Tag: Roxbury

  • Cruz Development’s One Waverly project secures state funding

    With walls sprayed with graffiti and trash lining the street nearby, a dilapidated structure sits on 1 Waverly St. in Roxbury. What had once been a movie theater from the 1940s through the 1970s was converted into a Church of God of Prophecy Inc. site and utilized as a place of worship for more than 20 years. 

    Five years ago, the church sold the building due to increasing maintenance costs, and it sat in a state of significant disrepair with parts of the roof collapsing and water leaking. 

    Since then, Cruz Development Corporation bought the site, seeing an opportunity to transform it into affordable housing for Roxbury.

    Now, the One Waverly project is moving one step closer to completion after the company received about $2 million each in state tax credits and additional subsidies through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits program, according to Cruz Companies.

    The funding is in addition to $5.2 million the project received in September from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing, according to officials.

    “It’s been a blighted building for a very long time,” said Daniel Cruz Jr., the company’s senior vice president. “[Residents] want to see something happen on the site since it’s been … an eyesore. They’re looking forward to us putting up a brand new building.”

    The proposed project would include 52 units of affordable housing dedicated to households earning less than 60 percent average median income and over 3,800 square feet of commercial space.

    Funding for affordable housing is very competitive, and the process can be arduous, said Stephen Donovan, the city’s housing development project manager of One Waverly. 

    “This project has a lot of momentum right now,” said Donovan. “There’s a critical need for restricted affordable housing in Boston.”

    Cruz said the neighborhood’s demographics suggest the same. 

    “A lot has to do with what the neighborhood is looking for,” Cruz said, “We try to come up with something that we believe will be strongly supported by the neighborhood that we choose to do a development in.” 

    Construction is projected to start in early 2027, according to Cruz, with an approximate 20-month building time. 

    Cruz Companies is a third-generation, family-run and 100 percent Black-owned enterprise that works on multiple types of projects, including affordable and mixed-income transactions and rentals.

    Cruz said the company had multiple meetings with neighborhood groups and have received support for the complex.

    The current site of 1 Waverly, the former Church of God of Prophecy Inc. (Stephanie Ahn photos).

    Lorraine Payne Wheeler, the chair of the Roxbury Path Forward Neighborhood Association, said she supports the project but explained that not all affordable housing endeavors have had positive impacts in Roxbury. 

    If rentals are 100 percent affordable for mostly low-income residents, then, she said, that does not leave much for people in the middle. Those residents struggle to choose between extremely expensive and restricted low-income housing, said Wheeler in an interview.

    “Many groups of people need assistance with housing because it’s so expensive. But I think you reach a saturation point. We’ve been pushing for more affordable home ownership rather than rentals,” Wheeler said.

    Wheeler and other neighbors said they are optimistic about the Waverly project due to the location and income flexibility for residents. Wheeler cited the sliding fee, housing opportunities to different people and the project’s attractiveness to neighbors.

    “We’re hopeful that this building will serve everybody in the neighborhood,” said Wheeler. 

    Cruz Development has said the project will include other appealing amenities and green space. 

    The current run-down courtyard in the middle of the buildings will be transformed into an open space with picnic tables and chairs for residents to enjoy.

    The company is projecting the building to be open to rent to residents in early 2029.

  • BPD officer charged with manslaughter in shooting death of Dorchester man last week

    BPD officer charged with manslaughter in shooting death of Dorchester man last week

    A Boston police officer charged with manslaughter after he shot and killed a Dorchester man suspected in an apparent carjacking in Roxbury last week was released on personal recognizance after his arraignment Thursday.

    The officer, Nicholas O’Malley, 33, of West Roxbury, pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge in Roxbury Municipal Court. He left court with his family and is on paid leave, said Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association.

    Officer O’Malley and his attorney, Kenneth H. Anderson, during the arraignment on March 19, 2026. Truman Dickerson photo.

