AND ON THE CHAIR OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS TODAY'S AUGUST 15TH 2025 AND THE EXACT TIME IS 1008. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED.
IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF FOUR WHICH LOST CITY DASH COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIRESTONE 964.
WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT GEO. AT BOSTON DOUG OF AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.
INDIVIDUALS CALLED ON WILL BE AND WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN CAVANAUGH AT MDG EIGHT AND DOT KAVI AND H.
HGH BOSTON DOCO FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 1276 IN ORDINANCE TO PRIORITIZE SURPLUS MUNICIPAL PROPERTY AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE ENRIQUE PEPEN AND BRIAN WORRELL AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JUNE 25TH, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY
COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR FLYNN AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. AND BEFORE WE GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL AND I WILL INTRODUCE YOU AND YOUR TITLES AFTER I'LL GO TO THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT
LOUIJEUNE AND MY OTHER COLLEAGUES FOR OPENING REMARKS. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING TO MY COLLEAGUES,
TWO ADMIN OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND OUR ADVOCATES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS SIMPLE AND WE HAD A FIRST HEARING ON THIS TOPIC LAST YEAR WHEN THE CITY NO LONGER NEEDS A BUILDING. WE SHOULD FIRST AND FOREMOST
ASK OURSELVES CAN THIS BECOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING? CAN IT SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST? AND BOSTON WE KNOW THE NEED IS NOT ABSTRACT. EVERY DAY WE GET CALLS FROM
RESIDENTS WHO NEED HOUSING. AS WITH THE RESIDENT ON SATURDAY WHO TOLD ME THAT ON MONDAY HE WOULD BE OUT OF A PLACE TO LIVE AND I WAS JUST WITH A BUNCH OF STUDENTS WHO
ASKED ASKED ME HOW DO WE CARRY THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT OF THIS JOB? AND IT IS REALLY HARD WHEN YOU RUN INTO RESIDENTS WHO TELL YOU THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO LIVE. I WAS IN ROXBURY YESTERDAY AND
MET A VETERAN WHO TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS LIVING OUT OF HER CAR BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME. IT IS A DAILY REALITY FOR FAMILIES, SENIORS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND A SAFE, STABLE AND
AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE. AND THIS ORDINANCE BUILDS ON THE WORK OUR ADMINISTRATION IS ALREADY DOING IN SURPLUS PROPERTY DISPOSITION. IT'S NOT A RADICAL DEPARTURE. IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE CURRENT INFORMAL PROCESS BUT IT
MAKES TWO IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS. FIRST, IT CODIFIES THE PRIORITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING MAKING IT EXPLICIT. SECOND, IT ENSURES A MORE CONSISTENT AND TRANSPARENT PATHWAY FOR GETTING THERE AND
HOPEFULLY AND I SEE GRETCHEN VAN NESS IN THE AUDIENCE IT HELPS US DO THAT QUICKER, RIGHT? THE PRIDE IS A PRIDE THAT WE HAVE IN HIGH PARK OF SENIOR
HOUSING THAT IS LGBTQ PLUS AFFIRMING AND IT PROBABLY TOOK LONGER THAN ANYBODY WANTED FOR THE PRIDE TO COME ON LINE TO BACK UP FOR A SECOND. BOSTON OWNS MUCH LAND AND MANY
BUILDINGS SCHOOLS, POLICE STATIONS, LIBRARIES PARKING LOTS THAT ARE VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED IN 2022. THE CITY'S LAND AUDIT FOUND THAT 5.4% OF OUR PROPERTY ABOUT
9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET IS SITTING EMPTY OR UNDERUSED. AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE VERY, VERY HARD WORK OF CLOSING SCHOOLS. IT'S IT'S NOT FUN BUT IT'S WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO. WELCOME ON BOSTON IS DOING THAT
GOOD WORK OF FINDING THOSE LOTS AT HOME AND THEY ARE INSPIRING SAMPLES OF BUILDINGS BEING WELL UTILIZED TOO. BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY SITES WAITING FOR THEIR SECOND LIFE. THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT ABOUT
