Related to SS Building issues

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I just noticed in the Boston Globe article about the structural issues of the Social Security building this morning that it states that Roche Brothers has pulled out of moving into that space. That's the first I've heard about it falling through, and I'll be disappointed if it's true.

Comments

[keithn.livejournal.com]

The city is a big part of the reason why the building is rotting. The owner of the building made a reasonable proposal almost two years ago for Beer Works and Crunch Gym to go into that space. Alderman Gewirtz and the ZBA (at her urging I suspect) launched some astroturfed opposition to the proposal and made it clear that nothing aside from an organic/locally sourced grocery store would be acceptable. During this whole process the owner of the building has had to maintain and pay taxes on a building not generating any income due to the city's stonewalling.

It finally looked like the city was going to get its wish, but now that has fallen through and we're back to square one.

Nobody is clean here, but the city has got to stop trying to dictate exactly how every piece of private property in the city is going to be used. This whole situation is precisely what happens when local governments try to do this.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Wasn't one of the reasons BBW was turned down was that they didn't want to buy their liquor license on the open market, but wanted one of the special ones that the city had received that would usually be used for a smaller business?

[keithn.livejournal.com]

In short, that was BS. The argument was actually that the "special" ones were reserved for "economic development" and that Davis Square didn't qualify. They ended up granting one a few months later to the Korean restaurant that replaced McDonalds, in Davis Square, so it was a BS argument. I wrote a long comment about this at the time:

http://davis-square.livejournal.com/3314035.html?thread=35879539#t35879539

Another related comment I made in the same thread:

http://davis-square.livejournal.com/3314035.html?thread=35893875#t35893875

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Fuck you, astroturfed. I've lived around Davis for >12 years* now and I sure didn't want BBW or Crunch there.
Also: "organic/locally sourced grocery store" doesn't describe Roche Bros as near as I know.
ETA: Reading further down the thread, ok, the Brothers Marketplace concept might well fit that description.

(* I expect to be priced out of the neighborhood in the next <5 years.)

[ron_newman]

what's wrong with Crunch as a second-floor tenant above Roche Bros? I expect it would have zero impact on anyone who isn't a customer of theirs.

Brothers Marketplace doesn't have much of a web site, but they do have an active Facebook page.