    O’Malley fatally shot Stephenson King, 39, of Dorchester, on March 11 after King allegedly tried to flee during a alleged carjacking pursuit in Roxbury shortly before 10 p.m. O’Malley’s attorney, Kenneth H. Anderson, told the court that O’Malley feared for another officer’s life and fired three shots at King during the encounter.

    But Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum told the court that body camera footage and the testimony of an eyewitness showed that “Mr. King was trying to drive away” when O’Malley fired the shots.

    “Neither officer was in the path of the car or being in danger of being struck by it at the time,” Polumbaum said.

    Polumbaum asked Judge Steven Kim to set bail at $25,000, while Anderson asked that O’Malley be released on personal recognizance. 

    As a condition of his release, O’Malley will have to surrender any firearms, according to court records. 

    Prior to the encounter, King allegedly stole a woman’s car after assaulting her and ordering her out of the car, according to a criminal complaint. He was unarmed and “did show the officers his hands at times” but did not shut off the vehicle or unlock the doors, according to the complaint.

    Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden (right) and Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum spoke to reporters after the arraignment in Roxbury Trial Court on March 19, 2026. Truman Dickerson photo.

    Speaking to reporters after the arraignment, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office will not release body camera footage of the incident to the public. He also said his office will show evidence to a grand jury and pursue the manslaughter charge in Suffolk Superior Court, although that has not happened yet.

    Some 50 BPD officers were present in the courtroom during the arraignment. Calderone, of the patrolmen’s association, said a Boston police officer has not been arrested and charged in connection with an officer involved shooting in at least 30 years. 

    “I’ve been involved in probably 100 or more police shootings. This is the first one anyone’s ever been arrested,” said Anderson, O’Malley’s attorney.

    Anderson and Calderone took exception to the nature of O’Malley’s arrest at his home this morning, claiming that he would have willingly brought himself to a police station or court to face charges.

    “This is election year tactics,” Anderson added, appearing to reference this year’s district attorney election.

    Hayden disputed that charge, saying the evidence was clear that King was not driving towards O’Malley or the other officer on scene when O’Malley fired the shots.

    “This has nothing to do with public opinion, has nothing to do with politics,” Hayden said. “This has to do with us following the facts and the applicable law.”

    City Councilors Miniard Culpepper and Brian Worrell, in a joint statement issued Thursday, thanked Hayden’s office for “their swift action” in filing charges against O’Malley.

    “As elected city officials, it is our responsibility to build bridges between our community and law enforcement, and transparency is the foundation on which that trust is built,” the councillors wrote.

    Calderone was visibly angry at times as he spoke to reporters outside the courthouse. He said Polumbaum and “whomever else is involved in this investigation” are “jumping to conclusions” and scapegoating O’Malley. 

    O’Malley “was in fear of his partner’s life,” Calderone said. “Just because the camera shows an officer on the other side of the car, with the totality of the circumstances that were taking place, does not mean that the other officer had him in his vision.”

  • ICE agents spotted in Jamaica Plain, other neighborhoods

    Immigrant and Customs Enforcement agents were allegedly spotted in Forest Hills recently, and one person was “pulled off the street” in Roslindale Square, according to City Councilor Benjamin Weber, who spoke at the Boston Police Department’s District E-13 community meeting recently.

    Weber said while he was unsure about the Forest Hill sighting, the Roslindale incident on the morning of Feb. 5 came from “credible” sources.

    Their statements align with other reports of ICE agents in the Boston area in recent weeks.

    Last month, state Senator Liz Miranda, whose district includes Jamaica Plain,  highlighted on her Instagram page “rumors” of impending ICE raids in Roxbury and Dorchester, with a focus on members of the Cape Verdean community.

    She shared a list of “trusted organizations,” key contacts for legal aid and information to help those impacted know their rights.

    “To our immigrant neighbors and families. You have rights, no matter your immigration status,’’ the post said,  “You are not powerless. You are not alone.”

    The Jamaica Plain Gazette reached out to Miranda’s office for comment but did not hear back by press time.

