The development team behind the Parcel P3 project in Roxbury is facing a divide as OnyxGroup Realty & Development steps away from the mixed-use proposal, backing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to use the site for a new Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. This development contrasts with My City at Peace and HYM Investment Group's intentions to continue advocating for their envisioned project on the parcel.
OnyxGroup, in an open letter cited by the Boston Herald, announced their withdrawal, expressing that "the economic landscape has changed, life sciences investment is not coming, and there is no single vehicle willing to make the investment necessary to truly develop P3 as originally envisioned." The team's split, arising out of the economic realities, now has OnyxGroup calling for exploration of the educational investment. Even though intending to pursue a different vision for the site, OnyxGroup advised the rest of the team against holding a community listening session, which went ahead regardless at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury.
My City at Peace and HYM Investment Group, on the other hand, believe there is still potential for the original plan. According to the Boston Herald, the remaining development partners hosted the listening session to reiterate their intention to pursue housing, commercial, and life science lab space, along with other community-serving uses. Thomas O’Brien of HYM expressed at the session, "We still believe that this community deserves these kinds of jobs and this kind of opportunity."
However, caught amidst the discord, Chanda Smart of OnyxGroup voiced her disenchantment after the team's dissolution, indicating a need to redirect their firm's focus, as they see no point in rallying for a project after the mayor's decision has been made, as per the Boston Globe. Having invested in the Walnut Knoll project—a 200-unit affordable apartment complex for seniors in Foxborough—OnyxGroup reaffirms its commitment to pursuing other opportunities, including potential future prospects at Parcel P3.
With Mayor Wu's administration citing the lack of advancement and financial viability over the last three years as a rationale for letting the designation expire, the distinct paths chosen by OnyxGroup and their former development partners represent competing visions for the future of Roxbury.
