By Jill Bongiorni, News Staff
Northeastern has already cleared several roadblocks in solidifying plans for demolition of the back of the Greater Boston YMCA on Huntington Avenue and construction of the new 17-story, 720-bed dormitory that will be built in its place. While still anticipating several more bumps on the road, Vice President of City Affairs John Tobin says everything is on track for an August 2013 opening.
“It’s full steam ahead and everybody around here is working very, very hard to make that happen,” said Tobin, who was a Boston City Councilor before coming to Northeastern last summer.
Almost 1,000 disgruntled members of the Huntington Avenue YMCA signed a petition to attempt to prevent Phoenix Property Company and Northeastern from moving ahead with plans to construct the dormitory.
More than 970 of 2,700 Huntington Avenue branch members signed the petition, which began in late January.
Northeastern and Phoenix Property Co., an affiliate of Lincoln Property Co. in Dallas, entertained the idea of purchasing the back of the Y’s Hasting Wing and St. Botolph’s frontage, which houses the fitness center, for about a year before taking action, Tobin said. The public process started in October 2010 when the chief executive of the YMCA, Kevin Washington and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced Phoenix Property was in terms of agreement to purchase the back of the YMCA building.
Since then, the university has been involved in various task meetings, zoning hearings and civic association meetings. Northeastern also came to agreement with its neighbors at the New England Conservatory, which proved to be a key factor in gaining approval from the Boston Landmarks Commission, Tobin said.
With the demolition permit coming through in the next few days and a consultation with the Massachusetts Historical Commission in the works, the demolition process should begin this month.
To ease the university’s financial burdens, Phoenix Property Company will purchase the Hasting Wing and St. Botolph’s frontage from the YMCA for $21.5 million dollars. Phoenix will then invest $75 million into constructing the residence hall, which will be leased to Northeastern University under a 15-year contract, “with some options after that,” Tobin said.
To alleviate stress on Y members, some of whom vehemently opposed the university’s plans, Northeastern has opened the Marino Center and the Barletta Natatorium in the Cabot Physical Education Center doors to all members during the construction process.
However, Mike Vaughn, 21, a personal trainer at the Y, said it is not only members who will be inconvenienced.
“I work a lot with the after-school programs and there are kids that won’t have a basketball court now. The Y has no means to build a new court because there’s no revenue and kids play for free all day,” said Vaughn, who has worked at the YMCA for two years. “I don’t care about me, I can get another job; I’m just worried about the kids. These poor kids don’t have anywhere else to go and Northeastern should be responsible for that.”
Tobin pointed out that while there will be a lapse in services over the next two years, the YMCA is putting the $22 million in proceeds toward the creation a new state-of-the-art building.
“We understand fully that there are some Y members that are upset; their daily routine will be inconvenienced and we understand,” Tobin said. “But we are trying to do our part to help out and mitigate inconvenience from some of the members. There will be a lapse in some services these next couple of years, but when it’s all said and done, this is a win-win-win.”
Tobin said it is positive for the community because housing units will be freed up for non-students looking to move to Roxbury, Mission Hill, Fenway, Back Bay or the South End.
It is a win for Northeastern because they are fulfilling a commitment made to the city of Boston over a decade ago, he said.
Northeastern’s efforts to build the new dormitory are a result of a commitment the university made to the city of Boston in 2006 to house 1,800 more students on campus. The construction of International Village, which contains 1,200 beds, filled part of that quota.
To free up more apartments near campus and smooth rifts between the university and its neighboring communities, Northeastern has mandated that starting with the 2011 incoming class, all freshmen and sophomores will be required to live on campus. According to Tobin, this decision was made without pressure from the city and was due to the fact that freshmen and sophomores are responsible for 80 percent of off-campus run-ins with neighbors and police.
“And it is a win for the city of Boston for all those reasons,” Tobin said. “The city made Northeastern stick to its commitment and it is a win in regards to its neighborhoods by freeing up units for families and individuals.”
Once the plans for the new dorm are completed and construction starts, the university will continue to look ahead. NU’s last Institutional Master Plan will expire when the 1,800-bed quota is filled, which means another master plan for the next 10 years will need to be drafted immediately.
