Burbank Tenants Deliver Not-So-Sweet Valentine to Kargmans by Stephen Brophy with Their Landlords in Late January

MAR WWW.FENWAYNEWS.oRg 2011 FREE SERVING THE FENWAY, KENMORE SQUARE, UPPER BACK BAY, PRUDENTIAL, LONGWOOD AREA & MISSION HILL SINCE 1974 VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 FEBRUARY 26-APRIL 1, 2011 Burbank Tenants Deliver Not-So-Sweet Valentine to Kargmans BY STEPHEN BROPHY with their landlords in late January. The owners, William and Robert Kargman. So for the development. Struggling since last summer to keep the tenants offered several proposals but got only on January 17 they delivered a “valentine” And even tenants lucky enough to federal housing subsidies that make their units a tepid response. to the brothers that included signed petitions qualify for new, income-limited vouchers affordable, the Burbank Apartments Tenants After waiting three weeks they decided from more than half the tenants and more under the Kargman plan end up exposed to Association (BATA) finally won a meeting to pursue a more visible interaction with the than 350 community members, as well as new risks. If a tenant’s income rises above support letters from more than 20 groups and program limits, for example, they lose the institutions. (You can see one of the letters on voucher—and even if a later event like a lay- page 4.) They were so visible Led by Esperanza Spalding, Fenway Music that they made Channel 5 news. For the Valentine delivery, Schools Take Home Seven Grammy Awards the BATA tenants were joined Berklee and New England Conservatory As a jazz bassist, Spalding was a long shot, by Fenway neighbors, tenants grads and faculty took home a collective competing against the likes of Justin Bieber, from Chinatown, Jamaica seven awards across a range of categories Drake, Florence and the Machine, and Plain, and Roslindale, and at the 2011 Grammy Awards, announced on Mumford and Sons. Spalding has served as representatives from the Boston February 18. a Berklee faculty member and regularly visit Tenant Coalition, Chinese The highest-profile winner was the campus. Progressive Association, Esperanza Spalding ’05, who surprised Other Berklee alumni who carried away City Life/Vida Urbana, and observers with her win for Best New Artist. awards included Clay Cook ’98, member of Massachusetts Alliance of the Zac Brown Band, which won for Best HUD Tenants. BATA has also Esperanza Spalding: Country Collaboration with Vocals for the received strong support from Berklee grad, critical song “As She’s Walking Away”; Ruslin Sirota city, state, and federal elected darling, and surprise ’03 and Hiromi Uehara ’03 of the Stanley officials. Grammy winner. Clarke Band, for Best Contemporary Jazz The Kargmans want to opt Tenants held a banner while their colleagues delivered Album; producer Makeba Riddick ’99 and out of the Department of Hous- petitions calling on the owners of the Burbank Apartments engineers/mixers Brent Kolatalo ’03 and ing & Urban Development’s not to abandon a federal affordable-housing program. Ken Lewis ’91 for their work on Eminem’s (HUD) project-based Section 8 program, off or reduction in hours drops their income Recovery, which won Best Rap Album; and which covers about 40% of the development’s back below the cut-off, they can’t re-qualify. cellist Eugene Friesen, a member of the apartments. Additionally, a mortgage that con- Beyond that, funding for the voucher program Berklee faculty, for Best New Age Album tains restrictions imposed by HUD will expire is renewed yearly and has become an enticing for his performance as a member of the Paul this spring. The 173 units, located in seven target for grandstanding “deficit hawks” in Winter Consort on the album Miho: Journey East Fens buildings, have been afforeably Washington. to the Mountain. priced for 40 years and represent nearly 10% After inconclusive conversations with Musicians from the New England of all affordable housing in the neighborhood. the owners, the tenants and their supporters Conservatory also carried home awards. The The Kargmans contend that current declared their concerns publicly outside the Parker Quartet (Daniel Chong and Karen tenants will be protected under their plan to Kargmans’ Tremont Street office at the Janu- Kim, violinists; Jessica Bodner, violist; and prepay the mortgage, which will allow HUD to ary 17 event. Included in the delivery were Kee-Hyun Kim, cello) received a Grammy offer eligible tenants “enhanced vouchers” to letters from Berklee College of Music, the for Best Chamber Music Performance for a subsidize their rents. Huntington Avenue YMCA, and the Fenway recording of the Ligeti String Quartets No. 1 Yet these vouchers will only be available Community Development Corporation. and 2/Andante and Allegretto. to those tenants, not future renters. Teachers, The tenants argued that the owners should Also, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery— human-service workers, and others