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