Boston is fortunate to have several non-profit organizations dedicated to historic preservation advocacy, education, and real estate development/investment. The historic preservation community has benefited from strong and long-standing leadership within these organizations. This month, we honor Historic Boston, Inc.’s longtime Executive Director, Kathy Kottaridis.
At the helm since 2007, Kathy has shown incredible leadership for HBI and for the city as a whole. We have enjoyed working alongside Kathy and HBI over the years, including a recent loan partnership that helped fund the Comfort Station project in Dorchester.
“Kathy has always recognized that Boston is a city of neighborhoods,” said Sean McDonnell, president of AHF. “Under her leadership, HBI’s focus on Boston’s commercial districts and economic development projects has been truly transformative.”
Kathy has been tapped to be the City of Boston’s Director of the Office of Historic Preservation, where she will oversee the Boston Landmarks Commission, the City’s Historic District Commissions, the Archaeology Program, and the Commemoration Commission. Through the Commemoration Commission, she will spearhead the City’s commemorative efforts, including the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 and the 400th anniversary of Boston in 2030.
We wish Kathy the very best of luck, and look forward to working with her in her new role.
It’s been another productive and exciting year at AHF. As we look out of our office windows at the Charles River Speedway, we can see the historic marketplace’s central courtyard trimmed with festive trees and lights. The small business community here is making merry with holiday events and special gifts. Our newest tenants, Rite Tea & Espresso and Pizza Project, have quickly become an integral part of this community, and have made our days even more delicious. The event space at Garage B has been bustling with weddings, end-of-year parties and holiday markets, and the new flexible event space in the upper courtyard, The Annex, has become a great addition to the Speedway’s offerings. The Speedway is definitely worth a visit this holiday season and beyond!
Beyond Brighton, AHF is involved with projects and preservation efforts across the Commonwealth. As 2023 draws to a close, we are happy to share a few highlights.
20 Years of Massachusetts State Tax Credit
2023 brought us the 20th anniversary of the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (MHRTC), a powerful preservation incentive program that has unlocked over 700 projects across the Commonwealth since its inception. Without this program, AHF projects at Washington Mills and Charles River Speedway would never have been possible, and we are grateful to all of those who helped craft and implement what has become a model program for states all over the country. Continued advocacy for the MHRTC has been ongoing through the years, including increasing the cap to meet demand and extending the program’s sunset date, with partners at Massachusetts Historical Commission and Preservation Massachusetts leading the way. We look forward to continuing to access the tax credit for projects of our own and for others that we are helping in our consulting work.
Underutilized Properties Program
Since the program’s inception three years ago, we have worked with various project partners to apply for UPP grant funding to support a range of development activity at their respective sites. This year, we were pleased to support Alander Group’s successful submission for the next phase of their project located at 343 Main Street in Great Barrington. This grant will be used to renovate and convert a historic 22,504-square-foot building in Great Barrington into two retail spaces and 13 units of mixed-income housing. A big congratulations to all the awardees!
Wright Building, Pittsfield
Another project that has benefited from UPP funding is the Wright Building, a long vacant three story former commercial building on North Street in Pittsfield. Following their successful neighboring downtown market rate housing projects at the Onota and Howard Buildings, Allegrone Companies is planning the residential conversion of this long vacant building. Allegrone and AHF are now going through the historic approvals process for the addition of a new construction infill building next to and eventually connecting to the Wright Building which will add 14 more much needed units to the overall project. Awarded $525,000 in UPP funding from FY2023 for life safety improvements, there is great momentum going into the new year. AHF looks forward to continuing to support the project, including helping the Allegrone’s apply for and secure Housing Development Initiative Program Tax Credits, in addition to continuing to shepherd the project through MHC and NPS historic tax credit programs.
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
The Auditorium project reached new levels of credibility in 2023, turning AHF’s vision into a concrete set of goals and objectives. The Auditorium is closer to redevelopment than it has been at any point in the past 25 years. With the support of CSL International, the project has a realistic operating pro forma and a market analysis for multiple types of entertainment offerings. With the support of DBVW Architects, the design of a modern, tech-forward, entertainment and economic development facility is underway.
In 2024, AHF will unveil new project partners for the Auditorium redevelopment with hopes to begin construction on infrastructure upgrades this year.
Paul Bruhn Grant comes to Massachusetts
We were happy to support the Pioneer Valley Regional Ventures Center’s (PVRVC) application for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant funds and were thrilled when they were awarded funding this year. AHF has worked behind the scenes for several years to galvanize engagement statewide to bring this resource to Massachusetts’ rural communities. The grant will support the creation of the Preservation Works in Western Mass subgrant program under the direction of PVRVC.