who renew their commitment for three reasons: who studied in NEC’s Thelonious Monk provide essential services but earn only low to First, the Kargmans can maintain Institute and then got a master’s in jazz per- moderate incomes—the classic profile of the affordability and still earn full profits through formance—shared in the Grammy honors for buildings’ residents since the 1970s—could a HUD program that guarantees them market- Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard, which no longer afford to move there. The owners’ rate rents on project-based Section 8 units. won as the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. decision would ultimately end affordability Second, the brothers have benefitted from millions of dollars in public money thanks to HUD’s subsidy of the original mortgage. Tenants argue that they have contributed to With Roots in Mission Hill and an Eye on the the value of Burbank Apartments as taxpayers and as residents who have actively improved Future, Greenidge Signs on to Run Mike Ross’s Staff the neighborhood. “I have lived at Burbank BY STEPHEN BROPHY, EDITOR and college students who wanted to help to stay in the city and get more people of Apartments my whole life,” says tenant ate last month City Councilor Mike mentor the next generation of leaders for color involved in the civic process. But at Ronald Brankley. “My mother and I invested a Ross’s office announced that a new Boston—we worked closely with students on the moment they are both enthused about lot in this community.” chief of staff had been hired. In that the road to college and beyond.” the food-trucks initiative that is working Finally, the owners’ decision affects not notice Ross enthused “I am thrilled After college its way through only current tenants, but also thousands of po- L Greenidge went to city government. tential Fenway residents. If the Kargmans opt to have George Greenidge as the newest member of my team. He has worked tirelessly work for the Boston “Mike’s really out as planned, the apartments themselves will to bring people together to change our city Foundation as a excited about no longer be subsidized. So even if a current for the better. His energy and enthusiasm program officer. “I this—he wants tenant gets a voucher, once that tenant moves will be an asset to my office, and to the entire gave out grants to to get many out, the affordability goes, too—forever. district.” This made me curious. non-profit groups and different kinds of “This is about much more than one Last week I sat down with Greenidge in social entrepreneurs,” food out to where owner’s preferences; this is about the long- the City Hall office he shares with Councilor her remembers. This people are in their term affordability of the neighborhood and Ross and asked him a few questions about his overlapped with his neighborhoods. the city,” says Joanne McKenna, president of background and his plans for the future. Right serving as chair of the We just had the Fenway CDC board of directors. “Taking off the mark he wanted Fenway News readers Boston Empowerment a hearing on away 10% of the neighborhood’s affordable to know about one of his Fenway connections. Zone, during which Tuesday [Feb housing is a particularly nasty game of musi- “My father has been a Fenway sausage vendor he helped to “disburse 15] where cal chairs, except it’s no game; it’s people’s since 1985—you can always find him outside $27 million to the most we reviewed homes and lives. We don’t want a neighbor- the Cask & Flagon during the season. I grew economically challenged with various hood that working people can’t afford.” up at Fenway Park—Cask & Flagon was my neighborhoods departments— Sarah Horsley of the Fenway CDC second home.” from 2000-2010 for Public Works, contributed substantially to this article. Greenidge also lived with his father development and job police, fire, (who is still on Mission Hill) during his creation.” Inspectional college years, 1988-93. “I got to see how This led to his appointment to the Services, and the Mayor’s Office—about the rich a community can be in its diversity,” Citizen’s Committee for Boston’s Future, a logistics involved. he remembers. “I was also involved in the two-year project during which Greenidge and “What the Councilor is looking for are nightlife of Lansdowne St—Venus de Milo Ross became much more friendly based on smart entrepreneurs who can make the most Vote and Axis—not to mention the Rat in Kenmore their mutual agreement about the direction of this opportunity. We want the trucks to Square.” of the city. “We developed a good working arrive in the spring—they apply for different During his college years, Greenidge got relationship, and then I became his chief of routes, and can have early morning and late his start in community organizing, when he staff in January—this has been one of the most night routes as well as afternoon.

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