Daniel Bennett at Channel Cafe, 4/4 at 7 PM

Saxophonist Daniel Bennett is playing at the The Channel Cafe (300 Summer St.) this Saturday at 7 PM.

Daniel Bennett Group - http://www.danielbennettgroup.com/

Boston saxophonist Daniel Bennett (www.danielbennettgroup.com) is most known for his unique musical mix of jazz, folk, and minimalism. This "Folk-Jazz" style has earned the Daniel Bennett Group a dedicated cult following in both jazz and folk circles. The Daniel Bennett Group has shared concert stages with Bill Frisell, the Charlie Hunter Trio, Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin and Wood), David Fiuczynski (Screaming Headless Torsos), and Denison Witmer.

ecoSignals, Sat, 4/4 6 PM

Fort Point's own Christina Lanzl is leading a project called ecoSignals at down:2:earth this weekend. ecoSignals is being released on Saturday at 6 PM. For more details see:

http://www.d2eboston.com/events/event-details.php?id=75

Loft Space for a Music Video ?

The Main Drag is looking to rent a loft in Fort Point as a location for a video they're shooting this weekend sometime in the next month and a half. If you're interested, contact Kabir Hemrajani: kabir@illiusrock.com.

Comm Ventures Planning Rental and Artist Spaces

Commonwealth Ventures is changing their plan for 5 Channel Center and, instead of tearing it down and doing luxury condos, is planning on building rental apartments and live/work spaces for artists.

There's few details on the project available at this point, but it's good to hear a developer both preserving historic buildings and doing moderately-priced residential in Fort Point.

Globe Article: Demolition plans are scrapped

Commonwealth Ventures Press Release

Rue La La / SmartBargains Moves into Channel Center

Retail Convergence, a tech company which runs SmartBargains.com and RueLaLa.com, moved its 125-employee headquarters into new space at 20 Channel Center.

Two companies sail into Seaport
By Thomas Grillo | Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston’s Seaport District has netted two companies.

Retail Convergence, an online shopping company, is moving into new quarters in the Fort Point Channel area. The company, located on Milk Street, had eyed suburban spots but settled on South Boston.

“We need creative space and we didn’t know if that was available in the city,” said CEO Ben Fischman. “But this space allows us tremendous creativity and flexibility and we intend to grow here.”

Read full article...

316-322 Summer St. on hold for lawsuit

In spite of community protests over excessive concessions to the developer and the loss of residential spaces, Lincoln Properties' 316-322 Summer St. office project was approved by the BRA board in December. The owner of 355 Congress is now challenging the zoning of the project. Details in the Herald article below.

The BRA's documents on the project can be found on their site: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/DevelopmentProjects/DevProjects.asp?action=ViewProject&ProjectID=1239


Suit halts office plan slated for Fort Point
By Thomas Grillo | Monday, March 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets

The developer of a controversial $32 million office project on Summer Street in Boston is facing further delays.

Francis X. Crowley, owner of 355 Congress St., has filed suit in Suffolk Superior Court seeking to overturn the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals decision allowing Lincoln Property Co. to turn two vacant warehouses in Fort Point into a 140,000-square-foot office complex.

Following the project’s approval by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in December, the ZBA granted zoning variances allowing Lincoln to exceed the height, setbacks and floor area ratios at 312-324 Summer St.

The suit alleges that the ZBA exceeded its authority and that the development will exacerbate traffic problems, contrary to the board finding that the project will not harm the neighborhood.

“We are shutting down until the suit is resolved,” said John Cappellano, Lincoln’s senior vice president.

Neither Crowley nor his attorney, Patrick Dinardo, returned calls seeking comment.

Originally approved in 2006 as a residential development, Lincoln later bought the property and proposed to convert the two abandoned warehouses at 312-320 and 316-324 Summer St. into one office building with 15,500 square feet of ground floor retail. That move generated howls of protest from Fort Point residents.