PVRVC’s new program will begin to close the funding gap for historic properties in rural communities and produce examples of the opportunity that exists to galvanize economic development by restoring and re-using National Register-listed community anchor buildings. The idea is to support economic development through the preservation of historic buildings in towns with fewer than 12,500 residents in Hampshire County, as well as small communities in Hampden and west central and southwest central Worcester counties. We look forward to supporting this endeavor across the western part of our state!
Comfort Kitchen, Boston
This year, we saw the completion and the launch of the award-winning preservation project and new restaurant, Comfort Kitchen, in the Upham’s Corner neighborhood of Dorchester. AHF played a role in this project by providing a loan to Historic Boston, Inc., secured at a below-market fixed rate, to refinance a construction loan following the successful completion of work.
The former trolley system comfort station, a stucco 940-square-foot facility with full basement, underwent a $1.9 million historic rehabilitation with improvements that created Comfort Kitchen, a full-service café with dinner operations. AHF was proud to support community-based development and fund historic preservation projects in Boston’s neighborhoods.
North Schoolhouse, Mount Washington
The Mount Washington Historical Society (MWHS) and the Town of Mount Washington have begun to advance construction plans amidst on-going fundraising efforts. Their goal is to move the historic single room North Schoolhouse to a new and safer location and to restore it for community use as soon as it is financially feasible to do so.
In 2023, AHF supported the town’s applications to two state grant programs. AHF also helped to connect proponents to Mount Washington’s State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, to expand awareness of the project and help identify additional funding sources. Increased awareness of the project has put it on the radar of two private foundations devoted to Berkshire County projects. MWHS applied to both funders in 2023 and have already received promising news. AHF will continue to work alongside the MWHS and the town of Mount Washington in 2024 to advocate for the project and to help close the gap in the construction budget to get this shovel-ready project underway.
Marriner Mill, Lawrence
Lastly, we were thrilled to see our friends at Trinity Financial officially launch 87 beautiful new units of mixed income housing the Fabrica Lofts in Lawrence. Historically known as Marriner Mill, AHF began working with Trinity on this mill conversion shortly after wrapping up work at Arlington Point, Trinity’s adjacent 100 unit project that anchors the eastern portion of the Arlington Mills Historic District. Helping to meet severe housing needs in the Merrimack Valley, Fabrica Lofts is already 100% leased up, and AHF was pleased to provide tax credit consulting to the project team to help bring this important resource back to active use.
With summer just around the corner, it’s time for an update on the Charles River Speedway!
It can be tough to point to anything anniversary-related around the Speedway, because we never had a “grand opening” moment. (Actually, we had several “grand openings”!) Part of that is because construction schedules are always tricky, but also because COVID brought big delays. The realities of small businesses going through a global pandemic translated to a very staggered start. Notch Brewing opened in July of 2021, Bellwether Salon and House of Art & Craft opened that fall, Koji Club opened in February of 2022, Super Bien in August and so on…
So, instead of focusing on one particular day, let’s say this: we are approaching a new summer season at the Charles River Speedway and we have a lot of really interesting things going on here. With a few new small businesses joining our community this spring, there is a feeling around these parts that we are entering into a new, exciting phase of vitality and creativity here at the Speedway.
Named Boston’s Best Brewery in 2022 by Boston Magazine, Notch Brewing’s Brighton taproom and biergarten is their take on a traditional Czech and German-style beer hall. Notch Brewing is well known for their classic session style beers from the Czech Republic, Germany, England, and Belgium. Notch Provisions has its own storefront facing the courtyard, and provides beer-friendly foods like sausages, cheese plates, pretzels and more.
The Speedway is lucky to be home to Master Stylist Melinda Brandt. This inclusive one-chair salon studio provides a one-on-one experience in a welcoming environment, amidst the backdrop of all the buzzing Speedway central courtyard.
Just opened! Long-time Speedway friend, collaborator, and maker of delicious things, Dan and Allie Spinale have just opened their first brick and mortar location here at The Speedway. The focus of their menu here will be on Sicilian slices and sandwiches, with inventive salads and specials coming soon.
Filled with soothing scents, beautiful hand-poured soy wax candles and aromatherapy products, this is the first permanent brick + mortar location for Steysy Clark. As well as being a resource for sustainable goods, Steysy also hosts regular workshops where participants learn to craft their own candles and soap.
