Yale Terrace is a historic, architecturally distinctive and cohesive neighborhood, nestled between the Forest Hills Cemetery and Franklin Park.  From its creation over 150 years ago, the street has been entirely residential. There are 9 houses on the street - 8 of which date to the mid/late 19th century. We are devastated to learn that a commercial concern (Bicon) plans to demolish one of them - and we are deeply concerned about the sustainability of the historic, residential character of our cherished community.

Last year our neighbor Berta retired after serving for 33 years a Boston public school teacher.   She decided to move south, and put her house of 24 years on the market.  Berta instructed her realtor to sell her house only to a family that would continue the traditions of neighborhood and sustain the loving care she had put into her home over decades.

Bicon, knowing that Berta had already refused to sell to them because she valued the residential neighborhood, deceptively used a straw buyer to purchase her house, for the sole purpose of tearing it down to make room for a 54 car parking garage and a hotel-style dormitory for their trainees. 

Now the neighbors still living here have to get to work:  We cannot let this historic house be torn down and replaced with a parking garage - it just doesn't fit in our neighborhood.  And once it's torn down, it cannot be replaced.  It is over 100 years old.

We are asking Boston's Mayor Walsh to ensure that Bicon never gets a demolition permit for 21 Yale Terrace.  Please sign to show your support.  

The action we seek is simple.  The City must say “no” to the request for permission to destroy this house – because once it is demolished, it can't be brought back, and the zoning code does not prevent demolition.

Bicon's unwarranted plan to demolish #21 is to clear the way for an extremely dubious and ill-fitting commercial development.  Bicon has shown us the plans, and we unequivocally reject those plans as deeply damaging to our community.

There are buyers out there who want this lovely house, and Bicon can sell -- likely at a good profit.   There are also many sites in the city better-suited for commercial/industrial expansion.  

But unless the City does the right thing, Bicon will tear this house down and try to build that garage and dormitory on our street.  

The demolition of this house, so integral to the fabric of our neighborhood, will leave a terrible scar. We must stop Bicon from demolishing #21 Yale Terrace so we can work to ensure the return of that parcel to a residential use and welcome a new family to the street.

We are very short on time.  There is a hold on demolition through the end of March, but absent Mayoral intervention, we will lose this house in early April. 

Please join the Yale Terrace Neighborhood Association in our mission to preserve the historic residential character of our neighborhood, and ask Mayor Walsh to order the denial of any demolition permit Bicon wants for #21 Yale Terrace.

Thank you for your support,

The Yale Terrace Neighborhood Association