Barbara Salfity, deputy director for the real estate division of the Department of Neighborhood Development, tells GlobeSt.com that the properties were taken by the city in tax foreclosures and are all currently vacant. She notes that they are all located in commercial districts but the city would be interested in a variety of proposals that involve office space, stand alone retail space or even mixed-use development with ground-floor retail and residential units on the upper floors. Salfity points out that the focus of this program is to get these properties back on the tax rolls so there are no affordable housing restrictions on them.

The city has issued a request for proposals for a pilot round of 12 properties under the new disposition initiative. In Dorchester the properties include: 1039 Blue Hill Ave. and 6 Fabyan St.; 1228-1230A Blue Hill Ave.; 32-134A Harvard St.; 136-138 Harvard St.; 8 Warner St.; and, 22 Michigan Ave. In the neighborhood of Mattapan the properties that will be available are: 9 Balina Place and 175 Norfolk St.; 3 Baird St. and 1127-1135 Blue Hill Ave.; and, 1260 Blue Hill Ave. In Roslindale, 588 Hyde Park Ave. will be put out for development. In Roxbury the city is planning to offer 40-42 Terrace St, "LOT CS" on Winthrop Street, 58, 60, 64, 66-68 Yeoman St. and 109-115 Hampden St. In South Boston 537-539 East Third St. will be available. Salfity says that the city is not interested in leasing the sites and is only looking for developers who will purchase the properties.

"This is all about supporting and encouraging neighborhood business development," says Charlotte Golar Richie, director of the Department of Neighborhood Development. "When we create jobs, put vacant land into active use, and offer new services to neighborhood residents, we strengthen our neighborhoods and make them even better places to live.