City, state join to ‘change the face’ of Jackson Square

It’s the pivotal intersection that serves as the unofficial gateway between Jamaica Plain and Roxbury, but for years, a dormant Jackson Square has waited patiently while other blocks in the city have been redeveloped.

Planners have spent more than a decade figuring out how best to reconfigure and revitalize Jackson Square — at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Centre Street — that currently contains empty lots, chained-link fences and several run-down buildings. But yesterday, officials promised the wait is over.

Gov. Deval Patrick announced a $3.1 million MORE grant for streetscape and public way improvements in Jackson Square, a move that will jump-start  the first of the $250 million project’s four phases. The project will include mixed-use buildings with 436 new units (59 percent affordable housing), office space, restaurants, ground-floor retail stores and a marketplace at the T’s shed building on Centre Street.

The 11-acre development will include also two recreational buildings — a youth and family center and a facility with basketball and tennis courts and ice skating rink. The project will also improve pedestrian access to the Jackson Square T station.

“This will change the face of Jackson Square,” said Mayor Thomas Menino.

Officials say the project, which could break ground next year, will create 185 new jobs, as well as green space — including a new park and a revamped Southwest Corridor Park — for families to enjoy.

“There will be three acres of new open space, our own little greenway in Jackson Square,” said Mossik Hacobian, president of Urban Edge, a local community development group.