Mayor Walsh said that he will not sell the Nazzaro Community Center building to pay for a new community center, and he will will work with us on its future. He made his positive remarks as the Landmarks Commission hearing on protecting it was officially announced Friday. The public hearing, which we hope you will attend! is set for Feb. 12, at 6 p.m., in room 900 of Boston City Hall.
The Mayor made his comments in an interview with Matt Conti, the respected founder and publisher of Northendwaterfront.com. Despite battling the flu, Matt transcribed his interview and posted this story: https://northendwaterfront.com/2019/02/mayor-walsh-kids-deserve-state-of-the-art-community-center-will-work-with-community-on-existing-nazzaro-center-building/
We are delighted that Mayor Walsh is not going to sell the original North Bennet Street Bath House and Gymnasium building, which is an elegant example of the special architecture, history and way of life that marks our “Little Italy” neighborhood. The building and open space Polcari Playground on which it sits have been at the center of the North End’s public life for over 100 years.
Mayor Walsh reaffirmed the good news that the new $30 million North End community center will be built, and the Nazzaro will not be sold to pay for it. We don’t know anyone who isn’t delighted to be getting a new North End community facility, as long as some programs continue in the existing Nazzaro building. The only disputes are over where will the new building be, and what will happen to the existing Nazzaro building as the basketball court and other programs move.
Now we hope that the Mayor and our other elected officials—Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Sen. Joe Boncore and City Councilor Lydia Edwards—will officially support the Nazzaro’s Landmarks Petition. Landmarks status would protect the outside of the Renaissance Revival building, which was designed in 1906 after the Villa Medici in Rome, and preserve the open space of the playground. The inside still could be completely redone, and its uses and even its ownership could be changed. Since the Mayor would still be legally free to sell the Nazzaro building for private development—as long as the outside is preserved—it may not seem like a big deal to go ahead and give this unique building Landmarks status.
But it IS a big deal! Supporting the Landmarks petition would reassure the neighborhood, including over 1,500 people who have signed two petitions, asking for the Mayor to save the historic building and keep it in public use. Once the building’s protection is officially secured, we will work with the Mayor and other officials to find community-wide solutions for updating the interior for appropriate uses. While the Nazzaro Community Center’s fate may have divided the neighborhood before the Mayor’s position was clarified, we believe a two-location community center solution has united us now.
We look forward to seeing you all on Feb. 12!
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