REINVENT THE WHEEL. RB IT IT'S ABOUT IDENTIFYING SURPLUS ASSETS AND TRANSFERRING THEM TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND THE COUNCIL VOTING ON SURPLUS DESIGNATION. WE'VE HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION WHILE DRAFTING THIS MEASURE AND THE PROCESS OUTLINED HERE REFLECTS THAT FEEDBACK. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL ENSURE THAT BEFORE ANY MUNICIPAL BUILDING IS SOLD OR TRANSFERRED WE CONSIDER IT FIRST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I'VE ALWAYS LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS LIKE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING HAVING A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL ON ANY MUNICIPAL BUILDING. CONSTITUENTS HAVE TOLD US THAT
WHEN PREDICTABILITY THEY WANT PREDICTABILITY WHEN THEY LIVE NEXT TO AN EMPTY MUNICIPAL LOT OR BUILDING. THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT IT COULD BECOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOT EXPENSIVE CONDOS PERHAPS FOR
THEIR KIDS STARTING OUT IN THE CITY OR FOR THEIR SENIOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO AGE IN PLACE. SOME HAVE EVEN SUGGESTED GIVING FAMILIES A PREFERENCE IN RE USE SCHOOL BUILDINGS CONNECTED TO
COMMUNITIES EDUCATIONAL HISTORY TO ITS HOUSING FUTURE. WE'VE SEEN THAT ADAPTIVE REUSE IS CHALLENGING BUT DEEPLY WHAT'S WORTHWHILE OLD BUILDINGS CARE HISTORY, CHARACTER AND COMMUNITY MEANING THEY ALSO CARRY TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AND
LOGISTICAL HURDLES EVERYTHING FROM MEETING MODERN ENERGY CODES TO NAVIGATING NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS AND I'M SURE KEEP ON PUTTING THAT QUESTION BUT SHE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT CLEARING A PATH SO THAT WHEN
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE THE CITY IS READY TO ACT QUICKLY WITH COMMUNITY INPUT AND CLEAR PRIORITIES. THIS ORDINANCE CLEARS A PATH SO THAT WHEN THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE THE CITY IS READY TO ACT QUICKLY WITH COMMUNITY INPUT AND CLEAR PRIORITIES. MY HOPE IS THAT TODAY'S
DISCUSSION WILL BE PRACTICAL. I WANT US TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW THIS ORDINANCE FITS TO THEIR CURRENT WORKFLOW. WE ALSO HAVE A CHART OF THE WORKFLOW AS IT CURRENTLY SITS.
WHAT WE BELIEVE OUR PROPOSAL WOULD DO AND AND WANT TO HEAR FROM DEVELOPERS, ADVOCATES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO TURN A VACANT BUILDING INTO QUALITY HOUSING. WE KNOW THE NEED IS URGENT.
LET'S USE THE TOOLS WE HAVE OUR OWN ASSETS TO HELP MEET IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS TOPIC AND FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNCIL.
WE'RE ALL IN COUNCIL AND COUNCILORS COUNCIL YOU TO HAVE THE FLOOR FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL FOR BEING HERE FOR THE
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AS WELL. THE NEXT PANEL I WANT TO LISTEN TO BOTH THE ADMINISTRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY. I DO WANT TO MENTION I REMEMBER
THE THE THE PROCESS OF OF PRIDE IN HYDE PARK AND I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL. I THINK THIS IS GOING BACK SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS. I REMEMBER TIM MCCARTHY WAS REALLY THE FIRST PERSON THAT
BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I SO STRONGLY SUPPORTED IT. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S BEEN ONGOING AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN
BUILT BUT I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT TYPE OF HOUSING FOR LGBTQ SENIOR HOUSING. BUT I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TIM MCCARTHY REALLY WHO WHO
STARTED REALLY WHO STARTED THE PROCESS AND AND IT WAS IT WAS UNIQUE AT THE TIME NO ONE NO ONE HEARD ABOUT SUCH A SUCH A HOME FOR LGBTQ SENIORS.
BUT TIM REALLY OPENED THE DOOR TO A LOT OF A LOT OF CITY COUNCILORS AND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IDEA WAS. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO GRETCHEN AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE
IMPORTANT WORK YOU DO IN RESPECT TO THE ADVOCATES AS WELL. I'VE WORKED WITH THEM FOR MANY YEARS AND JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT RICHARD ALSO FOR THE
IMPORTANT WORK HE DOES AT FENWAY FENWAY COMMUNITY CENTERS NONPROFIT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD?
