Neighbors: Area only needs some better retail

By Paul Restuccia/ BostonHerald.com

Friday, April 1, 2005 - Melville Park has grand Victorians, green space and a neighborly feel, but residents agree that the nearby Fields Corner retail area needs some sprucing up.

Fortunately, the area - mostly mom-and-pop stores, restaurants and businesses along Dorchester Avenue that serve a mixed population of whites, blacks and Asians - is starting to get some attention.

A rundown mall has a new supermarket operator, while the city has plans to fix potholes, improve parking and add nicer lighting.

The Melville Park Association is also trying to get shop owners to take advantage of funds available through the city's "Main Streets" program to improve storefronts.

"We want to bring more restaurants and different kinds of shops to the area," said Peter Sasso, a 13-year Melville Park resident and board member of the Fields Corner Main Streets group. "We want to see people come to this area for nice restaurants and a unique shopping experience."

Neighborhood activists also want an upscale coffee shop where residents can gather, as well as an ice-cream parlor for local kids.

One big plus for Melville Park is the recent renovation of the Blarney Stone two blocks from Melville Avenue.

Owner Michael Conlon has spent over $1 million remaking his father's former Irish bar - the first in Boston to serve Guinness on tap.

Conlon worked at the Blarney Stone in the mid-1970s, then bought the place from his father in 2001.

Since then, Conlon - who owns four other restaurants -has converted the Blarney Stone from a local watering hole into a lounge/restaurant featuring seasonal American cuisine.

The restaurateur modernized the bar's layout, creating a large, welcoming space with lots of glass. There's also an outdoor patio that Conlon opens up during warmer weather.

The Blarney Stone now attracts patrons not just from Melville Park, but also from the suburbs and other parts of Boston.

"The area went through a tough period, but now it is ripe (for improvement)," Conlon said. "There are too many nice houses and it's too close to the city not to take off. I see it becoming the next Jamaica Plain."

Another positive sign for Melville Park: ongoing renovation of the nearby Field's Corner and Shawmut Red Line T stations.

The Field's Corner redesign calls for platforms covered with glass canopies. The MBTA will drop the station's now-elevated bus stops back to street level. This will reconnect the station to the abutting streets, MBTA Design Director Barbara Boylan said.

At Shawmut, the T plans to restore the station's original Art Deco entrance.

"The renovated stations aregoing to transform the neighborhood," said Boylan, noting that plans call for work to finish this fall.

Locals say that nice stations will give a psychological boost to Melville Park homeowners, many of whom use the subway to commute to jobs downtown.

Resident Jenny Move is also leading an effort to upgrade the area surrounding the renovated stations.

Plans call for creating "Shawmut Gardens" - perimeter gardens and an area of inlaid brick - on top of the Red Line T tunnel between the two stations.

The park will feature medicinal plants, and local gardeners such as Move will teach local kids about horticulture.

"We want Melville Park to be safe and clean while also maintaining its diversity," she said.