Last year I attended a couple rather tense and sometimes heated meetings regarding the potential development at the corner of Green and Amory Streets in Jamaica Plain. This writer is of the opinion that The plan by Chris DeSisto of Maplehurst Builders was outstanding – at least in regard to the drawings, renderings and concepts shown that night in the E13 community room. If I remember correctly the DeSisto said the project would consist of roughly 13 units atop a commercial retail space. The community chimed in on what types of stores they would like to see including a cafe and an art supply store (personally, I think art supplies would be awesome, but question how viable this would be at this location.) There was to be parking below for the residential as well as a indentation to the sidewalk on Green allowing for, I think, three more cars to park short term during the day to patronize the stores, and then for the public in the evenings. It was a well thought, attractive and impressive plan. Unfortunately, the lot is still empty with nary a rock out of place.

Mixed use development by Maplehurst Builders

The project seemed to get through all the usual complicated hurdles such as the JP zoning committee and the BRA zoning board. The Maplehurst website shows the last news on the project as being a lawsuit filed by Carlysle Engineering late in June at the Superior Court.  Personally I’m hoping that the recession and the complications with the less than popular Carlysle Engineering hasn’t stopped this project completely. The Brewery District desperately needs the Amory Corridor to be developed. The existing junkyard look of the stretch from Green St. to the Foundry Lofts is terrible for the neighborhood. Even the anti-gentrification folks couldn’t argue that improving this length of Amory could only do good for the neighborhood. The billboard on the lot ajoining 154-160 Green St. came down a few weeks ago as well. It previously had a sign stating that there was future commercial space for rent by Denenburg Realty but there is nothing about it on the comapany website currently.

Just down from these projects, across the Green St. and adjacent to the T station is a new building that appears to be for various commercial offices and such.

It’s fairly plain but a fairly attractive piece of architecture. It’s clear that this side of the tracks is less afraid of a little modernization. The new building in the area seem to be trying to mesh fresh, clean lines with brick to call out to some of the historic buildings nearby.

It is my distinct hope that this area will continue to develop with this unorthodox Boston architecture as I am tres bored with the 1800′s! There I said it.