Uphams Corner Main Street held their 2012
annual meeting at Paraiso Restaurant, 750 Dudley Street, on October 23.
Hoping to attract business representatives before the businesses opened
for the day, Main Street offered a light breakfast and an early start
time (8AM).
Most of the crowd arrived before 8:15 when Nicholas
Chernoff, the UCMS Board President, welcomed attendees and immediately
encouraged everyone to a) get involved and b) join Main Street.
Throughout the meeting, people continued to arrive with a final count
of just under 50. Excellent!
Agenda
8:00-8:15 AM: Registration/Refreshments/Networking
8:15-8:25 AM: Welcome – Nicholas Chernoff (UCMS Board President)
8:25-9:05 AM: Speakers + Testimonials
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Gregory Colon (Paraiso Restaurant)
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Ines Palmarin (Boston Redevelopment Authority)
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Para Jaysinghe (City of Boston Department of Public Works)
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Camilo Pichardo (Discount Shoes Store)
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Joan Tighe (UCMS Economic Restructuring Committee Chair)
9:05 – 9:20 AM: New Board Members Vote (Nicholas Chernoff)
9:20: Adjourn/Networking
Gregory Colon, Business Manager
The first speaker, Gregory Colon, Paraiso Restaurant manager, talked
about their first year in business and how much Upham's Corner Main
Street had helped him, and he offered an enthusiastic thanks to Max
MacCarthy, executive director. "When my mother and I opened the
restaurant, we doubted if we could last a year. The restaurant needed a
lot of promotion. Max helped us out with Facebook, Yelp and
Twitter. Getting an entertainment license was strongly advised so
we met with all the neighborhood organizations and, finally, got the
approval.”
The Uphams Corner Street Fair in August was an opportunity they
couldn't pass up. For one hour they offered free food and the
restaurant was packed. Also because Street Fair events were scheduled
on the plaza just outside, that helped draw crowds. Gregory said
he is excited about the Dining Guide prepared by Main Street which lets the community
know about the restaurants in Uphams Corner. “If there is a show at 8
PM, then from 6 to 7:30, we have a crowd. So we have to make sure the
bills are ready by 7:45 when the customers want to rush out.”
Ines Soto Palmerin, BRA
The second speaker, Ines Soto Palmerin, co-chair of the Boston
Redevelopment Authority’s (BRA) Fairmount / Indigo Planning Initiative,
emphasized the importance of businesses getting involved in the
neighborhood. She herself has had 12 years of planning in Jamaica Plain
and Roxbury and is hoping to bring her background “to this side of
town,” as she described it. Praising the community folks who have been
working towards Fairmount Indigo initiatives for over 10 years is how
she started out describing the initiative. "There's been a lot of
advocacy," she said "around the stations - lower fares and promoting
the use of the commuter rail for access to jobs.” Ideally the Fairmount
/ Indigo line would function more like a subway system such as the
orange line.
The Fairmount / Indigo Planning Initiative has four goals:
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Build on the past since so much work has already gone into this initiative
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Establish a growth strategy and planning for the future
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Make sure area residents and businesses do not get displaced (gentrification)
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Enhance opportunities at each station area
She described the Corridor Wide Advisory Group (CAG)
consisting of 25 mayorally-appointed members and the Uphams Corner
Working Advisory Group (WAG), consisting of 15 members. Most meetings
take place at the Kroc center and the public is invited. She brought up
the Leon building immediately adjacent to the Uphams Corner station
which most people consider a community eyesore. It's a family owned
business and the building is used as storage space, and they provide
rental space for movie sets. Developing that site will require a
partnership.
Para Jaysinghe, Public Works
The third speaker, Para Jaysinghe, from Public Works discussed the
infrastructure improvements project announced at the first WAG meeting
in August. “The City,” he said, “is absolutely committed to
revitalization." The focus of the initiative is a section of Columbia
road from Hancock to Dudley Street. "It has interesting dynamics,” he
remarked. “We want to create the feel of an urban village. We
want to create an atmosphere friendly to pedestrians so the businesses
can benefit."
“This is not,” he emphasized, “a planning exercise where planning goes
on forever. With a $2.5 million budget, the project has a short
timeline and we are hoping for shovels in the ground in one
year.” He listed the opportunities – sidewalks, roadways,
streetlights – an overall improvement to the streetscape. "But we need
your help. We want to enter into a construction dialogue about what we
think are the challenges including the Strand Theater, the parking lot,
the shortcomings and be able to talk through all of these. “
Camilo Pichardo, Business Owner
Camilo Pichardo, owner of Discount Shoes Store, provided testimony on
how wonderful he thinks Uphams Corner is. He's been a part of the
community for over 12 years and a business owner for five years.
"Thanks to Max," he said, "I am becoming a board member of Main Street.
Max has helped me so much. He cares about everyone, worries about
everyone. He is unstoppable.” At that point, the entire room
broke out into enthusiastic applause (and Max blushed).
Full text of speech and interview with Camilo Pichardo.
Joan Tighe, Main Street Board Member
Joan Tighe introduced herself as a resident, a business consultant and
Chair of the UCMS Restructuring Committee. She shared with the
group some of their initiatives:
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Façade changes to 584 Columbia Rd where Boston Check Cashers is located
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The American City Coalition and Utile Design will be helping figure out how to expand Brothers Supermarket
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The upper floors of the Masonic building are being rented to commercial tenants in the arts and cultural world
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They are also looking at parking and streetscape improvements
Joan briefly described The Boston Foundation's major grant award to develop and promote arts and culture in the Uphams
Corner area which will be managed by Main Street, DSNI and DS4SI.
Residents (anyone) are encouraged to contact Main Street to become
active in the arts initiative.
Elections
Board
chair Nick Chernoff introduce the FY-13 board member slate and with
minimal discussion, the slate was approved by voice vote. The new
board members are Antonio Barros, Camilo Pichardo, Courtney Curran and
Christopher Sylvestre. They are replacing Arlindo Correia, Dahria
Williams-Fernandes, Karl Duguerre, Matt Bruce and John O'Shea.
For more information, contact max@uphamscorner.org
Antonio Barros
Citizens Bank
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Camilo Pichardo
Discount Shoes Store
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Courtney Curran
Resident
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Christopher Sylvestre
Sovereign Bank
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Crystal Gandrud
Resident
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Michelle Waldon
Resident
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Joan Tighe
Business
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Rev. John Odams
Pilgrim Church
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Posted: November 4, 2012
Nancy J Conrad
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