    At the District E-13 meeting, Boston Police Lieutenant Warren J. Hoppie told the virtual gathering of 15 residents that the department does not receive information from federal agencies working in Boston and that information is only provided by residents calling the police.

    “We want you to call if you see a violation of state law or violation of city ordinance,” Hoppie said. “If you’re in fear of your safety or something else’s safety, please call us.”

    Michael Reiskind, a member of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, also said he was informed about the Roslindale incident and that ICE agents left the resident’s car blocking the street with the keys left inside.

    Reiskind said that the council has been informed of possible ICE activity in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in JP.

    Police said they have not heard anything about ICE sightings from officers who usually circle the area to look for unhoused people.

    Many neighborhoods, including Jamaica Plain, have watchers who train for spotting and alerting community members of ICE sightings through whistles and other means.

    Carla-Lisa Caliga, a volunteer “watcher” who said she monitors ICE activity in her community, raised questions at the meeting about how she could otherwise help her community.  

    Caliga said that the watcher organization saw what appeared to be ICE vehicles in Hyde Park, Roslindale and JP.

    “I’m one of the people that potentially can be arrested by ICE, and I was born in Boston, because I am not going to back down from them. I’m not going to attack them, but I am a watcher,” Caliga said, “We are getting whistles.”

  • Black History Month celebrations in a time of erasure

    Worshipers celebrate Black History Month service at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury on Feb.15. Credit: Jiaxu Liu

    While Black History Month is observed this year in Boston and beyond, the Trump administration has taken actions that many say attempt to erase aspects of Black and other histories. 

    In January, the administration directed the National Park Service to remove an exhibit on slavery from a site in Philadelphia. Last year, the president issued multiple executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion policies on college campuses and workplaces. In response, this year’s Black History Month celebrations have taken on an added tone of determination and resistance.

    As organizers prepare for Women’s History Month next month and Asian-American and Pacific Islander heritage month in May, those celebrations are also taking on new meaning this year.

    During a recent service at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, ministers and worshipers said preserving and sharing Black history is more important than ever.

    “This is definitely a time where we’re doubling down,” said Isaiah Briggs, a minister of the Twelfth Baptist Church during a recent interview. “We’re saying …you know our history. Although they’re trying to erase it, you can’t erase the legacy and the way that it’s impacted us today.”

    He said it’s important that the church and others who celebrate Black History “keep this history alive” and that they can no longer rely on the government “to preserve our stories.”

    “We as the community, and particularly as a church, have a sacred obligation to not just preserve the stories, but to tell them to the next generation in a way that can encourage them, [empower and guide] them in a time [when it’s most needed],” said Briggs.  

    The church has taken on a recent effort, by introducing a “luncheon storytelling” program that allows senior members to take the stage and share their personal experiences. One speaker described participating in bus boycotts in Alabama; another recalled attending segregated schools in Massachusetts, where she had to walk through white neighborhoods to reach the high school where her mother worked cleaning the bathrooms. Others described life in the segregated South, where Black customers were prohibited from trying on shoes before purchasing them. 

    “I do think that Black folks and communities are always going to create a way,” said Dzidzor Azaglo, an artist and activist who helps organize the storytelling luncheon. “They’re always going to build what we need. We’re always going to contribute and speak out of the type of world that we want to live in.”

    During the February service, Bodrick emphasized that reflecting on Black history is also a way to confront present-day inequalities and work toward a more just future.

    “We [have to] keep speaking to the ancestors, so we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past, so we don’t misdiagnose the problems of the present, so we don’t shrink our imagination because the God we serve is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we can ask,” Bodrick said.

  • Annual JP Open Streets

    Local businesses, organizations, food vendors and musicians assembled on Jamaica Plain’s Centre Street last week in celebration of Boston’s last Open Street festival of the season.

    The city closed Centre Street from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Jackson Square and Soldier’s Monument, according to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office.

