Real Estate

BRA Seeks to Extend Urban Renewal Powers

BRA map of current urban renewal areas

The Boston Redevelopment Authority wants to convince you that urban renewal is a good thing. Kicking off this week is a series of public meetings to extend the BRA’s authority to control development using its enhanced powers over the zoning code. Urban renewal allows the BRA to clear property titles and seize privately owned land through eminent domain.

Urban renewal started with the American Housing Act of 1949 to boost post World War II redevelopment in America’s urban centers. The BRA targeted areas of “blight,” usually at the expense of poor and marginalized residents that were forced to relocate.

In Boston, the most well-known use of urban renewal was the clearing of nearly one-third of downtown, including the historic West End. This eventually made way for the Central Artery highway along with new municipal and commercial buildings such as those that make up Government Center. The West End Museum houses an exhibit, The Last Tenement, that recounts the story of what was later seen as an urban planning tragedy.

The North End was largely spared of urban renewal after the West End demolition through efforts to fight eminent domain by neighborhood activists and local lawmakers including the late State Rep. Michael A. Nazzaro, Jr. Over the decades, the public has dissuaded government from such broad urban renewal, but it has continued to be used on a smaller scale. And in some cases, urban renewal powers were used to enhance communities through the development of vacant lots as well as establishing public facilties and parkland. Along the waterfront, Christopher Columbus Park and Long Wharf are examples of open spaces created through urban renewal.

If extended, much of the Waterfront area (think Sargent’s Wharf, Harbor Garage, Hook Lobster, Long Wharf) would continue to be part of the BRA’s urban renewal area as well as the West End, North Station and Government Center. The BRA is highlighting “featured projects” as part of the requested extension with the development of the Boston Public Market, MBTA Station at Government Center and a new park at the Aquarium.

Several Boston neighborhoods are included in the current urban renewal zones as shown in the map. The larger neighborhoods in the review include Charlestown, South End, Fenway, Park Plaza and Washington Park. 

Boston’s 2024 Olympics bid might also call upon the BRA’s urban renewal powers, including eminent domain, to make way for the proposed venues.

The last extension of the BRA’s urban renewal powers was in 2005 and is set to expire this year. A task force of neighborhood representatives is expected to provide advisory input along with stakeholders from the construction industry and building trades. The State has the final approval of any urban renewal power extension. The first public meeting is Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 6:00 p.m., Boston City Hall, BRA Board Room, 9th Floor. More information is available at the BRA’s website.

3 Replies to “BRA Seeks to Extend Urban Renewal Powers

  1. Extending urban renewal is a dangerous action. This opens the door to excessive development. History has shown the misuse of this power.
    There is no reason to give up our rights in order to give more power to the construction industry and developers.

    1. Speaking of urban renewal. My Great- great grandfather came to the North-End sometime in the 1880,s or 90,s. His son had a building he owned siezed at the end of Endicott St. when the central artery went up in the late 1950,s. After they finished that project. Thier was a parking lot where his building was, across from the old Castenetti tuxedo rental n clothing. That remained at the end of Endicott st until the early 2000,s, today instead well neede parking spaces, its a sqare granite space at the very end of Endicott st, with some bushes in the middle and benches in front. Great use of siezed prperty; it would be funny if the story were,nt more tragic. After they siezed his biulding at the very end of Endicott, he bought a building in the West End; a few yrs. later we all know what happened to that entire nieghborhood…Eminent Domain.. That word has more power than the Mafia could ever have dreamed of. I am all for Economic development, what I don,t get is how people from out of state or from some other place can flash thier money to politicions and the powers that be, and completly destroy many families, multigenerational;thier way of life. All this is growing a city, economic development;emenent domain. Are you kidding me, the arrogance is vile and evil. What made Boston great was not being a combination of Times Square, Epcott center at Disney Word, with a little Grenich Conn. thrown in.All at the expense of people of all races in South Boston, Chinatown the South End and yes the North_End,my nieghorhood of 4 yr. college trust fund babies and 5 yr. realestate flippers. That is not a community or a world class city. They call that a freakshow. The few 4th generation residents of the Boston nieghborhoods are on display, everytime they walk out there front door. Take a good look at what we,ve become. It could have been done a bit more tactfully.

  2. MARY HOLLAND, NO TRUER WORDS WERE EVER SPOKEN. NOW WE HAVE TO HOPE, ONCE AGAIN, OUR
    CRIES ARE NOT FALLING ON DEAF EARS.

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