There's no doubt who the bad guy is here. That message insulting nearly everybody in the building indicate that Mr. Rogers would not be compatible with most people. I certainly wouldn't want him for a neighbor. There are lots of names for people like him, many of them unprintable, but I'll just say he's a self-centered, arrogant person who thinks he's always right -- but he's more likely always wrong.

The self-absorbed Mr. Rogers is quite arrogant and entitled. The whiney artists are more of the same. I am an artist, former business owner and ex-Marine. Both sides are behaving poorly, in my opinion. Rogers clearly has some business negotiation skill remedial work to do while the "artists" should examine their efforts at being productive and creative and develop into more self-sufficient citizens. The only thing worse than a whiney, wimpy, subsidized "creative-in training" is an arrogant, selfish business bum who is actually a defense subsidy himself. These #%^& heads deserve each other.

Lets do the math.The bank, oh those evil people again, needs to see guaranteed income in order to write a loan. The cost is $300,000 a year. Break that down to 12 monthly payments of $25,000. Now divide that by 89 units and that comes to a whopping $280.89 dollars a month per unit. That breaks down to $10.76 a day based on a 5 day week. Now consider that most working people spend that amount daily to commute/park for work. The ability to live and work in the same space has great financial advantages. Too bad these folks could not see beyond their easel. Also consider David Rogers as your patron because if he had not stepped to pay $300,000 a year your rent might have increased or worse.

If you believe in the mission of Midway Studios, that Fort Point should lose its last public, civic and theater space and that a defense contractor with a history of releasing volatile chemicals and fumes and sickening artists does not belong in an artist's residential building with families and little children, sign our petition to Mayor Menino, please. http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-city-of-boston-prevent-a-defense-contractor-from-opening-a-factory-in-artist-space We believe Gentex and Ops-Core have a right to be successful, but not at the expense of our health, that of our children, and our vibrant theater space.

Right. An angel who doesn't care about making us sick and sending my wife to the hospital and week's-long treatment for severe hives because of his irresponsible nature. Get real.

Excuse me, ex-Marine, from another ex-Marine, but one who lives here at Midway Studios... ALL of the artists here have jobs or run their art businesses here. All of them are productive, creative and self-sufficient within their means. If you have not been here, lived here, in our shoes, you have no right to make uninformed statements.

It should be noted as well that this building and the artists are NOT subsidized by the city or taxpayers in any way, shape or form. As to the coop, Dan Taylor's comments are absurd. There is enough tenant churn in this building that we could have easily worked out a formula to make the coop work through lease expiration attrition. He acted in bad faith -- Taylor is only interested in the money that this building means for the estate. If it was such a bad investment as he suggests, why did he renew the financing and agree to have the estate pay $3,000,000 over 10 years in what he =already= knew was a very bad economy? The answer is obvious: he had no intention of living up to this agreement with the city because he thought the artists could do nothing to stop him from doing anything he wants to. The lease of the theater space is a perfect example of this: he knew it was not legal, but he went ahead anyway thinking he could strong-arm the BRA into accepting a change of use as a "fait accompli" with a sob story about the 80 jobs at Ops-Core. That's why he did not tell us. Rogers knows there are a ton of other options for industrial space in the area, but he got a sweet deal from Taylor to move into a space in which his presence was illegal. Both of them have now found otherwise. Time for Ops-Core to find other space, or face 5 to 10 years of living hell in a building with a very hostile artist community, and under the constant threat of legal action if fumes are release and he makes us sick again. This company DOES NOT belong in this space! And this from an owner of my THIRD Gentex helmet who supports their military work!

This is a free country. His firm has a right to operate there without harrassment. His helmet product is essential to protecting the lives of our troops. The Globe article is bias and tries to sympathize with a group that practices discrimination. These do not appear to be the patriotic artist types. It would appear that Rogers is absolutely correct in his description. There should be no discrimination that allows for an enclave of only elite artist types. Diversity is the needed.

Wrong. Free country Free for all. Ever. His firm only has a right to operate in space authorized for his type of operation. You might want to blame Rogers for the fact that you are collecting unemployment... otherwise known as mooching... since it was his fault, and not the taxpayers, that he had to shut down. If you're such a patriot, have them move into your basement so he can make YOUR family sick.

