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Contact: Lydia Agro, Boston Housing Authority, 617-988-4109
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The Boston Housing Authority was recently awarded a “Community By Design” award by the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Awarded for its work to redevelop the Orchard Gardens development in Roxbury, the BHA was the only HOPE VI housing redevelopment effort to win an award this year.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work that went into the redevelopment of Orchard Gardens,” said BHA Administrator Sandra Henriquez. “We would not be here today without the hard work of BHA staff, the Orchard Gardens Resident Association, its developers and the many community organizations and partners that participated in this redevelopment. Orchard Gardens and the community surrounding it are truly revitalized. This project has made a world of difference.”
The Community By Design award recognizes the many years of resident input and community involvement in the Orchard Gardens redevelopment. The award points to the work residents and the BHA did to reach out to community organizations to facilitate the redevelopment of more than 100 abandoned lots and derelict buildings to re-knit the neighborhood fabric and integrate the public housing.
The BHA was one of five winners in three categories of 137 applicants nationwide. The Community By Design award is presented for projects that play an exemplary role in helping to revitalize the communities in which they are located by enhancing the community’s physical fabric. AIA and HUD also presented awards for Mixed-Use/Mixed-Income Development and the Alan J. Rothman Housing Accessibility Award.
The Orchard Gardens redevelopment project has helped to revitalize the surrounding community by providing residents with construction, management and maintenance jobs, integrating public housing units into the neighborhood and eliminating the isolation of poor families, rehabbing a vacant historic school building, reconfiguring a public park and working with the city to build its first new Community Learning Center on the site.
The BHA shares its award with Domenech Hicks & Krockmalnic, Inc., Cruz Development Corporation, Trinity Financial, Madison Park Development Corporation and the Orchard Gardens Resident Association.
The award was presented at the AIA National Convention to Hank Keating of the BHA and Fernando Domenech of DHK Architects on May 5, 2000.
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