    The Open Street program began with three neighborhoods in 2022, six years after Open Newbury in 2016, the region’s first neighborhood event. This year’s series began in July with events in Roxbury, followed by Hyde Park, Dorchester and Mattapan before concluding in Jamaica Plain.

    In all, the Open Streets event has attracted more than 30,000 people to various neighborhoods, according to Ginger Brown, executive director of JP Centre/South Main Streets.

    Franklin Park Defenders, a community action group, used the street festival to raise awareness about its opposition to the city’s proposed sports complex at White Stadium.

    “These are the opportunities we have to meet people [and] talk to people,” said Melissa Hamel, a volunteer with the Franklin Park Defenders, an organization that lobbies city officials to restore White Stadium as a public space, rather than proceed with a for-profit establishment.

    Michelle Davis, a Franklin Park Defenders volunteer who grew up in the area, said the city neglects Franklin Park because it is surrounded by minority communities.

    Organizers divided the festival into three zones separated by intersections, which allowed traffic to pass through. Zone 1 stretched from Jackson Square to Moraine/Boylston Street, Zone 2 extended to Green Street, and Zone 3 concluded at Soldier’s Monument, according to a map provided by the city.

    The Stop & Shop near the Jackson Square MBTA station offered free fruit, water and granola bars.

    “We’re doing everything we can,” said Cindy Sailer, the store’s community relations specialist, responding to recent cuts to the federal food stamp program.

    Brown said Open Streets enriches Jamaica Plain’s community spirit, along with year-round events such as dance classes, farmers markets and other community events. According to Niche, a website that profiles neighborhoods and schools, Jamaica Plain is the third best neighborhood to raise a family in Boston.

    Northeastern graduate students Krithika Krishnamurkhy and Tanvi Kandalla are new members of the Jamaica Plain community who visited Open Street for the first time last week. They said it helped acclimate them to the neighborhood.

    “It was nice to go and sort of interact with a bunch of people who live here and meet them,” said Kandalla, who bought chicken wings from Cambridge Smoke, which, according to Instagram @cambridgesmoke, specializes in smoked meats, barbecue, Southern and Haitian cuisines.

    Replenish Scrubs owner Shaneen Harris offered visitors samples of organic body scrubs. Harris began creating the products in 2018. Her products include lavender vanilla, peppermint tea tree and sweet orange lemon scents, according to @replenish_scrubs on Instagram.

    “You create a buzz,” said Harris, describing Open Streets’ benefit to businesses.

    Families were able to use sidewalk chalk, take swings in batting nets set up by the Boston Red Sox, and participate in live painting classes combined with music from At Peace Arts.

    Brown said the Open Street event served its purpose by bringing people together.

    “What tends to happen is we isolate ourselves to the neighborhood we live in,” she said, “so if folks walk a bit further, they could discover something new.”

  • What to know about Bluebikes’ expansion in Dot, Mattapan, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain

    By Madyline Swearing

    Boston’s bike share system is expanding throughout Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, with 20 new Bluebikes stations to be installed in those neighborhoods. City officials hosted an open house on Oct. 1 at the Marshall Community Center, where residents reviewed proposed site maps and offered feedback on potential station sites (see map below for specific locations).

    Here’s a look at the details of the initiative.

    What is Bluebikes, and how does it work?

    Bluebikes is a publicly owned bike share system that lets anyone rent bikes from docking stations. The system operates in 13 municipalities and has 337 stations in Boston.

    Payment plans include 30-minute rides for $2.95, $10 day passes, monthly and annual memberships. Passes and memberships can be bought on the Bluebikes app and website, or at a station kiosk.

    Boston saw 2.6 million Bluebikes trips in 2024, 11 percent of which started in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain.

    What is the Bluebikes expansion plan?

    Last year, Mayor Wu and the Boston Streets Cabinet — consisting of the Public Works and Transportation departments — announced plans to add 100 new Bluebikes stations throughout Boston’s neighborhoods to meet a rising demand.

