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The City of Boston announced a virtual planning meeting on August 12 for the Jackson Mann community center following the release of survey results about its uses.

Deputy Director for the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services Frank Mendoza-McCarthy announced the meeting in an email sent to neighbors on July 29. 

“The meeting will focus on the results of the survey to collect feedback about the future of the site, share data on BPS enrollment and demographic trends, and discuss options for the future of the site,” wrote Mendoza-McCarthy. 

Over 550 people responded to a survey conducted throughout June and early July to probe potential uses for the new Jackson Mann Community Center.

The survey results indicate that the community remains split on whether to prioritize housing or a public school in addition to a Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) community center. The option to maximize housing without a school gained the most votes (33.8%) while the option for a school but not housing followed closely behind with 30.4% of the votes.

A third option, which would offer some combination of housing and a school, was selected by 22.2% of respondents.

In terms of the type of housing, there was significant support for affordable units for both home rental and ownership (37.4% and 36.7% respectively). There was much less preference for market-rate rental and home ownership units — which hovered around 13% each.

The majority of respondents supported a public pool in the new BCYF community center. Furthermore, a plurality of respondents (42.1%) preferred to have the community center at 500 Cambridge Street compared to 21.4% who preferred the 40 Armington Street location. Nearly a third of respondents stated that they had no preference.

The survey follows the release of a feasibility study and public meeting in May. Through the study and meeting, the city laid out three options for different uses of the community center — including a combination of housing and school. 

Upon repeated calls for a long-term plan, the City laid out the first timelines for the different uses of a new Jackson Mann at its May 28 meeting. A BCYF community center with housing but no school would be expected to begin construction in summer 2030. 

At the meeting, the city did not explicitly state what the exact start date for construction would be if the BCYF community center also included a school. However, its timeline suggests that it would require partnership from the Massachusetts School Building Authority; based on the presented timeline, this school approval and design process could take over five years at minimum. 

The Jackson Mann formerly housed both a school and a BCYF community center in Allston-Brighton. Due to its deteriorating structure, BPS closed its K-8 school in 2021 and recommended the site for demolition. In the meantime, the community center is still functioning at a limited capacity.

In the email to residents, Mendoza-McCarthy reiterated that the City is working to reach a community consensus on the uses of the Jackson Mann by the end of 2026.