PAX Centurion - January / March 2016

Page 10 • PAX CENTURION • January/March 2016 617-989-BPPA (2772) T he new BPPA offices located at 295 Freeport St. in Dorchester, just off the 93N Freeport St. exit 13, is now open for business. The new office contains 68 parking spaces and 28 offices, conference and meeting rooms and (eventually) a large rear hall which will be remodeled over time and transformed into a facility which the membership can be proud of. Member services and BPPA representative meetings (including the executive board) will all now be held at Freeport St., even as gradual renovations continue upstairs and offices are occupied. A deceiving building from first observation at street level, the building contains ample space for all BPPA needs envisioned for many years to come. We join numerous other unions who currently maintain offices on Freeport St., (AKA “Union Row”) a convenient, centrally-located destination. Some work remains to be done, specifically the rear hall, and determining what type of facility will best serve the needs of the membership in years to come. Also to be decided is what will become of the old BPPA Hall located at 9-11 Shetland St. in Roxbury. That property was purchased at a public auction in the early 90’s for a mere $210,000. It is now worth well above that purchase amount, with property speculation in the Newmarket Sq. area attracting much interest from prospective buyers. There were those who thought purchasing such a property in that particular area was another “Seward’s folly;” they are eating their hats today. (Not blaming anybody who held that opinion… Hell, in 1989, I was driving a cruiser around Charlestown wondering aloud “Who the hell is going to pay $5,000.00 for that vacant lot!” That’s why I’m still doing details today….) When and for how much the property should be sold is a decision the BPPA will make with advice from the real estate professionals in our employ. We’ll keep the membership updated. Our phone number remains the same: 617-989-2772, as does our Fax number 617-989-2779. Contact us on-line at www.bppa.org . Members are encouraged to sign up on-line for info updates, just follow the directions for a quick sign-up. Members are welcome to stop in between 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, and take a look around. Upcoming open meetings will also be announced and will allow an opportunity for members to inspect the progress. For posterity’s sake, we have reprinted some photos from “the Great Flood of ’98.” For several years, a damaged flood gate near the Shetland St. office would snap shut during heavy rainstorms flooding the entire, low-lying neighborhood. On at least two occasions, the entire basement and parking lot flooded with several feet of water, destroying all of the contents, furniture, etc., until the floodgate was finally repaired by the BWSC. Thankfully, the Freeport St. building is located on a hill with good drainage. And instead of the basement, the meeting hall is now located on the second floor, out of an abundance of caution and experience…. New BPPA building is open for business! 295Freeport Street, Dorchester, has 28 offices,meetingand conference rooms;will houseBPPA, EMTs andpossibly otherunions in the future By James W. Carnell, Pax Editor Reception Area Grievance/Arbitration Conference Room Front Waiting Area