Small changes on Everett Street

Almost 1 1/2 years ago, Harvard spent $16 million to purchase 176 Lincoln Street. The building still sits empty, and other than the rumor that Harvard might want to relocate the WBZ studios to this building, there is no suggestion that anything productive will happen in this building in the foreseeable future.

So my reaction is mixed to seeing Harvard installing large murals on the Everett Street side of the building. The images are nice and the historic factoids are interesting, but this project is sort of like the new trees and sidewalks on Western Ave. These modest improvements are improvements, but they don't address the larger and more fundamental problems that exist. The real problem with 176 Lincoln Street is that the building sits empty and adds to the neighborhood's ghost town feel. There is also the lousy looking "temporary" chain link fence along Everett St (that has been in place for years) and Everett St lacks a real sidewalk, bike lanes, and street trees, all of which makes the trip to and from the Stop & Shop or North Beacon St area less than pleasant.

As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.