THE place in Boston to enjoy all things sake. At award-winning Koji Club, guests can enjoy sake while also learning about its culture and history from industry leader and tastemaker Alyssa Mikkiko Dipasquale. A beautiful jewel box of a space, the experience here is immersive and intimate. The Koji Club was recently named to Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List – Top 20 restaurants in the world and Esquire’s Best Bars in America, 2023.
This sparkling gem of a Latin American grocery store-meets-wine bar from the Buenas team features empanadas, sauces, and snacks galore. The food is fun and incredibly tasty, the South American natural wine list is one of a kind, and there are a ton of great food finds to bring home to keep the party going.
From Ran Duan and the award-winning team behind Blossom Bar, Baldwin Bar and Ivory Pearl, Birds of Paradise features thoughtfully-made cocktails and “airline snacks” inspired by the golden age of travel.
BWM is bringing a new concept to The Speedway this summer – an incubator shop with a rotating slate of local women-founded small businesses, makers, and artists. The Incubator Shop is open Thursday-Sunday.
Opening soon: Rite Tea & Espresso (opening June 2023)
The first dedicated bricks and mortar location for the Wicked Thrawl, which has been popping up inside The Koji Club for the past six months. Rite will feature a very special tea program, espresso drinks, pour over coffee and a really exciting rotating slate of seasonal drinks.
A former Garage building, today it is the flexible events space located within The Speedway complex. Garage B hosts weddings, corporate events and meetings, family celebrations, and frequent markets and community events.
ABOUT THE SPEEDWAY
The Speedway is a vibrant, dynamic marketplace in Brighton. Once the headquarters for the Charles River Reservation parkland, today the revitalized historic buildings and central courtyard are home to a unique collection of small businesses – including bars, restaurants, shops, a hair salon and a flexible event space.
Built between 1899 and 1940, the Charles River Speedway is considered one of DCR’s “origin properties.” Arranged around an interior courtyard, the buildings once served as police headquarters, Superintendent’s residence, horse stables, and maintenance garages for the Charles River Reservation, formerly under the authority of the Metropolitan District Commission. The complex was also a companion facility for the Speedway trotting park, a horse and bicycle racecourse that curved for a mile along present-day Soldiers Field Road.
Long underutilized, and then vacant for over a decade, the buildings fell into disrepair.
Through a unique public/private partnership called the Historic Curatorship Program, Architectural Heritage Foundation and DCR set forth on the redevelopment of the historic property in 2019, with the first tenant, Notch Brewing, opening their doors in July of 2021.
HISTORIC BOSTON GETS $250K AHF LOAN FOR UPHAM’S CORNER REHABILITATION PROJECT
Abandoned Trolley System Building Now Houses ‘Comfort Kitchen’
BOSTON — Historic Boston Inc., the active nonprofit preservation organization, has secured a $250,000 loan from the Architectural Heritage Foundation for the Upham’s Corner Comfort Station in Dorchester, home to the new Comfort Kitchen restaurant.
The loan is to support the rehabilitation of the historic building, furthering an objective of Historic Boston, which is to help support local businesses in the neighborhood.
Historic Boston, which purchased, re-envisioned, and oversaw redevelopment of the abandoned structure at 611 Columbia Rd. in Dorchester into a restaurant, secured the loan from the Brighton-based lender.
Comfort Kitchen, serving customers since it opened for breakfast and lunch and dinner in January, is one of several Boston-based projects benefiting from proceeds of AHF’s sale of Boston’s Old City Hall.
“Historic Boston’s objective was to preserve and reuse a local historic building, support an entrepreneur, and help to strengthen the Upham’s Corner commercial district,” said Tony Lopes, Director of Real Estate of HBI. “This project checks all those boxes besides just being a great new place to eat.”
The loan from AHF was secured at a below-market fixed rate, refinancing a construction loan following the successful completion of work on the building earlier this year.
“When we sold Old City Hall, we knew we wanted to use a portion of the proceeds to fund the historic preservation projects in Boston’s neighborhoods,” said AHF President Sean McDonnell. “The chance to support community-based development made it an even more attractive opportunity for AHF’s board of directors and staff. We are proud to play a role in this exciting project and thrilled to support the good work of Historic Boston and Comfort Kitchen.”
Since 1966, AHF has been at the forefront of preserving and reactivating historic properties to stimulate community growth. AHF partners with public entities, nonprofit organizations, and private developers to find solutions for complicated historic preservation projects.
