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Newly approved plan promises housing, improvements to Roslindale Square
Community advocates say the plan is "long-overdue."
City officials approved a plan Thursday that aims to alleviate the housing crisis in Roslindale and revitalize the neighborhood’s center.
The Roslindale project marks the first Squares + Streets plan to be adopted since the launch of the citywide initiative last year.
“Roslindale is great, but it can be so much better,” WalkUP Roslindale President Ben Bruno told Boston.com. “[The plan] sets an exciting, long-overdue vision for new public investment and housing development in our neighborhood center.”
What does the plan say?
The Squares + Streets initiative seeks to expand access to housing in neighborhood centers, like Roslindale Square, that have “strong transportation, cultural, and commercial resources,” Boston’s Planning Department said in a statement.
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The Roslindale plan would create more mixed-income housing and adapt existing historical buildings to serve modern-day needs, according to officials. Planners also recommended enhancing pedestrian infrastructure and activating public spaces through new public art initiatives.
“We believe the Squares and Streets plan’s focus on supporting mixed-income housing, multi-modal transportation, and quality public spaces is a formula for long-run neighborhood success,” Brendan Fogarty, interim executive director of Roslindale Village Main Street, told Boston.com.
The plan’s implementation also requires new zoning updates, released Friday, which will set new rules for physical dimensions and land uses allowed in future development. Sixteen additional areas around the city are being considered for similar zoning changes, including Allston Village, Brighton Center, and West Roxbury Centre, among others.
Housing crisis
Bruno says he hopes Roslindale’s plan will help make housing more affordable in the area.
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“I don’t care about property values going up,” he told Boston.com. “I want people to be able to access our community and remain here and stay here.”
The plan’s approval comes after a new report from the Healey-Driscoll Administration released earlier this month found that Massachusetts needs to build at least 222,000 housing units over the next decade to address the state’s housing crisis.
“There’s only so many places for people to live, so the people with the most money are gonna be the people that can afford to live here, and the poorer folks are gonna be the ones getting pushed out unless we build more housing,” Andrew Murray, who started Rozzidents for More Rozzidents, told Boston.com.
More housing means more foot traffic for retail stores, according to Murray.
“People are going to be utilizing the commuter rail, riding the bus, so they’re going to be active, walking around the square,” Murray said. “And that creates a lot of opportunities for people to grab their morning coffee on their way out, or to go to the new flower shop that just opened up and grab flowers for your partner on the way home.”
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The Boston Planning and Development Agency board approved five additional development projects on Thursday that they say will create 226 new residential units, including 91 units that are designated income-restricted.
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