operates it today. The Boston Beer Company, brewer of Samuel Adams beer, has been an anchor tenant and investor since the mid-1980s, and offers tours of the brewery there. The main brewery building is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The $200,000 to the Footlight Club will go to remediating structural problems and stabilizing Eliot Hall, a Greek Revival wood-frame structure built in 1831.
The Footlight Club is the oldest continuously-running community theatre group in the United States of America, having performed every year since 1877. Based in the Jamaica Plain the club currently owns and resides in historic Eliot Hall, which its members purchased in 1889 to provide a home for performances and save the building from demolition. It currently produces five main shows each season and also hosts member-produced performances under the 7A Series banner, named after the club’s address at 7A Eliot Street.
The three Jamaica Plain projects will be submitted to the Boston City Council for approval with an anticipated vote from the Council in the coming weeks.