Cameron S. Merrill of the law firm Merrill & McGeary of Boston and Jason A. Panos of The Panos Law Group of Peabody were legal advisors on the transaction.
UPHAM’S CORNER COMFORT STATION
The former trolley system comfort station, a stucco 940-square-foot facility with full basement, underwent a $1.9 million historic rehabilitation with improvements that created Comfort Kitchen, a full-service café with dinner operations. The architect for Phase One of the development was Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning of Boston. Phase Two, including the restaurant design, was by Supernormal of Cambridge. The contractor was MJ Mawn, Inc.
The Upham’s Corner Comfort Station served Boston’s streetcar system and is near the MBTA’s Fairmount commuter rail line, as well as being within the City of Boston’s Upham’s Corner Main Street District. The building is a one-story stucco and tile “mission style” building built as a convenience station in 1912 to support the expanding streetcar system in Boston. It was designed by Dorchester architect William H. Besarick, who also designed the nearby municipal building at the corner of Columbia Road and Bird Street, as well as many triple-decker residences in the area.
The building is located on what was once part of the Dorchester North Burying Ground, which is listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places and within the cemetery’s Boston Landmark designation.
HBI is a nonprofit preservation and real estate organization that rehabilitates historic and culturally significant properties in Boston’s neighborhoods so they are a usable part of the city’s present and future.
HBI works with local partners to identify and invest in historic buildings and cultural resources whose reuse will catalyze neighborhood renewal. HBI acquires and redevelops historic structures and provides technical expertise, planning services and financing for rehabilitation projects. HBI projects demonstrate that preserving historic properties is economically viable and that they can be usable and functioning assets in a community.
As we prepare for our first holiday season at The Speedway, we realized that so much has happened since we shared our last project update here. Though it can often feel like progress is happening at a snail’s pace, in truth, SO much has happened in a few short months.
Here are a few key highlights:
First, we completed our move from Old City Hall to our new, beautiful office space here at the Speedway. We are thrilled to be part of this community in Brighton!
Next up: this summer, in the middle of a heat wave, Notch Brewing threw open their doors to the beer-loving public. The Upper Courtyard was transformed into a biergarten with tables and shade sails. (We are thankful that we had plans in place to make the courtyard a comfortable place, no matter the season.) If there’s one thing that we have learned from COVID, our outdoor spaces are incredibly important.
After a months-long application and selection process, we are thrilled to report that we have found tenants for all of our “Shops at the Stables” retail spaces. These six small-scale retail storefronts have always been intended to become home to a collection of unique local businesses, making the Speedway the unique, richly layered destination that we set out to create from day one. We are so thankful to our leasing partners, Graffito SP, for their invaluable help making these connections, and we are so excited to welcome the following businesses to the stalls.
NOW OPEN! The House of Art and Craft, Steysy Clark, a scented candle and aromatherapy shop.
NOW OPEN! Bellwether Salon, a one-chair hair boutique by veteran stylist Melinda Brandt.
NOW OPEN! Cambridge Art Association, a satellite gallery and workshop space offering art classes and programs.
OPENING SOON: The Koji Club, Boston’s first sake bar from sake sommelier Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale.
OPENING SOON: Hummus v’Hummus, a new “hummuseria” from Chef Avi Shemtov.
OPENING 2022: Tipping Cow Ice Cream, run by David Lindsey and Gerly Adrien.
OPENING 2022: Notch Provisions, a new culinary concept from the Notch Brewery team, featuring beer-friendly takeout options and merchandise.
OPENING 2022: Super Bien, a Latin American–inspired “grocery bar” concept from Melissa Stefanini, founder of Buenas.
We also welcomed two non-profit organizations – the Friends of Herter Park and the Fishing Academy – to the Speedway’s dedicated nonprofit office space. One of the key goals for the Speedway is to help facilitate the reconnection of the community to the broad recreational amenities of the Charles River, so we are particularly enthusiastic about the missions of the Friends of Herter Park and the Fishing Academy.
After a busy summer, we kicked things off with our first annual Labor Day Block Party at The Speedway, with live music, lawn games, and plenty of beer. Our tenants showed off their specialties and it felt SO good to welcome the world through The Speedway gates. A few weeks later, we welcomed many of our project partners to celebrate the official completion of the construction with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Garage B.
