YWCA TO BE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
The old YWCA building at 40 Berkeley Street in the Ellis neighborhood has been proposed to become a 164-room hotel geared to the younger set who prefer lower rates and fewer amenities.
Mount Vernon Company has proposed to turn the former YMCA and hostel into the Revolution Hotel. Beyond the hipster hotel will be a revamp of the old courtyard to include and indoor-outdoor restaurant, as well as a co-working office space in the basement that will become a bar at night.
Mount Vernon projected the average room rates to be $150 per night.
LIBERTY GROUP MARIJUANA PROPOSAL BEFORE GROUPS
The Liberty Compassionate Group – a medical/recreational marijuana dispensary company – will make its first South End presentation to the South End Forum Opiate Working Group and the Blackstone/Franklin Neighborhood Association on Sept. 18 at regular meetings.
Liberty has been said to already have a dispensary license in Taunton, and would hope to transfer that license to 591 Albany St. in the South end. The proposal has been bantered about for the last several months between neighbors, and was discussed at the July Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association (WSANA) meeting.
The proposal would actually stand in opposition to the proposal on Tremont Street by Compassionate Organics, as the half-mile radius rule would block out one or the other.
Some in the community have stated that they prefer the site on Albany Street, and the ownership is apparently speaking with major property owners like Leggat McCall and Exchange South End already. The substance of the proposal has yet to be heard.
TREASURER GOLDBERG AND ABCC LAUNCH “OPERATION SAFE CAMPUS”
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC), under the direction of state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, has launched Operation Safe Campus. The annual program is designed to target underage drinking on college campuses and prevent tragedies by keeping alcoholic beverages out of the hands of underage students. This initiative begins each year when students return to colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth.“Increased enforcement efforts save lives and prevent tragedies before they happen,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who oversees the ABCC. “Operation Safe Campus helps to control underage drinking and acts as an effective deterrent to serving and selling to minors.”The initiative primarily consists of enforcement in the parking lots and surrounding streets of specific liquor stores and bars that have historically had severe problems with underage individuals purchasing alcoholic beverages through false identification or through adults buying alcoholic beverages for them.The program focuses on front-line prevention, with investigators calling a teen’s parents when violations occur. ABCC officials say that most parents are unaware that their children are involved in the use of alcohol, and that the intervention is a powerful tool toward family involvement in addressing the problem of underage drinking. “We want to draw attention to the dangers of alcohol abuse and underage drinking,” said Jean Lorizio, chairperson of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. “We are making people aware that underage drinking can have devastating consequences on them and the individuals they love.”
ADDITION OF 2 GUEST ROOMS IN HOTEL ON BERKELEY STREET APPROVED
The Zoning Board of Appeal approved at their September 11 hearing the addition of two guest rooms at the hotel at 56A-56 Berkeley Street. The hotel is under new ownership, and the applicant proposed to convert the basement fitness room and most of the first floor front office space into guest rooms. There are currently 12 guest rooms, which will increase to 14 with the granting of the extension of non-conforming use that was requested. The applicant also owns 40 Berkeley Street, where most of the management office will move to.
BACK BAY HAPPENINGS
- The Friends of the Public Garden are looking for champion volunteer weeders to help maintain the beautiful Boylston Street border and the Beacon Street border in the Public Garden. ‘You supply the enthusiasm, we supply the gloves, kneepads, and some brief instructions on weed identification!’ Volunteers meet up on alternating Thursdays.
ENCORE APPAREL GOES BRICK & MORTAR ON NEWBURY STREET
Encore Apparel, the Boston-based t-shirt company with a unique charitable commitment to local music communities, will open its first brick and mortar location at 303 Newbury Street on September 9th, 2018. The music-inspired fashion line consisting of premium graphic t-shirts, unique custom hoodies, and skullnote trucker hats was built on the streets of Boston via over 250 pop-up tent events. Encore’s first physical retail store is a homage to the classic record store, an endangered species in many cities thanks to astronomical rents, designed to bring creative rebels together to shop, listen to music, and connect.
SOUTH END DATES
- The next UPNA General Meeting, open to all in the neighborhood, will be held on Weds., October 3, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Community Music Center of Boston, 537 Tremont Street.
Details on the agenda will follow in a few weeks, but it will include these items:
*Consideration of the proposed development project for 24 Union Park
*Discussion of the proposal to open a medical marijuana facility close to our neighborhood
*A presentation and update on the development at the site of the former Flower Exchange on Albany Street
*A ‘State of the Park’ discussion regarding the care and maintenance of Union Park.
- The quarterly South End Forum will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. in the South End Library.
- The East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) will have its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m. in Project Place.
- The Ellis South End Neighborhood Association Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at One Chandler Street.
FENWAY TIMES
- New summer hours for Fenway Community Center. Monday through Saturday open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, also open 5-8 p.m. Closed Sunday.
