On Sunday night, I walked by the new UMass Boston dormitories. They appear to be a well-constructed, contemporary set of buildings, and it is terrific to see the Columbia Point area have neighbors. Almost overnight, the character of this part of Dorchester has changed. One thousand and seventy-seven students have been added to the area and they will create a new type of energy. The campus is looking beautiful and I'm sure these students will spend many hours walking the nearby Boulevard that fronts the Atlantic Ocean.
Parents dropped off their children with both pride and concern. It is a big step for many parents who are sending many first-generation students to college. Many students stood in the landing of their floor and waved goodbye to their parents as they left them to get settled before classes begin.
The dormitories complement the work that is done on the boulevard making it a long string of housing from the JFK MBTA stop to the ocean. The land borders what used to be called Columbia Point, but is now called Harborview Apartments, which is a mixed-residential development area. While Columbia Point used to be fenced off, it is now open to the UMass area providing an exchange of pedestrian access.
It leads up to the Ted Kennedy Institute and the JFK Library, plus the new parking area for the Commonwealth Museum, which is a must-see museum because it contains a Massachusetts copy of the U.S. Constitution, plus other foundational documents, and a brief history of rotation topics.
The JFK Library was hopping last night for a wedding that forms a romantic setting overlooking the ocean.
Nearby is a great parcel of land that is soon to be developed. One can sense that it is going to be a large-scaled residential, commercial, and retail development. The Point will not know what hit them.
Across the way from BC High is the former Boston Globe that is being gutted and retrofitted for new light industrial workspace and restaurants. Work is fairly constant, as is change. Each day the area is looking more desirable, and what energy!
No comments:
Post a Comment