    This is all part of Go Boston 2030, the city’s transportation plan to improve safety, expand access, and reduce emissions. Launched in 2017, the project’s initiatives have included extending MBTA service hours, building neighborhood “slow streets,” and ensuring each household in Boston is within a 10-minute walk of a public bike share station. About 89 percent of households meet that criteria, according to the Streets Cabinet.

    “The objective is to make it convenient and reliable for people to get around the city by bike,” said Boston Bikes Director Kim Foltz. “Biking is a sustainable and affordable form of transportation and is a good connection to other transit.”

    What has already been done?

    The expansion has been implemented in phases, beginning with the MBTA Red Line diversion in 2023. The first phase involved the addition of eight new bike stations in Dorchester and Mattapan, and 31 docks were added to existing stations.

    Since last year, the city has received more than 2,600 comments offering feedback on proposed bike station sites, compiled from open houses, emails, and survey responses. So far, nearly 80 of the 100 new stations have been installed across the Beacon Hill, Downtown, South Boston and Allston neighborhoods, to name a few.

    Where is the project now?

    The initiative is in its fourth phase, focused on adding 20 new Bluebikes stations throughout Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. The Streets Cabinet aims to install two to four stations in Dorchester, two to four in Jamaica Plain, two to five in Mattapan, and four to seven in Roxbury.

    Boston Bike Share Planner Louisa Gag said proposed sites were chosen for their visibility, clearance of utilities, and potential accessibility for a Bluebikes service van. Gag said it is a priority to put docking sites within half a mile of an MBTA station.

    Other requirements include access to at least four hours of sunlight each day, to charge the sun-powered docking computers, and ensuring sites leave at least 5 feet of sidewalk space for pedestrians and 1.5 feet of clearance from the street curb. Off-street sites were favored overall, as they don’t disturb parking and don’t need to be removed for snowplows in the winter.

    Sites may be installed on public or private property, which can include plazas, residential neighborhoods, sidewalks, parking lanes, and libraries.

    Residents are invited to attend open houses where they can review maps of potential docking locations, offer feedback and ask questions. There will be two events in Mattapan this month, on Oct. 28 at the Mattapan Library and on Oct. 30 via Zoom.

    Feedback forms will be offered in person at each open house or can be accessed on the city website until Oct. 31.

    What is the timeline for the project?

    The Streets Cabinet will accept suggestions for new bike stations until Oct. 31. They will be reviewed and considered over four weeks. Site lists will be narrowed, and permits will be filed. Installation is expected to begin in January.

    What other programs does Boston Bikes offer?

    Boston Bikes offers community workshops like adult bike lessons, youth biking programs, and community ride events. Cyclists can arrange to have their bikes repaired at no cost or learn how to fix them independently during community workshop events.

    Discounted bike passes and e-bikes are available for residents, new riders and those who are income-eligible.


    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on October 17, 2025.

  • Domingos DaRosa eschews funds in his long-shot mayoral challenge

    Domingos DaRosa stands on the corner of Dudley and Burrell streets, and it seems as if everybody in Roxbury knows him. Friends, family, and strangers yell to him on the sidewalk, across the street and even from their cars. “They love you, Domingos,” said a passerby standing outside Ideal Sub Shop.

    DaRosa is hoping to convert that goodwill into votes for his first bid for mayor of Boston. 

    A near-lifelong Boston resident, the 47-year-old DaRosa moved from Cape Verde to Boston with his family when he was 10 months old and grew up with part of his home in Dorchester and the other in Roxbury. 

    “Growing up here, we had nothing,” he said, “so we built a community with the community. Being Cape Verdean in a community, we were so diverse. Spanish, Black, Cape Verdeans, you name it…all the kids in the neighborhood, we all hung out together.”

    DaRosa, the father of four, owns a landscaping business and volunteers as a coach with the Boston Bengals Pop Warner football program. He launched his campaign on Feb. 2 of this year with a simple post to his Facebook account: “I’ll be running for the mayor seat in Boston.”

