The retired MBTA Red Line car is shown being transported via flatbed truck on June 11, 2024 to the future site Core Investments' future On The Dot development in South Boston. The car will be a decoration for The Lot, the event space Core Investments currently operates on the development site. Photo courtesy of Core Investments

A vintage Red Line subway car arrived yesterday at the future site of On the Dot, a new residential and commercial development in South Boston being planned by developer Core Investments Inc.  

The decommissioned Red Line car was repainted and delivered to be a feature of the event space Core Investments has created on an asphalt lot that will eventually hold its development, at 383 Dorchester Ave. 

The Lot, as the event space is called, hosted a series of weekend and nightly activities in the fall and has continued its programming this summer. 

The interior of the car won’t be accessible to the public, according to a Core Investments spokesperson, but its addition to the event space is intended to represent the history of the more-than-a-century-old Red Line tunnel extension from Broadway Station to Andrew Square, the company’s announcement said. The developing On the Dot project, whose planned development area application was recently approved by the Boston Planning & Development Agency, is positioned next to the Red Line transit that runs under Dorchester Avenue with nearby stations at Andrew Square and Broadway. 

“The MBTA is proud to partner with Core Investments on this unique initiative to bring a piece of Red Line history to the On the Dot development in South Boston,” MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said in a statement. “The vintage 1600 Series subway car represents the rich legacy of the Red Line and the MBTA’s vital role in connecting Boston’s neighborhoods and supporting economic growth.” 

The 1600–series Red Line cars first came into service in 1969 and 1970. Of the 52 originally delivered, 34 of them are still in service with the MBTA, which operate along with three newer generations of Red Line cars: 1987-1989’s UTDC-manufactured cars, 1993-1994’s Bombardier-manufactured cars and a new order of 252 cars from CRCC, only 14 of which have been delivered thanks to years of delays at the manufacturer’s Springfield facility.  

Core Investments is in the middle of permitting individual buildings in the residential, commercial, retail, civic and open space that will be known as On the Dot. The 21-acre property will include extensive green spaces, wide sidewalks and easy access to transit. 

When the master plan for On the Dot is fully built out, 65 percent of the space will be commercial and 35 percent residential, with over 1,000 new housing units and space for hundreds of jobs. 

The retired MBTA Red Line car sits in The Lot, Core Investments’ community event space on the site of its future On The Dot development in South Boston, on June 11, 2024. Photo courtesy of Core Investments