BRA's Dudley Square plans advance

The Boston Redevelopment Authority is moving ahead with plans to renovate a long-vacant historic site in the Dudley Square neighborhood, the city said today.

The authority said it has closed on the acquisition of the 33,000 square-foot site that includes the five-story Ferdinand Building, which dates back to 1899, the eight story Guscott Building, circa 1922, and a vacant lot at the intersection of Washington and Warren Streets in Roxbury. The city plans to demolish the Guscott building and renovate the Ferdinand, each of which have been vacant for more than 25 years. Another building on the site was torn down in 1992.

The city plans to move some of its government agencies into the building after a redevelopment project that could cost as much as $80 million, the BRA said in a statement today. It is not clear what agencies would move there.

All told, the project should bring 1,200 jobs and $9,000 in daily spending to the area, the BRA said.
(By Keith Reed, Globe staff)