LOU MANCINELLI
PONDSIDE—The Judge Co. purchased the Boy Scouts Building located at the intersection of Centre Street and the Arborway, for $2.2 million in late March, according to members of the Jamaica Pond Association (JPA).
According to Noel Roycroft, a spokesperson for state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, John Judge and his partner came into Sánchez’s office in early April, before the JPA meeting, to introduce themselves as new owners in the neighborhood, but offered no specific details about their plans for the building.
The JPA has invited Judge and his partner to its June meeting. JPA board members say they plan to proactively work with the real estate service and development company and expressed concerns that the building not be used for medical purposes.
In telephone interview, Judge said he plans to use the building as office space, which would require a conditional use variance, according to JPA treasurer John Iapinni. Landscaping work as well as renovations inside the building such as cleaning up debris, painting and installing new rugs are taking place now, and tenants could occupy the building by the end of July or early August, Judge said.
“We are trying to beautify the site,” said Judge. “I want it to be a nice presence in the neighborhood and to add value to the end of the street.”
Judge said he has sat down with Sánchez and local City Councilor John Tobin’s office, as well as Mark Zanger and Kevin Moloney of the JPA. He said plans to sit down with local neighborhood organizations and be as approachable as possible.
“My feeling is I’m a fourth-generation Bostonian and I have deep roots in JP,” he said.
Judge’s grandparents lived in JP, he said. His cell phone number is 921-3030.
While the building was owned by the Boy Scouts, it served as office space, under a non-conforming use exemption from the regular one- and two-family residential zoning code for that neighborhood.
According to JPA treasurer John Iappini, the conditional use variance does not transfer with owners. He said the JPA will make that point clear at its June meeting.
Iappini said because the building is already used for offices, he did not think it would be an issue if the Judge Co. plans to continue to use the building for that purpose.
“We’re waiting to hear,” said Iappini in an interview after the meeting. “As a neighborhood group we haven’t met them. This will all come out at the June meeting.” [See JP Agenda]