At a time when men of their vintage would be seeking greater leisure, Cecil and Kenneth Guscott have just launched a major real estate development project for Dudley Square. They well remember the time when Dudley Square was a thriving commercial area. One suspects that the Guscotts are on a mission to rebuild the major center of Roxbury. That is indeed a mission that community residents as well as public authorities should embrace, especially now with the dedication of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building.
Dudley Square fell victim over the years to multiple changes in social organization. Decades ago small movie theatres were located around the city. They were conveniently within walking distance for residents. The Roxbury and the Rivoli theatres were in Dudley Square. With the growth of cinema multiplexes local attendance declined and both were later demolished to become parking lots. For a short period after the Roxbury closed it was repurposed as Blairs Foodland but competition from the chains eventually forced it to close.
Timothy Smith’s and Woolworths were multilevel department stores that thrived, along with smaller five- and 10-cent stores until the development of the shopping malls. The elevated train would carry shoppers seeking bargains on a short ride from downtown Boston. But after the Dudley Square commerce died, the elevated railway was removed to open Washington Street for future development.
The Guscotts lived through all of the changes and retained a steadfast vision of Dudley Square becoming aesthetically developed due to of its strategic location. With the creation of the Bolling Municipal Building from the façade of Ferdinand’s store, the Guscott proposal offers an opportunity for the renaissance of Dudley Square.
Time is of the essence. Official reviews of the Guscott proposal should be expedited so that the necessary additional development in Dudley Square can be completed. The Guscott project is an actuarial race against time.