YES. COUNCILMAN JUST REMINDED ME THAT THIS AUDIT JUST I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I SPOKE THIS AND CONVERSATION WITH TITO JACKSON WHO'S WORKED ON THIS ISSUE AND WANTED TO
BRING THIS ORDINANCE TO LIFE AND WAS REALLY TALK TO ME ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AUDIT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE HIM HIS DUE AND MAKING SPARKING THIS IDEA AND GIVING ME THE BEST
TIME TO CARRY FORWARD. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL I'LL ALSO HAVE OPENING REMARKS THEN WE'LL PASS IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL. WE ALL KNOW THAT BOSTON STANDS
AT A WATERSHED MOMENT IN ADDRESSING ITS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. WITH SO MANY RESIDENTS STRUGGLING TO SECURE STABLE HOMES, WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE EVERY TOOL AT OUR DISPOSAL. ONE OF BOSTON'S MOST POWERFUL YET UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS IS
PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY THAT IS NO LONGER SERVING ITS ORIGINAL FUNCTION. INSTEAD OF LETTING THESE BUILDINGS SIT VACANT OR BE SOLD WITHOUT PUBLIC BENEFIT, THIS ORDINANCE ENSURES THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE FIRST
PRIORITY WHEN REPURPOSING SURPLUS TO MUNICIPAL PROPERTY. AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FOR HER AS ALWAYS LEGISLATIVE SAVVY INVESTING MLH WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVALUATING
SURPLUS SITES FIRST, AS WE TAKE UP THIS MEASURE I'LL BE ASKING SEVERAL KEY QUESTIONS. FIRST, ANY SUCCESSES OR LESSONS LEARNED AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE CITYWIDE LAND AUDIT AND HOW WE CAN PULL FROM FROM THAT.
BUT MOSTLY MY QUESTIONS WILL BE AROUND CONSIDERING WHAT THE EXISTING NEEDS, DESIRES AND WANTS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE WHEN DETERMINING FUTURE USE. I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO WEIGH OTHER PRIORITIES.
THIS IS A YES AND CONVERSATION. YES AND HOUSING FOR ME YOU KNOW HOW ARE WE UTILIZING OPEN AND UNDER DEVELOPED LOTS FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS OR PERMEABLE SPACE CLIMATE RESILIENCE TO
BUILD OUR TREE CANOPY? HOW CAN WE DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? WE'VE SEEN IN EAST BOSTON THROUGH THE WORK OF THE EAST BOSTON CDC HOW A SURPLUS PROPERTY CAN BE TRANSFORMED THE LINEMAN SCHOOL, THE BARN SCHOOL
,THE CHEVERUS THE OLD FIRE STATION WHICH WASN'T THE EAST BOSTON CDC BUT IT NOW IS HOME TO A WORLD CLASS 21ST CENTURY MUSIC PROGRAM FOR ZOO MIX.
THE OLD LIBRARY IS UTILIZED BY THE VERONICA ROBLES CENTER IN THE NORTH END. WE HAVE THE FULTON STREET LOTS THAT WENT TO NAMPAK THE NORTH END MUSIC MUSICAL PERFORMANCE AND ART CENTER. IT HASN'T BEEN A PERFECT PROCESS BUT IT HAS SHOWN US THE
POSSIBILITIES. AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE WE CAN BUILD INTO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DETERMINED CLEAR METRICS THAT REFLECT EACH NEIGHBOR
NEIGHBORHOOD'S HIGHEST BEST USE . SO WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE AN EXCUSE ME I JUST WANT TO CHECK MY NOTES AND I
APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAMES. I APOLOGIZE. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, REBECCA. REBECCA THOMAS NOVICK. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME IF THAT'S WRONG. DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
DANIEL LESSER, CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND JIMMY SMITH, SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS.
PRESENTATION? WONDERFUL. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PRESENTATION WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY. WAS THAT SENT TO US? I BELIEVE IT WAS.
OKAY, LET'S JUST TAKE A QUICK RECESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT AND THAT IT'S GOING
TO BE ABLE TO BE DISPLAYED.
NO WORSE PROCESS
. WE ARE BACK IN SESSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING US FIGURE THAT OUT. EVERYBODY SHOULD NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE SLIDES IN THE FOLDER.