Rounding things out, we were so pleased to have the opportunity to talk about The Speedway as a historic preservation case study with Preservation Mass earlier this fall. AHF’s Kara Anderson and DCR’s Kevin Allen presented an in-depth look at the project, which can be viewed in whole here. We are hopeful that some of the lessons we learned over the course of the past few years prove to be useful to others seeking to take on a complex project of their own.
Last but not least, we are thrilled to share that the New England Real Estate Journal recognized the Charles River Speedway as their October project of the month, and we congratulate our partners at D.F. Pray and Bruner/Cott for this recognition.
There is so much more to come as we near the end of 2021 – but for now, we are feeling immensely grateful for all of our partners, tenants, and friends here at The Speedway. To progress! To preservation! To making things work and getting things done!
Architectural Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)3 dedicated to stimulating economic development in disinvested communities through historic preservation. Follow AHF and its projects on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The past few months have flown by, and The Speedway is almost ready to open! The site has changed so much since our New Year’s update: the courtyard has been made habitable, and the building interiors are well on their way there, too. Our anchor tenant, Notch Brewing, has started to outfit its space with machinery that wouldn’t be out of place in a steam-punk movie in preparation for its first small batches of Brighton-made beer. We’ve begun the process of moving our office from downtown Boston’s Old City Hall to The Speedway to be closer to the people we serve. Just last week, we introduced our newest vendor and put out a call for Allston-Brighton nonprofits to occupy a portion of the available office space. And soon we’ll announce an exciting group of creative operators who will fill the retail bays and help to turn The Speedway into the vibrant community gathering place we always envisioned it would be. Here’s a breakdown of the progress we made over the past four months:
1. Courtyard Is Complete
At long last, The Speedway’s courtyard looks like a space for people to have fun. Underground utilities, including a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly stormwater mitigation system, have been covered with gravel and beautifully patterned paving stones. A complex-wide sound system was installed to allow visitors to enjoy music while relaxing in the courtyard. Lamps and heaters were installed, ensuring year-round access to this outdoor area – a great idea during normal times that became absolutely critical in light of the pandemic. Speaking of accessibility, the decks, ramps, and handrails are ready for a steady stream of visitors of all ages and abilities. We’ve installed signage throughout the complex to orient visitors to the space and its history. All that’s left is for the beer garden furniture to arrive from Germany!
The Speedway courtyard near completion in April.Heaters will keep visitors comfortable on chilly nights in the courtyard.Dining, retail, work, and play – the new signage at The Speedway will help visitors find what they’re looking for.The Speedway’s signage will help visitors know where to go.
2. Notch Fit-Out
On April 22, The Speedway received an exciting delivery all the way from Vancouver: a control stand and brewing tanks for Notch’s Brighton location. This equipment brings much more than a steam-punk vibe to project. The control stand (left) regulates all process flow while turning grain into malt sugar before fermentation; the vertical cylindrical tanks (right, at left) are where the beer ferments; and the stacked cylindrical tanks (far right) are for lagering/ maturation. Once the beer is brewed, it will be served fresh in Notch’s new taproom, which is also nearing completion. The bar and seating area are under construction, and the space is being finished. We’re thrilled to see our anchor tenant’s space come together and look forward to seeing it bustle with activity in the months ahead.
Notch’s control stand survived a precarious journey strapped to a truck.Our first glimpse of Notch’s new brewing tanks.Notch’s brewing tanks are almost ready to start making beer.
3. Garage B at The Speedway
Introducing our event space, Garage B at The Speedway! The name for this 1940s-era garage was the subject of several intensive brainstorming sessions, during which we considered a range of possibilities, including The Annex and The Loft. But since the space is neither of these things, we settled for good, old historical authenticity. Garage B offers 3,300 sq ft of interior space and 1,700 sq ft of private courtyard space, and can accommodate up to 240 people. The building’s large garage doors open to the outside, providing the option of significant airflow for those taking extra COVID precautions. Now that Massachusetts is beginning to open up, we’re taking reservations for private, community, and corporate events for mid-June and beyond.
Though still a construction staging area, soon Garage B will open for a variety of events.In 1940, the Metropolitan District Commission never would have thought that its new garage would one day host wedding receptions.
4. Office Space Available
One thing the pandemic has taught us is that there’s no replacement for in-person interaction. Several office and co-working spaces are available to rent in Buildings F and G, which includes a shared conference room and kitchen area. Tenants will be able to take advantage of The Speedway’s high-speed internet, which will extend throughout the complex to serve the visiting public in the courtyard and events in Garage B. In keeping with the legislation that allowed AHF to lease the property from DCR, we’re offering 300 sq ft of heavily discounted office space to an Allston-Brighton nonprofit. And we recently announced that we’re moving our own offices from Boston’s Old City Hall to The Speedway to be closer to the communities we serve.
