Contested: An Abandoned Public Bus Yard

• In Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Bartlett Yard is an abandoned public bus yard in Boston. This summer, the 8-acre site is being reclaimed and used for public art.

Artist Cedric Douglas at work in Bartlett Yard.

Bartlett Yard, since its opening in the 1880’s, has always been utilized for public transportation – first for horse drawn carriages, then electric streetcars and most recently as a bus depot. The site is controversial because is has not been in use for nearly a decade and is located in Roxbury, a low-income neighborhood that hosts more than its share of vacant lots and has seen decades of economic disinvestment.

After a series of community meetings in 2008, Nuestra Comunidad, a local non-profit developer, purchased Bartlett Yard from the local public transportation authority. This November, the site will begin its transformation into a green development with mixed-income housing and commercial space. Until then, the space is home to dancers, artists, and even gardeners.

Check out last week’s contested space: Disappearing Bike Lanes on Old Streets in Cambridge

Post by Cassandria Campbell, co-founder of Fresh Food Generation. Photos by Campbell and Cedric Douglas.