I THINK THAT WE MAY ALSO HAVE SOME PRINTOUTS BUT IT'S NOW DISPLAYED HERE IN THE COUNCIL SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I'M WONDERFUL. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I'M REBECCA THOMAS OF THE
DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THIS ORDINANCE AND I THINK THE TABLE SETTING THAT WAS DONE AT THE BEGINNING FROM ALL THE COUNSELORS. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A DEEP PRIORITY FOR BOTH THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND SOMETHING THAT DEEPLY THE CREATION OF WHICH DEEPLY GUIDES THE WORK THAT WE DO ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKING VACANT AND UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY AND CONVERTING THAT INTO THE HIGHER AND BETTER USE
. SO I'M GOING TO START THE PRESENTATION WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HOW THE PROCESS WORKS TO DATE AND THEN WE'LL TURN IT OVER AND SHARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHERE SURPLUS PROPERTY HAS BEEN
CONVERTED INTO HOUSING AND OTHER USES AS WELL. OOP. PERFECT. SO JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW
OF HOW THE SURPLUS PROPERTY PROCESS WORKS. THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT THAT IS SURPLUS IN THE PROPERTY SCHOOLS LIBRARIES SUBMITS A FORMAL LETTER REQUESTING THAT THE PROPERTY BE TRANSFERRED AND IS NO LONGER NEEDED.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THEN THEN PRESENT THE REQUEST TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION SEEKING APPROVAL TO TAKE THE PROPERTY INTO THE INVENTORY AND
PFC VOTES ON THE PROPERTY TRANSFER AND THAT WOULD MOVE THE PROPERTY INTO THE RELEVANT AGENCIES INVENTORY ITSELF. AND THEN BEFORE INITIATING A DISPOSITION PROCESS, EMILY OR
PLANNING SEEK THAT SURPLUS VOTE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL WHICH THEN AUTHORIZES THE THE DISPOSITION PROCESS TO BEGIN. SO ONCE THE SURPLUS VOTE IS APPROVED BY THE CITY
COUNCIL THAT IS WHEN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SURPLUS AND THEN START THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PROCESS. I THINK I'LL GET INTO THIS A
LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY BUT THE STAFF THEN ISSUE THE RFP AFTER EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES OUTLINED IN CHAPTER 30 B AND THEN ONCE THE DEVELOPER IS CHOSEN THROUGH THE RFP, THE
STAFF THEN RETURN TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION TO SECURE A TENTATIVE DESIGNATION FOR THE SELECTED DEVELOPER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. SO TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE
REFINEMENT ON THE DISPOSITION PROCESS ITSELF. SO DISPOSITION IS THE WAY IN WHICH BOSTON DEVELOPS BEACON OR UNDERUTILIZED CITY OWNED LAND FOR A MORE AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE AND RESILIENT USES.
SO THIS REALLY BEGINS WITH THE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS. SO I THINK AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT EUGENE MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT OF ANALYSIS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE FEASIBILITY OF THESE SITES. SO WE ANALYZE THE PARCELS,
PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THESE PROPERTIES THEMSELVES. AND THEN CONVERTING INTO A PUBLIC MEETING PROCESS WHICH IS A VERY ITERATIVE PROCESS
MULTIPLE MEETINGS TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED THERE AND ALSO RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND GATHER IDEAS. AND THAT INFORMATION IS INPUT AND AGAIN AS I MENTIONED THIS
CAN YIELD MULTIPLE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THEN TO A DRAFT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WHICH LAYS OUT THE GUIDELINES FOR THE PROPOSAL, THE RFP SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND THE EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT DRAFT RFP
GUIDELINES ARE THEN SHARED WITH COMMUNITY FOR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK AGAIN TO TRY TO MAKE THAT AN AS ITERATIVE A PROCESS AS POSSIBLE TO REFINE THAT RFP ITSELF AND THEN THE RFP ONCE
FINALIZED IS RELEASED TO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME USUALLY AROUND 90 DAYS FOR THEN DEVELOPERS TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS. WE THEN HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING TO REVIEW THE RFP PROPOSALS
WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THEN THE STRONGEST PROPOSAL IS CHOSEN BASED ON THE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WHICH THEN LEADS INTO THE TENTATIVE DESIGNATION AND FINAL DESIGNATION PROCESS WHICH THEN
COMPLETES DISPOSITION. I THINK ONE THING THAT WAS MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE OPENING REMARKS WAS THIS PROCESS DOES TAKE SOME TIME AND WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND WAYS TO SPEED THIS UP.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK IN WAYS THAT WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE ON THE DISPOSITION ITSELF. IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THE CITYWIDE LAND AUDIT WHICH WAS
COMPLETED IN JUNE OF 2022. AS WAS MENTIONED THE AUDIT IDENTIFIED 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF LAND IN THE BEACON AND UNDERUTILIZED CATEGORY WHICH IS
5.4% OF THE SQUARE FEET AND CITY OWNERSHIP. THE LANDOWNER HAS MUCH MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. A LOT OF THIS IS VACANT LAND BUT SOME OF IT DOES HAVE BUILDINGS WITHIN IT AND SO LOOKING TO REPURPOSE AND
READAPT THOSE PROPERTIES AS WELL. SO THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DAN LESTER TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO
IN PROGRESS ON THE LAND AUDIT. THANKS REBECCA. I'M DAN LESTER, THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. THANKS TO THE COUNCILORS FOR HAVING US TODAY.
