A proposal to redevelop the Fields Corner Post Office building got a second airing at the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA) meeting last week, with continuing support from the group as developer Travis Lee approaches a make-or-break closing date on the property in the second week of December.

Lee and his company, TLee Development, appeared at a September meeting of the group to present preliminary plans for the redevelopment of the existing building and construction of a new building at the rear of the site. The plan would accommodate all the existing businesses at ground level and would feature 45 units of all-affordable housing. A sticking point that still hasn’t been resolved is what to do with the former Fields House – the namesake of Fields Corner – and how they will be able to move it for the redevelopment and also somehow preserve it. It is one of the oldest remaining homes in Boston, though there is very little of the original home left.

Said Lee: “We have engaged with [the preservation folks] seriously and they have been very thoughtful and gracious with their time to help us think about how to accomplish many of our goals.

“The Fields House is on a tough spot on the site. It is in the way. The thought is to try to figure out another place for it…to relocate it. This is a part of Fields Corner history and is a significant building. It needs a lot of work and love and will take money that this project can’t generate to pay for it.”

He added that he is taking recommendations from the general public for a new home to where the building could be moved. Previously, he had been discussing demolishing the building and preserving the memory in the new building behind the restored Post Office buildings. The matter is up in the air as of now, but the closing on the property and movement forward on the overall project does have a rubber-meets-the-road deadline of mid-December.

TLee’s Daniela Villon-Maya said they fully intend to keep the existing ground-floor retail operations and the Post Office intact, but that would mean move the loading dock that the Post Office uses in the rear of that building. And she reaffirmed that the second-floor tenants –a security company, a dental clinic and Fields Corner Main Streets – would have to move, while adding: “If this moves forward we will identify plans for them…We do have space in our portfolio that would accommodate them…We want to work with them to find another home in Fields Corner.”

The price ranges identified for the affordable home-ownership units are studios between $165,000 and $222,000; one-bedrooms at $203,000 to $270,000; and two-bedroom units from $241,000 to $315,000.

Neighbor Vivian Girard said he supports the project and hoped that the historic building won’t get in the way of the restoration and development project. He said the neighborhood prefers the development over the preservation concern.
Hiep Chu, the head of the civic association, said the association favors the project as they have a good history with TLee Development, and they are very excited about an all-affordable home ownership project right in Fields Corner.

“This particular project is in a location everyone talks about,” he said. “Over the last 40 years there have been some plans for the site, but we’ve never had anyone willing to do more affordable housing for the community…We believe this particular project would give new life to Fields Corner in terms of the numbers of homeownership opportunities. But the site, we acknowledge, has a lot of history.”

He also said it appears that the Fields House issue will come down to cost. “We got the sense in the meeting that the Fields House needs to be moved…because it’s in the way of making the project viable,” he said.

Lee told the civic group that if he gets the approval and does close on the property on or around Dec. 10, he will be back to the civic looking for their support.

“There could be a day in the near future when we need to call on you to be a supporter on our behalf with the City of Boston,” he said. “We hope you’ll be there for us.”

Short move for Coco Leaf café
The popular Coco Leaf Dessert Café is planning to make a move a few doors up the avenue in Fields Corner , the FCCA was told. It opened at its 1480 Dot Ave. location in early 2016, and has since expanded to another location on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. Now the Café is looking to find more space near their Fields Corner home, and has proposed moving to the Dorchester Art Project building.

“Coco Leaf has become quite a successful business and the current space is small,” said Hiep Chu. “They’re looking for a larger space…At least a good business is staying in the community, which is good to us.”

Music store opens near Town Field
Nick Oleksyn reported that he plans to open a new musical instrument, tools, and electronics store in the plaza at Fields Corner off Gibson Street – where the former US Army Recruitment storefront was located. He has already gone through the Zoning Board and earned his permits. He said he will be opening in about three or four months and dealing in new and used musical instruments and electronics allowing customers to purchase new equipment or trade in what they have toward other equipment in the store. He will be dealing with the Omni Supply network, he said.

Home.Stead reopens doors
The Home.Stead Bakery and Café at the apex of Fields Corner re-opened its doors on Nov. 1 after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic. The re-opening drew many cheers from the neighbors at Fields Corner civic.