Claremont News – Summer 2020
Claremont Neighborhood Association Advisor, Ann Hershfang
CNA Advisor, Ann Hershfang and her husband Herb will be moving from their West Rutland Square home at the end of this August after 54 years. Ann has made countless contributions to our neighborhood and community. In case you don’t know Ann and Herb they are both listed in Alison Barnet’s new book “Once Upon a Neighborhood” which lists a few of their many successes.
“On May 1, 2015 the Boston City Council issues an official resolution declaring May 1 Ann Hershfang Day. In the 1970s, Hershfang is the first woman appointed to the Board of the Mass. Port Authority; she is instrumental in defeating the proposed South End By-Pass, and, while Massachusetts Under-Secretary of Transportation and Construction, caused the railroad tracks to be planced underground and the Southwest Corridor Park to be created. She has lived at 64 W. Rutland Sq. since 1966.”
“December, 1985, Herb Hershfang, lawyer, and W. Rutland Sq. resident takes oath as a judge in the Boston Municipal Court trial division, the only one of eleven at the court who lives in the same district he presides over. His work with Mass. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Mass. Dental Society NAACP, USES, and Ward 4 Democratic Committee is cited.”
We wish both Ann and Herb a joyous and happy future. You will both always be honorary members of Claremont.
Wellington Green Clean-up & Plantings
Wellington Green at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Wellington Street has never looked better. This Trustees.org property has been carefully cared for by neighborhood volunteers for the past few decades. Carey and Carl, who live on Wellington Street, have spent endless hours designing, planting, installing & maintaining an irrigation system, pruning, and clearing away trash and debris. Flowers and plantings have been provided by volunteer funding. Late spring a group of volunteers under Carey’s direction planted out the garden and put up a Pride flag, for the first time. We thank the following volunteers for helping this past spring: Carey, Meg, Brian, Suzanne, Dave, Mike, Bob, Ken, and Carl.
If you would like to volunteer or make a financial contribution to the garden, please respond to this email and we can provide the connection.
2020 Best of Boston – Southwest Corridor Park
CNA residents should be very proud that Boston Magazine selected the Southwest Corridor Park as the “Best Secret Garden” for 2020 in their recent Best of Boston publication. One significant factor of this selection is the leadership of Franco Campanello, who is President of the Southwest Corridor Park Conservancy, and his talented Garden Stewards who have excelled this year in making the park shine. You can find more information about the park through the following website:
http://swcpc.org/
Titus Sparrow Park Improvements
You may have noticed several City of Boston Parks & Recreation Department trucks at Titus Sparrow Park (TSP) lately. CNA connected with Annie Frick Blair from Parks and Recreation who provided the following exciting update of the park and the $1.75 million face-lift.
“Boston Parks and Recreation Department has just selected Halvorson Design l Tighe and Bond Studio as the design team for improvements to Titus Sparrow Park. The project scope includes improved accessibility to site features, expansion of the play area and new play equipment with resilient surfacing, the addition of exercise equipment, improved drainage, introduction of pervious pavement in the basketball court, additional lighting, and masonry restoration. Titus Sparrow Park was last renovated in 2003, also by Halvorson. The goals of the project are to provide a place where people of all ages and abilities can build community while maintaining the character of the park and neighborhood. We hope to begin the design process in late summer or early fall.”
New England Conservatory Sells 10 Claremont Park Building
New England Conservatory (NEC) has sold their recently purchased 10 Claremont Park building. NEC had planned to convert the building into the President’s House that included performance space. Chris Hayden from NEC told CNA:
“NEC has decided to the sell the Claremont property as we just couldn’t make the place work for small events and the President’s housing. We tried the best we could to make the space work but the financial costs vs. use were too large to overcome.”
The building was purchased by BSA Construction.
Saranac/New Castle Buildings on Columbus Avenue Start Renovation Process
Mass Housing has provided a total of $30.3 million in affordable housing financing to the Fenway Community Development Corporation for the refinancing, major renovation, and preservation of affordability for mixed-income households at the 97-unit Newcastle Saranac in Boston’s South End. These properties are in Claremont’s casement. Fenway CDC, in partnership with the Schochet Companies, acquired Newcastle Saranac through Chapter 40T, after the Mass Housing Section 13A mortgage expired in March 2018 and the former owner intended to sell the property, putting the property’s 97 affordable units at risk of converting to market-rate rents.
To read more about this project, please go to this link: https://masshousing.com/press/2020-07-21_newcastle-saranac
566 Columbus Avenue Status
This past month the South End Landmark Commission approved the design of 566 Columbus Avenue project. This appears to be the last city hurdle for this project to move forward. Boston New Ventures has not provided an update for the demolition of 566 Columbus or the construction timeline. Once we have more details we will provide an update for neighbors.
Outdoor Dining Options in the Claremont Neighborhood – Support Our Businesses
You may have noticed that some of our local restaurants have added outdoor dining options.
Petit Robert Bistro, Ilona, Five Horses Tavern, Shun’s Kitchen, and SRV all are open with outdoor dining.
Claremont Board Members Sought for 2020/2021
Claremont is seeking a neighborhood resident or business owner that can join the CNA Board and take over the duties as recording secretary. This role includes attending monthly meetings (the 3rd Thursday of each month), helping with agenda creation, and recording of notes & minutes at our monthly meetings. Our last fabulous recording secretary, Diane Coe, recently moved out of the South End. We would like to thank Diane for all her wonderful contributions to our organization and the neighborhood.
Claremont is also seeking for new Board Members from both West Springfield and Worcester Streets. With the construction of both 566 Columbus Avenue and 115 Worcester Street we would like Board members that can focus on the construction activities associated with these two large development projects.
If interested, please respond to this email.
Your Friends at Claremont!