As the City wraps up its recommendations for the Downtown Waterfront Municipal Harbor Plan, we recently received a letter from the National Park Service (NPS) to the State asking about Long Wharf Park … not just the small pavilion at the end, but ALL of the activities / uses / structures around the Marriott hotel and the commercial building on Read More…
The Wharf District Council (WDC) is pushing for a significant increase of 200,000+ square feet in open space on the waterfront as part of its own Public Realm Vision plan released this week. The draft document shown below in its entirety comes in response to the public realm initiative being put forth by the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA, formerly the Read More…
The September 28th meeting of the Downtown Municipal Harbor Plan Advisory Committee, hosted by the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), heard a presentation from the New England Aquarium (NEAQ). The team presented their concept for a corridor, 1000 feet long and about 80 feet wide, dubbed the Read More…
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) lost its appeal in federal appeals court this week in what has been a decade long effort by the city agency to lease the end of Long Wharf for a restaurant development, once proposed as Doc’s Long Wharf, a 220-seat, 4,655 square-foot eatery/bar with outdoor tables. On September 23, 2016, the appeals Read More…
New pocket parks and public open spaces … expanded Harborwalk … renovated Aquarium plaza … ferry terminal … upgraded public access … the game of trade-offs is afoot in a package of “offsets” to the major developments proposed in the latest draft of the Downtown Waterfront Planning Initiative. The end is in sight for the multi-year planning process that will Read More…
The fight over Long Wharf continues to be a legal slugfest with oral arguments being heard last week in front of a three judge panel at federal appeals court. Despite having spent over $500,000 in legal expenses, the Boston Redevelopment Authority continues to fight for a commercial restaurant development while the National Park Service is intent on keeping the Read More…
In its recent approval of the 6-year extension of Urban Renewal powers by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) imposed conditions to address lingering concerns related to the extension. In particular, the review process by the Boston City Council become more important. The first BRA oversight hearing Read More…
Brian Golden, Director July 22, 2016 Boston Redevelopment Authority One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston MA 02201 RE: Partners North End Nursing Home Dear Mr. Golden: When the BRA argued the case for continued Urban Renewal Zone authority earlier this year, your team emphasized the community benefit of continued strong Land Read More…
The long awaited North Station Area Mobility Action Plan (NSAMAP) kicked off last week with a visioning meeting held at the West End Museum, hosted by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD). The transportation study will recommend solutions to improve the way people get around the North Station area, including the Bulfinch Read More…
A public meeting has been scheduled for next Tuesday (6/28) evening in the West End to kick off the community engagement process for the North Station Area Mobility Action Plan. The study will cover the West End, Government Center, and North Station areas. The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) in conjunction with the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and other city Read More…
The long-debated Haymarket Hotel proposal at Parcel 9 along Blackstone Street and the Rose Kennedy Greenway was approved on Thursday night by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Board of Directors. The multi-year bid and review process appears to be coming to an end. With a revised design as part of the Blackstone block and a Read More…
The old Northern Avenue Bridge opened in 1908, at times carrying train traffic, cars, pedestrians, and even cyclists up until it closed for safety reasons in December 2014. Now in 2016, the future design of its replacement was entertained through a design competition that brought 133 submissions, comprising 99 graphic designs and 34 essays. The Boston Northern Avenue Bridge Ideas Read More…