SO JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAS COME OUT OF THE LANDLORD OR SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE COME OUT OF THE LAND AUDIT IS WE'VE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF LARGE OPPORTUNITY SITES WHERE WE THINK WE CAN DO LARGE DEVELOPMENTS OF NEW AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND OTHER USES ON THEM. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON A NUMBER OF THE SITES THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON. SO WE HAVE EIGHT LARGE OPPORTUNITY SITES OVERALL WITH
SIX IN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. OF THOSE SIX WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST OVER 1500 TOTAL HOUSING UNITS BEING CREATED AND OVER 1200 OF THEM BEING INCOME
RESTRICTED WITH 314 HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS. A NUMBER OF THEM ARE LARGE PARKING LOTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERUSED. SO ONE IN CHINATOWN, ONE IN CHARLESTOWN NEXT TO BUNKER HILL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND ONE IN
LOWER ROXBURY AT THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION PARKING LOTS. WE'RE ALSO BUILDING HOUSING OVER THREE LIBRARIES THE WEST END LIBRARY THAT'S IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW UPTON'S
CORNER THAT'S IN DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AND THE CHINATOWN LIBRARY THAT IS ABOUT TO START CONSTRUCTION IN THE COMING MONTH OR SO. WE'RE ALSO IN ONGOING PROCESS
AROUND THE EAST BOSTON FORMER POLICE STATION AS WELL AS THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION
MATTAPAN CAMPUS. AND THEN WE ALSO AS PART OF A FOLLOW UP ON THE LANDLORD HAVE A STRATEGY AROUND THE SMALL INFILL SITES AND WE'VE LAUNCHED
THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON PROGRAM WHICH IS A AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH AH IN THE THIRD PHASE THE FIRST TWO PHASES FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR
RESIDENTS MAKING BETWEEN 80 AND 100% OF THE MEDIAN INCOME. PHASE ONE IS IN CONSTRUCTION AND THEN PHASE TWO IS IN THE PROCESS OF CLOSING THEIR FINANCING AND GETTING THE FINAL
PERMITTING AND SHOULD GETTING TO CONSTRUCTION LATER THIS FALL. OVERALL IT'S 144 UNITS ACROSS DORCHESTER AND ROXBURY. AND THEN WE JUST LAUNCHED PHASE THREE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR
COLLEAGUES AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I GUESS TWO WEEKS AGO NOW AND THIS IS FOCUSED ON MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING 120%, 135%
OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND WE ARE LOOKING ALSO FOR KIND OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CONSTRUCTION TO SPEED UP THE TIMELINE AND LOWER COSTS. SO NOW I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE JANEY SMITH TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF PAST
PROJECTS THAT HAVE USED ADAPTIVE REUSE OF CITY RESOURCES. THANK YOU DAN GET MY NAME IS JANEY SMITH. I'M A SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE MANAGER WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO GO THROUGH SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO THAT I THINK REALLY SERVE AS GOOD EXAMPLES
OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE ON SURPLUS MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES. I'M GOING TO START WITH THE MICHELANGELO SCHOOL. THIS GOES BACK TO 2001 THAT WAS
REPURPOSED FOR 71 UNITS FOR LOW INCOME ELDERLY RESIDENTS AND INCLUDES SOME COMMERCIAL OPEN SPACES NEXT SHOULD GET THIS
RIGHT IN SOUTH BOSTON FORMER SOUTH BOSTON POLICE STATION WAS RENOVATED IN 2015 AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS THESE ARE
BOTH VETERANS HOUSING LLC IN SOUTH BOSTON AND DC CONVERTED THAT BUILDING INTO 24 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS FOR VETERANS.
