• Vacant and for sale for at least five years
Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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| Court Square Press Building | South Boston |
| • Enormous Georgian
Revival industrial building near Fort Point Channel • Vacant and for sale for at least five years |
|
| Name: Court Square Press Building | Bldg SqFt: 220,018 | Lot SqFt: 106,236 | |
| Address: 135 Dorchester Avenue | Ward: 6 | Parcel: 7 | |
| Neighborhood: South Boston | Zoning: Restricted Manufacturing (M-2) | ||
| Year Built: c. 1900 | Use: Vacant | ||
| Style: Georgian Revival | Condition: Fair | ||
| Architect(s): Unknown | Owner: Pappas Industrial Parks, Inc. 655 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 |
||
| Historic Certification: National Register eligible | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: $1,158,000 FY02 Building Assessment: $0 |
FY99 Tax: $74,302 FY02 Tax: $86,292 |
||
| FY99 Land Assessment: $848,000 FY02 Land Assessment: $2,845,000 |
Tax Status: Current | ||
Preservation Strategy:
The proposed Fort Point Channel National Register Historic District should include the Court Square Press Building. Listing in the National Register will then allow developers to use the Federal Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit as an incentive for a fiscally successful development.
Significance:
The Court Square Press Building is a massive Georgian Revival industrial building that originally served as the factory and offices of the MacAllen Manufacturing Company, which produced electrical supplies for railroads. The main building is in a large L-shape, with a narrow five-story façade fronting on Dorchester Avenue, expanding to six stories below street level. A mid-twentieth century three-story addition has filled in the original L-shape without obscuring the building’s architectural integrity. The factory is located in the once heavily industrialized area of South Boston along Fort Point Channel.
Preservation Challenges:
The Court Square Press Building reportedly has been vacant for five years. The building's enormous size and its isolated location along Fort Point Channel near the West Broadway Bridge may have contributed to this property's having been overlooked for development. Future development along Fort Point Channel relating to the South Boston Seaport may increase the building's prospects for preservation. Conversely, this same development may endanger the building's survival without the proper encouragement toward preservation.
Neighborhood Context:
The Court Square Press Building stands isolated at the busy intersection of West Broadway and Dorchester Avenue. Access to the building from Boston proper is temporarily hindered by the Big Dig construction.
Other Sources of Information:
MHC inventory form
Entry Completed: 05/15/1999
| Pappas Industrial Parks, Inc. purchased the property in 1999 and is in the midst of rehabilitating the building into 131 luxury loft-style condominiums. The project design by John Cunningham Architects, Inc. includes a new five-story, modern entryway, landscaped courtyard, restaurant, and private fitness center. Development plans also call for the construction of 5 three-story townhouses and a three-level underground parking garage on site. In the spring of 2000, the demolition of two ancillary buildings on the site caused the section of the building fronting Dorchester Avenue to become structurally unstable and begin to collapse. It was subsequently torn down, but is currently being rebuilt utilizing bricks salvaged during demolition. Other preservation work includes brick repointing, restoration or replacement of masonry architectural details, and installation of modern windows that replicate the original fenestration. The rehabilitation is expected to be completed by the summer of 2003. Estimated Cost: $15 million. |
|
Update Entry Completed: 07/30/2002
