Back in February Mayor Martin Walsh and the City’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommended three Jamaica Plain projects for inclusion in the next round for the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding.
The three Jamaica Plain organizations received unanimous approval by the Boston City Council last month and $1.9 million of CPA funding will be heading here 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.
“Projects that receive funding from the Community Preservation Act directly reflect our neighborhoods’ needs and priorities,” said Mayor Walsh. “With money going to projects specifically for open space, preserving historic sites, and creating affordable housing, the residents of the City of Boston will benefit directly. Thank you to everyone who submitted project proposals, and I look forward to seeing how the new CPA projects will help our city.”
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.