    This is not his first city campaign. He ran unsuccessfully for City Council at-large seats in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

    His campaign manager, Sharon Hinton, said she was surprised with DaRosa’s decision to run for mayor.

    “I’m not going to lie. When I first thought about it, I was like, ‘Seriously, mayor?’” said Hinton, who campaigned for DaRosa during his 2021 venture. “I was thinking about who he was coming up against.”

    DaRosa is one of three challengers who made the ballot to challenge Mayor Wu, with Josh Kraft, son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and East Boston resident Robert Capucci being the other two. The four will face off in the preliminary municipal election Sept. 9 to determine which two candidates appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

    Hinton was initially deterred by the lack of funding for DaRosa’s campaign, noting his disadvantage in that respect compared to some of the other candidates. But, that helped to inspire his campaign slogan, “For the people — not the money.”

    Said DaRosa: “I have no money, and I don’t want it, I don’t need it, I don’t care for it, and I don’t think I need it to be able to achieve my goal.”

    While he is raising small dollar donations, he mainly depends on volunteer labor. Hinton isn’t paid for her efforts; one of the students he coaches in the Pop Warner program designed his campaign website; and friends and family members helped to gather the 3,000 signatures necessary to get his name on on the ballot. 

    Natalya Bethel, a DaRosa supporter, used to pick up needles with DaRosa at Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, an area with a history of rampant substance abuse.

    “You have to get a mayor that really cares about the city for the city to improve,” Bethel said, “to clean up that mess, to clean up the violence.”

    For DaRosa, substance abuse in the Mass. and Cass area has long been a problem for him and his Pop Warner program. “I had 300 kids on my football program, and the last season I had, I was barely able to get 30 kids on the field,” he said, citing parents’ concerns with substance abuse on the Clifford Park field in Roxbury. 

    He noted that a 9-year-old player from the Pop Warner program was pricked by a hypodermic needle while running laps in 2022.

    For 15 years, DaRosa has tried in his own way to alleviate the issue by picking up needles throughout Clifford Park and in and around Mass. and Cass.

    In 2020, he moved to raise awareness about the issue by dumping used hypodermic needles outside former Gov. Charlie Baker’s home in Swampscott, which resulted in a court order forbidding him to be within 100 yards of Baker’s residence thereafter.

    As mayor, DaRosa says he’d reopen Long Island, a city-owned facility that housed homeless people and offered addiction treatments until 2014, when the bridge to the harbor island was deemed unsafe. A prolonged and ongoing legal battle between Quincy and Boston has been one major reason that the island — which is owned by Boston— has not been re-used.

    DaRosa says he doesn’t want to rebuild the bridge. He wants to use boats to ferry people and supplies to the island. “Once someone is on the island,” he said, “there’s no way for them to go get the drugs or the paraphernalia they need.”

    He is also against consumption sites in Boston — except for those on Long Island. 

    Some of his other priorities, DaRosa says, include affordable housing, after-school programs and resources for students, public safety initiatives that address illegal substance distribution and gun violence, and direct communication with Immigration Customs and Enforcement. 

    “Wu has no input on how ICE comes into the city,” he said. “They just do what they want to do, and who suffers? Everybody.”

    DaRosa said he wants a more humane detention process for undocumented immigrants. At the same time, he said he believes in prioritizing legal residents and undocumented individuals who are making an effort to obtain legal status.

    “For those who come illegally, we will aid you in finding a way of becoming legal,” he said, “but we’re not going to harbor you, to say, ‘We’re going to hide you among the rest of the people,’ while the rest of the people are the ones taking the collateral damage. That’s not fair to the greater good.”  

    He also offered another point: “I’m the only one on stage that’s an immigrant, remember that. I’m the only one that’s a survivor of BPS. I’m the only one that’s a survivor of gun violence, I’m the only one that has been fighting Mass. and Cass without a political view, just to help the human who’s struggling.”