Thursday, March 17, 2016

James's Gate Property in Jamaica Plain Sold to Developer

Last year, we reported that a beloved Irish pub that once received a "best of" from our sister site had shut down. Now we have learned that its former home has been sold to a residential developer.

Universal Hub mentions (via the BLDUP site) that The Ballas Group has purchased three parcels of land in Jamaica Plain for $1,950,000, with one of the McBride Street parcels being where James's Gate had been until closing in September. The posts say that the three parcels had sold for a total of $135,000 back in 1997 (the same year that James's Gate opened).

James's Gate was a two-room Irish pub and restaurant that had been known in part for its cozy, traditional atmosphere on the pub side--including a fireplace--and its family-friendly dining room that was separate from the main bar area. The Boston's Hidden Restaurants site had featured it as an under-the-radar Irish pub and awarded it "best Irish pub" in 2014. The review for the place can be found below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/JamesGate.html

The address for James's Gate was 5-11 McBride Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130.

[June 24 update: The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports that a proposal that includes the construction of a residential structure at the site of the James's Gate parking lot has been withdrawn, in part because it was not known what would happen to the James's Gate space itself. Community and committee concerns about this issue along with the proposed prices for the units--and the density of the units--led to the developers withdrawing the plans, with a revised proposal apparently coming at some point.]

[July 28 update: The Jamaica Plain News states that a new proposal has been given that would include the construction of a five-story mixed-used building in the space where James's Gate had been. (A presentation on the proposal was given yesterday by the developer.)]

[January 24, 2017 update: Universal Hub mentions that the Zoning Board of Appeals has approved of a proposal to replace the old James's Gate with an 11-unit condo development.]

[Earlier Article]
James's Gate in Jamaica Plain Has Closed

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Fifteen Lesser-Known Bars in the Greater Boston Area]