5. Retail Bays Are Ready
What once was a collection of horse stables and storage sheds is about to open for business. Our friends at Bruner/Cott and D.F. Pray preserved the rough, utilitarian character of the stalls by exposing wooden beams and leaving some walls unfinished to highlight the wood grain. To keep the barriers of entry low for our creative operators, we finished the retail bays so that they’re ready for occupancy and are offering flexible lease terms with both short and long commitment options to accommodate the uncertainty that comes with running a small business, particularly during the pandemic. We’re excited for the eclectic mix of tenants who will operate the stalls. Speaking of which…
6. New Tenant!
We’re trilled to welcome our first creative operator to The Speedway! Joining Notch at the complex will be Tipping Cow, a Somerville-based manufacturer of gourmet, allergen-free ice cream. We can’t wait to sample the dozens of delicious flavors that the folks at Tipping Cow have dreamed up (blueberry lime cheesecake, anyone?). All of the ice cream is peanut, tree-nut, and sesame-free, and there is a wide selection of vegan options, as well. We couldn’t be happier that Tipping Cow has chosen to open its second location at The Speedway.
Next month, The Speedway’s doors will open. We hope to see you there.
Architectural Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)3 dedicated to stimulating economic development in disinvested communities through historic preservation. Follow AHF and its projects on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
After a three-year strategic planning effort, the Architectural Heritage Foundation has rebranded as AHF, overhauled its website, and is in the process of relocating its offices from downtown Boston’s Old City Hall to the Charles River Speedway in Brighton. The changes reflect a shift away from historic property management to preservation-oriented development in under-resourced communities. AHF was fortunate to have the assistance of FireRock Marketing and Exponent Collaborative during the planning and rebranding process.
Speedway courtyard in January after snow. Courtesy of Jason Baker.
Over the five decades of AHF’s existence, the focus of historic preservationists has undergone a dramatic change. AHF pioneered adaptive reuse at a time when house museums dominated the preservation landscape and urban planners favored replacing historic structures with modern ones. In 1969, the organization redeveloped Boston’s Old City Hall into a thriving office and restaurant building, demonstrating that vacant historic properties could be reintegrated into the urban fabric. AHF managed Old City Hall for the next fifty years, during which time adaptive reuse grew increasingly popular as a community growth and empowerment strategy. While AHF occasionally departed from its primary role as a historic property manager to rehabilitate underutilized buildings, it was not until 1999, under the new leadership of Sean McDonnell, that the organization began to devote more attention to the trend it helped to initiate: stimulating economic development in disinvested places through historic preservation.
“This has been a long time coming,” says McDonnell of the rebranding. “The name Architectural Heritage Foundation no longer reflects the work we’ve been and are doing over the past two-plus decades to help communities ‘unstick’ preservation projects and generate economic development. People mistook us for an architectural firm or preservation philanthropy. We’ll always be the “Architectural Heritage Foundation” entirely, but referring to the organization consistently as AHF, not to mention the new website, will help us simplify and amplify our message as the go-to agency for historic preservation and economic development for critical community projects.”
Photos by Porter Gifford.
In addition to rebranding, AHF is moving its offices out of the basement of Old City Hall and into the newly rehabbed Charles River Speedway. This decision is partly an adaptation to the COVID economy, but also an effort to have a stronger presence in the communities AHF serves. Since 1969, Boston has experienced a surge in investment that has provided unprecedented resources for historic preservation downtown. In consequence, AHF has prioritized other parts of the city and the Commonwealth whose economies and historic resources are more vulnerable. The Speedway is the latest outcome of this shift in focus. Relocating to North Brighton will allow AHF to strengthen its ties with the local community while emphasizing its commitment making preservation an option of “first resort” in historically under-resourced areas.
“The field of preservation has grown so much since AHF was established, and we needed to rethink where we fit in” McDonnell observes. “A lot of people – from AHF Board members to our consultants – have helped us find our niche as a nonprofit developer and consultant. I’m incredibly grateful for their hard work and excited for the new chapter AHF has begun.”
March is finally here, but Massachusetts craft brewers are still struggling to reach the end of this long, cruel, pandemic winter. We reached out to a few brewpubs, tap rooms and breweries to find out how creativity, community and a getting a lot more beer into cans is helping them survive. Read the full story here.