- Upcoming Fenway Park Events: Saturday, 11/10/18 & Sunday, 11/11/18—Spartan Race, 10,000 expected, times TBA
Saturday, 11/17/18—“The Game” Harvard v. Yale, 35,000 expected, 12:00pm-3:30pm
TASTE OF THE FENWAY
Savor this date and join the Fenway CDC to enjoy delicious tastings of food, drinks, beer, wine, and hard cider from 33 restaurants and businesses. Taste of The Fenway will feature award-winning restaurants and local businesses in the Fenway, live music by Berklee College of Music, and interactive art by Fenway Studios. Each ticket is $45 (special Fenway CDC 45th anniversary price) and includes all-you-can-eat tastings, drinks, and entertainment. Tickets are available at www.tasteofthefenway.org Event Partners: Fenway Community Development Corporation and Samuels & Associates.
The event takes place on Thursday, Sept. 20, 5-7 p.m. on Van Ness Street (from Kilmarnock Street to Richard B Ross Way).
FENWAY COMMUNITY CENTER GRAND RE-OPENING RECEPTION
It’s been a busy few months at FCC as we’ve opened our doors for daily “drop in” hours, hosted a number of programs and events, and met dozens of enthusiastic Fenwickians who can’t wait for Fenway Community Center to officially reopen and again offer weekly programming. Please join us on Friday, September 14, from 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM for Fenway Community Center’s Grand Reopening Reception! Featuring food, drink, and live music, this FREE event will kick off a weekend of events welcoming new and old friends to Fenway Community Center. To register, bit.ly/FCCReopening
Following Friday evening’s festivities, we’ll offer sneak previews of some of our fall programs during the rest of the weekend:
SATURDAY (9/15):
Complimentary Bagels & Coffee, 9:30 AM
Kid Zone, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Acting is Believing: An Acting Practicum, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Game Night, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
SUNDAY (9/16):
Complimentary Bagels & Coffee, 10:30 AM
Death Cafe, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Be sure to visit our website, fenwaycommunitycenter.org, for the most up-to-date calendar of programs during our “Reopening Reception and Weekend.”
As a special offer, for anyone who attends an event at FCC and signs up for a 2019 Fenway Community Center membership during the “Reopening Reception and Weekend,” your 2019 membership will begin IMMEDIATELY! You read that correctly – if you sign up at FCC during the weekend of 9/14, you will get a bonus 3+ months of FCC membership that includes members-only “drop in” hours, exclusive programs, and discounts on FCC programs.
PAN MASS CHALLENGE AND TEAM 9
Earlier this month, 40 members of the Red Sox Team 9 family took part in the 39th annual Pan Mass Challenge to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Each year a group of riders from the Red Sox family come together to form Team 9, in order to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and cancer research. Team 9 was formed and named in honor of Ted Williams, the Red Sox legend whose tireless dedication to the Jimmy Fund is as extraordinary as his illustrious baseball career. The PMC is not only the largest athletic fundraising event in the nation, but also donates 100% of the money raised to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber. Since its inception in 1980, the PMC has donated over $598 million to cancer research, will over $100 million directly benefiting the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is actually the Jimmy Fund’s largest contributor, accounting for about 46% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. This year alone Team 9 raised over $185,000 in support of the Jimmy Fund and cancer research. In the ten years since Team 9 was formed, Team 9 has raised close to $3.4 million for the PMC.
IBA DIRECTOR TO BE HONORED
IBA Director Vanessa Calderon Rosado will receive an Abigail Adams tribute award in October from the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus.
Celebrating its 31st year of recognizing outstanding women leaders who have demonstrated a firm commitment to advancing the political, economic and social rights for women, the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus is proud to announce its slate of honorees for this year’s Tribute to Abigail Adams.
Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA),has led the organization in its mission of empowering individuals and families to improve their lives through high-quality affordable housing, education, and arts programs for fifteen years. Under her leadership, IBA became the largest Latino-led nonprofit organization in Greater Boston. In addition to her role at IBA, Dr. Calderón-Rosado serves as the Co-Founder of the Greater Boston Latino Network and a Founding Member of the Margarita Muñiz Academy, the first dual-language innovation high school in Massachusetts.
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BOSTON EVENTS
- Nov. 10 – Moonlight Masquerade, Aloft Boston Seaport
The night will include dancing, drinks and a raffle to raise funds for the League’s community programs.
- February 28, 2019-March 2, 2019
LBDI (Little Black Dress Initiative), Kick off TBA. LBDI is an advocacy campaign that seeks to raise community awareness on the issues of poverty in Boston. During the week, LBDI advocates will wear the same black dress for five consecutive days to illustrate the effects poverty can have on a woman’s access to resources, her confidence and professional opportunities.
- March 30, 2019 – Annual Charity Gala, JFK Museum.