At several packed public hearings last year, neighbors blamed the BRA for abandoning the city’s vision of a Fort Point district that would include a 24-hour, mixed-use neighborhood anchored by 11 acres of open space and 6 million square feet of development, with at least one-third as housing.

But city officials said the housing market was stalled and preferred that the building be redeveloped into office space rather than remain vacant.

Lincoln Properties Looking at Hook Site

According to the Herald, Lincoln Properties (the developer for 316-322 Summer St. which has been very poorly received - see notes from the last BRA community meeting) and the Chiofaro Co. are both eyeing the Hook Lobster site which the Hook family said it was looking to develop.

Two builders take Hub bait
Eye Hook property
By Thomas Grillo | Monday, March 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com
| Business & Markets

Two Boston developers have expressed interest in buying the property
owned by James Hook & Co., the burned-out landmark lobster business on
the city¹s waterfront.

Lincoln Property Co., the Dallas company that has Two Financial Center
under construction at South Station, and the Chiofaro Co., the Boston
owner of International Place, confirmed they have requested
information about the sale from McCall & Almy, the commercial
brokerage handling the deal.

The Boston Business Journal first reported last week that Hook was for
sale and that 10 developers were interested in buying the 10,000-
square-foot site.

Read full article on BostonHerald.com

Mtg on Arts and Community Center, 3/25

The former Boston Police Station on D Street, along with two adjacent lots, has been declared surplus by the City of Boston. The Department of Neighborhood Development is charged with developing new uses for this building, which was abandoned several years ago. The SOBACC Committee (“South Boston Arts Community Center”) announces a Public Meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing an arts/museum/performing space in this facility:

Join the Drive to establish a South Boston Arts and Community Center.

At the abandoned South Boston District 6 Police Station:
273 D Street, between West Broadway and 3rd Street

Public Meeting – Open to all residents:

CONDON SCHOOL
200 D Street, South Boston
Wednesday, March 25 – 6:30 P.M.


The abandoned South Boston District 6 Police Station has served our community well during its active years and should continue to serve South Boston’s residents as a multi-use “Arts and Community Center”

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our mission is to establish a South Boston Arts and Community Center in the former District 6 Police Station for use as a community art center and a permanent office and meeting space for a number of local independent, non-profit organizations in a stimulating and multi-use venue where artists would share their works and talents with the community through exhibits, performances, educational efforts and outreach programs.

Support the effort to establish a South Boston Arts and Community Center

SOBACC COMMITTEE - Concerned Citizens for a South Boston Arts Community Center

Whose Boston Meeting Sat, 3/21

Whose Boston? Is a growing grassroots movement to claim Boston communities for Boston people by working for an equitable and inclusive vision of a community-centered city in which growth and development serve residents’ needs.

Thank you to all those who came to a Whose Boston? convening Saturday, February 28 – and to those who participated in pre-convening interviews. Participants represented a great and diverse cross section of Boston’s neighborhoods and issues. If you have any questions about the notes below, how to join working groups, or the next meeting, please contact Lisette Le via email lisette@cpaboston.org or telephone (617) 357-4499.

Saturday March 21, 2009
1:00pm – 4:00pm at the Chinese Progressive Association
28 Ash Street
Boston, MA
(Light refreshments will be served)

Greenway Survey

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in downtown Boston wants to ask you a few questions to understand how we can make the Greenway even better and meet your needs. It will only take a few moments to fill out this survey, and it is completely anonymous - all your responses will be kept confidential.

As a BONUS, by taking the survey you'll be automatically entered for a chance to be the winner of one $150 American Express Gift Card.

Just click on this link to start the quick survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228WVNSL52V


Thank you,
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
Greenway Conservancy
www.rosekennedygreenway.org

James Hook Lobster Co. Looking To Develop

Hook family seeks proposals for lobster business site
Boston Business Journal - by Michelle Hillman

The original James Hook & Co. building may be gone following last year’s seven-alarm fire, but the lobster business is alive and well and Jimmy Hook and his siblings are now looking to create a new landmark on the site.

