Stimulus Funds Awarded for Cathedral Development Upgrades

Fifty-six units in the Cathedral Housing Development will be upgraded using $11 million in stimulus funding awarded to the Boston Housing Authority in September, the city announced on Monday.

The units, spread across three buildings in the South End complex, will receive new kitchens and baths, a new high-efficiency heating and hot water system among other "green" improvements. Construction will be completed in September 2011.

Mayor Thomas Menino was joined by Housing Authority Director William McGonagle and Congressman Michael Capuano at the Cathedral development on Monday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the project. In his remarks, Menino highlighted the importance of maintaining and improving public housing in the city.

"This will improve the lives of so many people in our city," he said. "Everybody deserves to live in safe, sanitary and affordable units."

In addition to Cathedral, funding was also awarded for upgrades at the Bromley-Heath, Old Colony and Armory Street developments in other Boston neighborhoods. The four projects, which utilize a total of $40 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, are expected to create a total of 197 jobs.

For Ruth Barkley, Chairwoman of Cathedral Tenants United, Monday's announcement was a welcome affirmation of the city's growing support for public housing.

"We don't have faith in public housing because we've been let down so many times," she said. "Today I thank God that we begin to see some changes in that."

Many of the apartments targeted for improvement are desperately in need of repair, she added.

"These units have not had a renovation that amounted to anything other than patchwork," she said.

In addition to improving individual units, funding will also be used to replace the heating unit for 72 apartments and install new security cameras.