Lena Park head says CDC may keep community center

Interim director Bruce Blaisdell of the Lena Park CDC said this week that the CDC could potentially renovate its property at 150 American Legion Highway in Dorchester, a community center once known as the Hecht House.

The CDC is facing a deficit of around $1 million and is on the verge of signing a contract with Urban Edge, another CDC based in Roxbury, to administrate its education programs and affordable housing holdings.

“Ideally we’d like to renovate that facility and continue to run programs out of there; it’s been as a community center for a long time,” said Blaisdell. “It is true that the building is expensive to heat… but for $4 or $5 million we could do a basic modernization which would allow us to cut heating costs and add handicap access.”

As to the contract with Urban Edge, Blaisdell said the deal was still on track. The CDC’s board has been making calls to schedule meetings with stakeholders, he said. A meeting with the Boston State Hospital Citizen’s Advisory Committee—which monitors the Olmsted Green development that Lena Park is a party to—is also set for April 16, 6 p.m. at the Foley Building (249 River St.) and will likely discuss the details of the plan.

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