The family is putting the site up for sale and awaiting responses from developers who were asked to propose scenarios that incorporate the historic wholesale and retail seafood business into a new building.

Read article on Boston Business Journal's site.

Sportello and Persephone in Restaurant Week, 3/15- 3/27

Sportello and Persephone/Achilles are both participating in this year's restaurant week.

Sportello Lunch Menu - $20.09

Appetizers:
Vegetable Panzanella - artichokes, pickled onion, basil
Grilled Radicchio Salad - chicory, toasted walnuts, robiola due latte
Broccoli Soup - meta cucina egg, florets, sea salt, olive oil

Entrees:
Pappardelle - bolognese, fried basil
Potato Gnocchi - fava beans, mint, parmigiano-reggiano
Prosciutto Panini - pepper chutney, mixed green salad


Sportello Dinner Menu - $33.09


Appetizers:
Chilled Calamari Salad - cauliflower, fines herbs, toasted pistachios
Broccoli Soup - meta cucina egg, florets, sea salt, olive oil
Grilled Radicchio Salad - chicory, toasted walnuts, robiola due latte

Entrees:
Codfish a la Plancha - radish salad, salsa verde
Roasted Skirt Steak - steak sauce, roasted fennel, broccoli rabe
Orecchiette - cauliflower, chile, boquerones



Persephone Lunch Menu - $20.09

Small:
provinçal fish soup
local empire apple & aged vermont cheddar panini

Large:
grilled giannone farm chicken salad
grilled niman ranch beef bavette steak

Dessert:
orange sorbet
dark chocolate caramel mousse parfait


Persephone Dinner Menu - $33.09

Small:
provinçal fish soup
arugula salad
braised northeast family farms beef

Large:
gloucester pollack
grilled giannone farm chicken
grilled niman ranch beef bavette steak

Dessert:
orange sorbet
caramelized apple tart
dark chocolate coffee mousse parfait

Studio Soto Gets Space!

Because of Archon/Goldman Properties's 49/51/63 Melcher St development project, Studio Soto lost their space on the corner of Melcher and A St.

Thanks to the Thompson Design Group, they've recently been given some space at 35 Channel Center St. and have a programs starting this week:

Julie Andrée T. Landscape for the ones who get lost, an installation
March 13th to April 12th
Opening reception Friday March 13th, 5 – 8 pm
with performance by the artist;
and closing performance Sunday, April 12th at 5pm

Rob List – Drawings About Movement, 1980 – 2000
March 13th – April 29
Closing reception Wednesday, April 29
with performance by artist, time tba
location: 35 Channel Center, corner
Studio Soto in-residence at Thompson Design Group

Gallery hours: Friday, 4 - 7 pm; Sat. and Sun. 12 - 5 pm

For more details, see:
http://www.studiosoto.org/

Police Seek Help Finding Robbery Suspect

COMMUNITY ALERT
BOSTON SEEK IDENTIFICATION OF UNARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT


On February 23, 2009 at 5:48pm officers responded to an unarmed robbery at the Metro Convenience Store locate at 253 Summer Street in South Boston. On arrival, officers ascertained that a white male, estimated to be in his forties, had placed a backpack on the counter and demanded that the cashier put "All of the stores money" in it. He also demanded the lottery machine money for which the cashier had no access to. Once the money was placed in the backpack, the thief fled the premises toward South Station. No weapon was shown.

Detectives are looking for an identification of the suspect. If anyone has information about this suspect you are strongly urged to please contact District C-6 Detective Peter Norton 617-343-4742. Community members who wish to remain anonymous can either call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800- 494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently protect the identity of those who wish to aid police in an anonymous manner.






http://www.bpdnews.com/2009/03/community_alert_20.html