THIS ONE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER AS WELL THE BOURNE SCHOOL WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1901, A HISTORIC BUILDING AND THAT WAS CONVERTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AS WELL FOR SENIORS IN 2007 74 UNITS READY IN STREET LIBRARY IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT THAT
DID NOT A NON HOUSING OUTCOME FOR A PROJECT BUT ONE THAT THE CITY WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR THE FOR THE RIGHT OUTCOME AND THAT WAS
ACQUIRED IN 2018 AND RENOVATED BY THE EAST BOSTON CDC AND COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO A COMMUNITY HUB WHICH HOUSES A NUMBER
OF LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTRIC ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES INCLUDING THE CDC. NBCC WELLNESS CENTER FOOD
PANTRY VERONICA ROBLES CULTURAL CENTER NEXT WERE MORE RECENT SUCCESSES. IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES AS OF COURSE IS THE PRIDE
WHICH IS THE CONVERSION OF THE WILLIAM BARTON ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL WHICH AGAIN A HISTORIC BUILDING BUILT IN 1899 AND THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL EARLY CONVERSION
INTO 74 INCOME RESTRICTING ARTS FOR LGBTQ PLUS FOR SENIORS AND THAT OPENED IN 2020 FOR ANOTHER
MORE RECENT PROJECT MORTON'S MORTON STATION VILLAGE 872 MORTON STREET WAS A FORMER POLICE STATION. THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY THE POLICE STATION WAS NOT IN GOOD
CONDITION SO THE CITY ACTUALLY DEMOLISHED THE PROPERTY AND COMBINE IT WITH ANOTHER ADJACENT PROPERTY AND OFFERED IT FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND THAT
WAS TRANSFORMED INTO 40 UNITS OF MIXED INCOME TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WHICH INCLUDED BOTH RENTAL AND HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS AND THIS WAS COMPLETED IN 2024 AND ALSO
THROUGH A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY PORTION OF THE PROPERTY WAS DEDICATED TO THE STEPHEN POTENT SERENITY
GARDEN WHICH WAS A CPA SUPPORTED COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE . NEXT THE BURNS AVENUE LIBRARY ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A NON
HOUSING OUTCOME BUT AGAIN ONE THAT WE THINK WAS GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY. THIS FORMER LIBRARY WAS RENOVATED BY THE PUBLIC
FACILITIES COMMISSION AND CONVERTED INTO A EAST BOSTON SENIOR CENTER IN 2022 IN THE
FORMER GROVE HALL LIBRARY IN 2016 WAS REPURPOSED AS THE FREEDOM HOUSE FOR LET'S SAY A COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE TO SUPPORT YOUTH PROGRAMING.
FREEDOM HOUSE MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FABRIC OF TINY COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM HOUSE CELEBRATED ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2024 AND
NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE REBECCA TO TALK ABOUT SOME CURRENT ONGOING PROJECTS AND THANK YOU. SO JUST TO ROUND OUT A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES SO SOME OF THE
ONES THAT ARE ACTIVE IN THE DISPOSITION PROCESS RIGHT NOW THE CRESCENT PARCEL IS A PROJECT THAT IS MADE UP OF BOTH SURPLUS PARCELS FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND BPA
PARCELS IT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED FOR DREXEL VILLAGE. IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE PLAN TO BE IN PROCESS FOR AS VACANT LAND THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO BUILD 217 NEW RESIDENTIAL HOMES 88% OF WHICH WOULD BE AFFORDABLE WITH ALSO THE PROVISION OF OPEN SPACE, COMMUNITY SPACE FOR DAYCARE AND A CAFÉ RETAIL SPACE.
THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY DOES HAVE ITS ARTICLE 80 APPROVAL AND IS IN THE PIPELINE FOR FINANCING AS WELL AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD. AND THE LAST EXAMPLE WE HAVE TO
SHARE WITH YOU TODAY IS THE FORMER EAST BOSTON POLICE STATION OF WHICH A COMMUNITY PROCESS HAS BEGUN. THIS PROPERTY IS EXPECTED TO BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S INVENTORY SHORTLY
FROM THE THE PPD INVENTORY THIS PROPERTY WAS VACATED IN 2023 WHEN THE DISTRICT SEVEN STATION WAS MOVED TO EAST EAGLE STREET. WE ANTICIPATE THE SURPLUS PROCESS IN THE COMING MONTHS.
WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY. THIS BUILDING IS ATTACHED TO A TRIAL COURT THAT IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY CAM AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM CLOSELY TO ESTABLISH THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THESE TWO PROPERTIES TO MAKE
SURE THAT AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN THE PROCESS THAT SIMPLIFIED AND WE CAN BE VERY CLEAR WITH ONE AT THE BOUNDARY FOR THE TRIAL COURT AREA AND THEN WHAT WILL BE CONVERTED BASED ON THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
AND USE WE'VE STARTED THE CONVERSATION. THERE'S BEEN SOME INTEREST IN HOUSING. I THINK THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF INTEREST WE'VE RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO REPURPOSE THIS SPACE FOR A CONSORTIUM OF COMMUNITY USES AS
WELL. SO REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT PROPERTY AND PROCESS MOVE FORWARD AS WELL. SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR A DIALOG ON THIS
AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT THOROUGH AND VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE IT AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED AND SOME THINGS
THAT ARE ONGOING. I'LL NOW PASS IT TO THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND I WON'T HAVE A TIMER ON THIS JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF US HERE SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE YOUR TIME.
I THINK IF WE GO BEYOND TEN I MAY YEAH, YOU MAY MAY WANT TO. YOU MAY WANT TO ON ME I MAY IT I'M JUST GOING TO I'M A TIMER SO. ALL RIGHT, 8 MINUTES. HOW ABOUT THAT? OKAY. OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU.
JUST TO KEEP ME IN LINE AND TO RESPECT MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING THIS ONE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION AND I'M EQUALLY EXCITED. I JUST WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT
JUST WANT TO JUST DIVE IN PROPOSED ORDINANCE. ONE OF THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT UNDER OUR PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS THAT WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE TRANSFER TO PFC IS THERE WOULD
BE REQUIRED A DROP OF TERMINATION FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND EVALUATION THAT THE PROPERTY WHETHER IT COULD BE USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSIDERING REDEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES,
ZONING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN ALIGNMENT WITH HOUSING NEEDS DO YOU SEE THAT AS AN OBSTACLE TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING? WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON SORT OF HAVING THAT REQUIREMENT NOT TAKING AWAY FOR THAT RFP PROCESS BECAUSE THERE WOULD
STILL BE ONE BUT WHAT ABOUT THINK ABOUT THIS 90 DAY REQUIREMENT RIGHT. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT FIRST. I THINK WE YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION SHARES THE AIMS OF THE ORDINANCE AROUND
THINKING ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL THE SURPLUS BUILDINGS. I THINK THE 90 DAYS I THINK ARCHITECTURE WOULD BE THAT THAT WOULD BE SHORT OF BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE BE ABLE TO
HAVE AN IN-DEPTH COMMITTEE PROCESS AND SO WE DEFINITELY COULD DO A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AROUND FEASIBILITY FROM LIKE A BUILDING STANDPOINT ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT I THINK WANTING TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH COMMITTEE PROCESS LIKE
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EAST BOSTON POLICE STATION TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT WANT TO BE SURFACED OR THERE ARE SOME TRADEOFFS AROUND HOW WE THINK ABOUT OPEN SPACE AND AND HOUSING OR CULTURAL
