3811 California follow-up: No demolition any time soon

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Seems the Charlestown Cafe/Petco project (most recent WSB update here; we checked directly with Petco a few weeks ago and they had nothing new to report) isn’t the only thing proceeding at a snail’s pace at California/Charlestown. That’s also the case for the determination of the fate of the brick apartments (file photo above) at 3811 California, which were pre-mourned by us and others when we first reported the surfacing last April of a proposal to replace them with a mixed-use building. A tenant’s tip back in October (WSB coverage here) revealed that the city Landmarks Preservation Board would have to evaluate the buildings before the proposal could advance. We just checked back with the Landmarks Board and the status of that part of the process hasn’t changed since October — Beth Chave tells WSB they “do not yet have a complete nomination application for this property, so it has not been scheduled for a review by the Landmarks Preservation Board.” (If and when the nomination paperwork is done, the site will eventually turn up here.) And the city planner assigned to the proposed mixed-use project, Holly Godard, says the final land-use decision on this site can’t be issued till the Department of Neighborhoods (parent of the Landmark Board) review is done.

3 Replies to "3811 California follow-up: No demolition any time soon"

  • old timer January 28, 2008 (9:29 pm)

    I hope that there are tenants living in the apartments now, while the bureaucratic wheels grind.
    It would be a real shame if the buildings just sat empty until all decisions are in.

  • miws January 29, 2008 (5:28 am)

    I agree, ot.

    .

    I’d feel especially bad for anyone that truly loved the place getting booted out

    Mike

  • Average Joe January 29, 2008 (3:10 pm)

    For all of the entries concerning developements along California Avenue, does anyone know the history? It is my understanding that a single owner of several of these properties (3811 Calif. Ave., the 3400 block of Calif. Ave. to name a few) recently passed away with no heirs…and subsequently ‘willed’ these properties to charities. Can any of this discussion/criticism be directed at these charities for simply selling these properties to the ‘highest bidder’ without any regard for what would take place next, i.e. ugly townhome developements? Is there a way to find out how these developers acquired the said properties?

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