Housing for Jesuits being constructed on Foster St.

Boston College’s development of the Brighton Campus continues with the construction of Jesuit housing now in progress on Foster Street.

“The construction on Foster Street began in the late fall and is designed […] to house the Jesuit community that had resided in Cambridge at Weston Jesuit School of Theology prior to the re-affiliation [with Boston College],” said Jack Dunn, Director of the Boston College Office of News and Public Affairs.

These buildings, which will house between 60 and 70 Jesuit students and faculty, are being funded by the Society of Jesus, though the property itself belongs to Boston College.

The 65-acre Brighton campus was purchased by Boston College from the Archdiocese of Boston for a total of $172 million, and the Jesuit housing will sit on nearly five acres located at 192 Foster Street (valued at $4.6 million by the Boston Assessing Department).

“The thought was that building a new facility would be in the best interests of everyone.  The Jesuits quite frankly deserve it.  So we’re excited about the prospect of having that new facility completed and it will further enhance the already excellent reputation of the School of Theology and Ministry,” said Dunn, who affirmed that the buildings would be owned by, and always house, Jesuits.

Dunn said that, at community meetings, neighbors were pleased that the buildings would house Jesuits.  “In many ways you couldn’t possibly get better neighbors,” he explained.

Some of the proposals in Boston College’s Institutional Master Plan, however, have not been so pleasing to Brighton neighbors.  Brighton Neighbors United, the organization responsible for the familiar yellow “Preserve Our Neighborhood” lawn signs, states on its website that “no dormitories on the former Archdiocese property” ought to be built.

In fact, the Boston Redevelopment Authority has approved the Boston College Institutional Master Plan with everything except the proposed dormitories to house 500 students.  “We would have to go back to the city to secure approval for those beds before we could construct them,” explained Dunn.

Dunn believes that eventually Brighton neighbors will agree BC’s plan is in everyone’s best interest: “BC’s a good neighbor.  We do a remarkable job of maintaining our property to the highest possible standards.  I think they’ll see the benefits of a campus that has a mix of academic, intramural and, we hope eventually, residential life.”

Boston College has held community meetings with the Allston Brighton Community Task Force since 2004.   Since the approval by the Boston Redevelopment Authority early last year, no further meetings have been held with the community because of the summer season and fall election period.  However, meetings are scheduled to begin this spring as Boston College continues to inform local residents about the progress of the Institutional Master Plan.

In the meantime, Boston College students can expect construction to continue on both the Brighton campus and the Chestnut Hill campus.  The first building to be constructed on lower campus will be a dormitory at the current site of More Hall, currently home to administrative offices.

On middle campus, Stokes Common will be built first, with construction possibly beginning as soon as late 2010 or 2011.  Stokes Common, between Lyons Hall and McElroy Commons, will “be an academic building with upwards of 160,000 to 175,000 square feet that will include classrooms, offices for humanities faculty, academic advising, and student formation,” said Dunn.

Though the debate about housing on the Brighton Campus continues, there is no doubt that BC students will soon start seeing new buildings around campus.

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