Here's an idea. Let the residential users rent the theater space, as a "common" area. Yes, it's going to cost them additional rent, but it is a solution that will allow them time to find a renter they can live with.

This forum does not allow brackets. The second sentence should read "Free country does not mean free for all."

C'mon this is the Boston Globe and Bob Kuehn was a prominent developer for years with his name of hundreds of public documents and hundreds attened his very public memorial downtown in 2006. You would think his name could be spelled correctly. My sense is that this reflects a larger sloppiness in the article

So the Rogers guy is a jerk. He is also an artist, as much as many in the building. Apparently the building is also pretty porous since poly fumes from doing the floors penetrated many units. Unlikely to be repeated. And is it unfortunate the rent to own thing didn't work out? Yeah, but these people for being "certified" artists were getting a pretty sweet rent -$1900 for 1500 sqft -but without putting money up for the purchase ability had no contract... The issue is that the BRA gets involved in this social engineering at all. It gives breaks to developers with clauses and promises where a certain few benefit based on inside knowledge + special status (artists, various income targets, etc.).

So are you threatening harassment of Rogers and his company when the real issue is with your landlord? It is misleading to talk about this contractor releasing fumes as if it were from some chemical used in production. He got his floors done!

Though the city makes a noble effort to negotiate (not subsidize) affordable housing for artists, only a few city employees administer this program. They are knowledgeable and well meaning, but time challenged. I am a graphic and web designer who initially had a difficult time being accepted into the artist's housing program a few years ago because of the narrow criteria defining who and what an "artist" exactly is. Though I was accepted on the second go 'round (graphic designers are artists!) this manufacturing business does not seem to fit the city's criteria defining an artist. After reading this article, I can't believe that Rogers parlayed the umbrella of his original graphics business to morph it into a manufacturing facility. His unapologetic behavior and rather immature public relations practices notwithstanding, he appears to be the "poser" in this situation as he labeled his neighbors. The entire reason the program exists is to accommodate the city's core believe that creative and exceptional individuals make the city a more vibrant and exciting place to live for all residents. When and how that came to include manufacturers of military gear is very odd to say the least. I always wondered if something like this would happen, and now, it has.

Cutting to the chase, it's just that they are ticked off that he is making a protective product for the military in the midst of their creative utopia.

You've been watching too many cartoon chases.

The issue with the floors was the ==latest== iteration of fumes from Ops-Core making people sick. This has happened with his small prototype office immediately below our studio. His ventilation system was never approved, and simply vents fumes directly to the outside at the first floor level, which means them fumes then go directly into the studios and homes of other residents. That sort of callous, idiotic behavior is not acceptable.

Claiming that making people sick and forcing them to leave their residences is OK because "he got his floors done" is idiotic. Grow a brain, fool. A threat is something that may or not may not happen. I am -warning- them of something that -will- happen -- that if they stay they are going to have to live in the same building with a hostile community of artists for at least FIVE years, and it will not be a pleasant experience. This will be the case not just in our building -- ALL the other residential buildings around us are going to treat him in the same manner and watching every molecule that comes out of his vents like a hawk. The minute he makes people sick again he's going to be smacked with lawsuits. Count on it.

Maybe I'm dumb, but I had difficulty following this story. Looks like another story of broken promises and inattentive people!

What was not thoroughly explained in the article is what the BRA's perspective of the zoning IS today --and not was. Everyone who lives in Fort Point understands that the neighborhood had a rich history as an industiial center. But those who had worked hard, neighbors and developers alike, on the 100 Acre Plan, did not expect to find manufacturing plants co-mingled within residential buildings. The original Channel Center complex proposed by Beacon Properties looked like a vision of Paris; night life flowing into the streets with retail, restaurants, and a theater.... Artists came to Midway with intensions that is be an art center that would help perpetuate the Fort Point Arts Community. Sure, times have changed, the economic landscape is far from what we all imagined it would be today. The developers alone can't be held fully responsible for what is happening here. The BRA has to take some responsibility in upholding the collective vision of Fort Point; one that is a vibrant, 24-7 mixed use neighborhood with residents of all kinds, retail, culture and business. Now that is innovation!