History

Learn About Past & Future of Franklin Park with JP Historical Society (Virtual) Event on March 16

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Since Frederick Law Olmsted designed Franklin Park in 1885, it has been the centerpiece of the Boston park system that became known as our beloved Emerald Necklace. That's the past. Now there's a lot of talk about the future of Franklin Park. The city created a Franklin Park Action Plan. You may have also heard about the proposal to renovate White Stadium to be the home of Boston Public Schools athletics, as well as a women's professional soccer team.

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Police and Fire
District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) Headquarters, Boston Police

Police Warn Residents of Car Break-Ins Happening Thursday Nights Into Friday Mornings

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Boston Police issued a community alert regarding numerous car break-ins that have happened recently, and most of the times on Thursday nights into Friday mornings. Since Jan. 26, several incidents of break-ins and larcenies of motor vehicles have been reported to District E-13. Multiple incidents have occurred on streets including Centre Street, Gore Street, Lochstead Avenue, Forbes Street, Boylston Street, and Castleton Street, according to BPD website. Police say the majority of the incidents took place on Thursday nights into Friday mornings.

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Development

Cancelled White Stadium Impact Advisory Group Meeting Not Rescheduled Since Lawsuit

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The city has not rescheduled a cancelled White Stadium Impact Advisory Group (IAG) meeting that was cancelled one day after a lawsuit was filed to stop the redevelopment of the Franklin Park stadium. The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) IAG meeting scheduled for Feb. 26, was cancelled on Feb. 22, one day after the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and 15 plaintiffs announced a lawsuit to stop "the unconstitutional privatization of public land" to rehabilitate Franklin Park's White Stadium so it can be the home field for a women's professional soccer team. The city previously held one IAG meeting about the project on Jan.

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Arts

Celebrate Ula Cafe Owner’s New Book ‘Wander Woman’ on International Women’s Day

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Beth Santos has a lot going on in her life. Santos co-owns Ula Cafe, runs an international community of women who like to travel, and is now a published author. The Egleston Square resident bought the cafe with her husband in June 2021, and it's the perfect place to host a launch party of her first book, Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo on International Women's Day. Santos answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about the cafe, her book, traveling solo, and more. Q: Please tell us about the event on March 8.

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Development

City Places Stop Work Order on Centre Street Building After Developer Eliminated Retail Space

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It's taking a long time for construction to be completed at 632-638 Centre St., and the city recently issued a stop work order on construction due to the developer not following the original building permit that included first floor retail space. Back 2017, a one-story building was razed, and a shell of a building was built. In 2020, there was a proposal to build a 4-story, mixed-use building with four commercial spots an 18 units with four affordable units. That proposal was eventually scuttled because the stop work order issued on Jan. 26 was for a construction permit to build a 3-story building with first floor retail space, second floor office space and three apartments on the third floor, said an Inspectional Services Department (ISD) spokesperson. However, after a preliminary inspection of the structure a building official noted the buildout increased to 12 apartments, eliminating the retail space all of which failed to comply with the terms of the original permit.

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Arts

Power Went from FBI’s Most Wanted List to Jamaica Plain Real Estate Agent

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In a 10-year window of time, Katherine Power went from being on the lam using an alias in Oregon, to turning herself in, serving prison time, and then began selling real estate in Jamaica Plain resident. Power was a Vietnam War protestor and was involved with a botched bank robbery that ended in the death of a Boston Police officer. That led to her being on the FBI's Most Wanted List for 23 years. She now lives in Concord, and works at a real estate office on Centre Street. She recently spoke a the Loring Greenough House about her new book Surrender: My Journey from Guerrilla to Grandmother.

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Arts

NewGal Concert Series Spans Spectrum of Sound, Led by Jamaica Plain’s Sarah Bob

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Longtime Jamaica Plain resident Sarah Bob is the director, pianist and founder of the New Gallery Concert Series. She fielded questions about the series, her musical career, performing in Jamaica Plain, and more. What is the New Gallery Concert Series and why did you want to create it? Bob: The New Gallery Concert Series is a coming together of new music and new visual art. Everyone involved is alive, high quality, and kind.

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Business

Stop & Shop, Hyde Square Task Force Disagree on Existence of ‘Pricing Inequities’ at Jamaica Plain Store

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Youth of the Hyde Square Task Force have made headlines from their research that claimed that prices differ of the same products depending upon individual Stop & Shop locations.  

The youth met with Stop & Shop representatives last summer, providing their research from comparing prices at of stores in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, Mission Hill, and Roxbury, and its Dedham location. HSTF youth said that residents of low-income neighborhoods often pay more for groceries than suburban areas. Four of the youths recently sent a follow-up letter to Stop & Shop leaders about the issue, and proposed a solution. "When we met with members of your team in late August, the company acknowledged the pricing differences and stated that prices are set to insure that each individual store makes a profit," said the letter.

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Development

BHA Requests Waiving Large Project Review of New Hailey Apartments Electrification Project

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Citing redundancy, the Boston Housing Authority has requested the Boston Planning & Development Agency waive the required large project review of the Mildred Hailey Apartments electrification project on Centre Street. "This project has been publicly reviewed in various venues convened by the BHA as well as through the City of Boston's capital budget process, and the Mildred C. Hailey Tenant Organization strongly supports the project," wrote BHA Administrator and CEO Kenzie Bok to the BPDA. Located at 265 Centre St., the development consists of several phases with numerous buildings. This particular part of the project is for 456 units of federally-assisted public housing, and due to its size, Boston's Zoning Code requires the BPDA to conduct an Article 80 review of the project. The project is already approved by the BPDA under the Master Plan review.

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Development

Emerald Necklace Conservancy and Citizens Suing to Stop Proposed Development of White Stadium

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The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and 15 plaintiffs are suing to stop what they say is "the unconstitutional privatization of public land" to rehabilitate Franklin Park's White Stadium so it can be the home field for a women's professional soccer team. The plaintiffs are suing the city, the trustees of the George Robert White Fund, and Boston Unity Soccer Partners. The lawsuit alleges that the proposed redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston Unity
Soccer Partners, a private for-profit investment group, “would not only violate the White
Fund Trust and [the Public Land and Protection Act, Article 97, of the Massachusetts
constitution] by transferring public trust land to private use and excluding members of the public from the Project Site, including some Boston Public School sports teams who currently use White Fund Stadium, it would fundamentally alter the nature and feel of a significant portion of Franklin Park during the majority of fair weather weekends each year,” according to a press release. The lawsuit contends the defendants are proposing to privatize White Stadium and 1.5 acres of surrounding public parkland in Franklin Park. They contend the plan would displace Boston Public Schools student-athletes and the local community from White Stadium and Franklin Park.

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