SPACE ETC. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE OUR CONCERN ABOUT TIMING. YEAH AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY I THINK THIS IS JUST AN INTERNAL LIKE IT DOESN'T FORGO A COMMUNITY PROCESS. IT IS AN INTERNAL INTERNAL
DETERMINATION FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING ABOUT WHETHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR THE FOR THE SITE AND IT'S ALSO I MEAN MORE WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT IT'S NOT
SAYING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND A SENIOR CENTER ON THE SITE OR IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AN EARLY CHILD CARE CENTER ON THE SITE IT'S NOT
EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THE ORDINANCE ABOUT POTENTIAL MIXED INCOME HOUSING AND I'M NOT AT ANY POINT SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD FORGO A COMMUNITY PROCESS BUT IT IN TURN INTERNAL
DECISION BY MORTGAGE ABOUT WHETHER THE THE SITE IS FEASIBLE TO GIVE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING THAT RIGHT REDEVELOPMENT WHICH IT KIND
OF HAS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT ANYWAYS BUT IT CODIFIES THAT BY BY REQUIRING A WRITTEN DETERMINATION AND IF IT'S 90 DAYS IS TOO SHORT OF A PERIOD WE COULD TALK ABOUT A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS NOT A WORKING SESSION SO I APOLOGIZE IF IT FEELS LIKE
I'M DOING WORKING SESSION TYPE WORK BUT WE COULD LAY THAT OUT. BUT ANOTHER THING THAT YOU KNOW REBECCA WRIGHT AND EVERYONE WAS HIGHLIGHTING WAS WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD HAVE LOVED
IN THIS PRESENTATION IS THE TIMELINES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON LIKE WHEN DID IT COME OFF LINE AS AT MUNICIPAL PROPERTY WHEN DID THESE GORGEOUS DEVELOPMENTS AND WHEN DO THEY HAPPEN?
WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG? HOW DO YOU SPEED THAT UP AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF OUR ORDINANCE GOES ALL THE WAY BUT IT ALSO IS TRYING TO GET AT THAT SPEED FACTOR. YEAH, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THAT
90 DAYS IF IF IT'S JUST INTERNAL FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT AND OFTEN WE HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PART OF PRIOR TO THAT PFC PROCESS. SO WHAT I THINK WE CAN BRING THAT BACK BUT I THINK 90 DAYS
IS LIKELY FINE OR MAYBE SLIGHTLY LONGER BUT I THINK WE CAN DO IT IF IT'S JUST THE FOCUS IN TERMS OF THE INTERNAL PROCESS RIGHT. THANK YOU. HOW DOES COORDINATION CURRENTLY HAPPEN BETWEEN THE PROPERTY
HOLDING DEPARTMENT, THE PFC AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING? YEAH, TYPICALLY THAT JUST STARTS WITH OUTREACH TO OUR DEPARTMENT USUALLY JUST IN THE
FORM OF A LETTER FROM THAT DEPARTMENT SAYING THIS PROPERTY NO LONGER NEEDED FOR YOU AS WILL USE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND REQUESTING THAT IN LATER PLANNING EXCEPT CUSTODY THROUGH
THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION AND LIKE LET'S SAY BECAUSE I'VE ALSO HEARD THIS LET'S SAY IT'S A SCHOOL THAT IS NO LONGER BEING USED AS A SCHOOL BUT IS BEING USED AS AN EDUCATIONAL TRAINING FACILITY
OR AS ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING THAT WILL OR LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSAL PRE-K OR EARLY CHILD CARE. SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT LESS ABOUT THAT WHAT THAT CAN SAY WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF IPS BUT
SHOULD IT STAY WITHIN LIKE A GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE? THERE'S NO TRANSFER HAPPENING BECAUSE IT'S STILL BEING USED FOR THE INTENDED MUNICIPAL PURPOSE WILL STILL BE THE CUSTODIAN OF THAT PROPERTY. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY.
IN PRACTICE HOW ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPOSALS PRIORITIZED WHEN SURPLUS PROPERTY BECOMES AVAILABLE AND HOW DO YOU WEIGH THAT PRIORITY AGAINST OTHER MUNICIPAL USES? SO I THINK IF IF WE WOULDN'T BE
THINKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IF IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN SURPLUS TO READY SO AT THAT POINT IT WOULD SAY THERE WAS NO MUNICIPAL USE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER COMMUNITY USES AND THEN I THINK WE WOULD BOTH LOOK AT INTERNAL
THE FEASIBILITY OF THE SITE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEN THE IN-DEPTH COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND FROM THOSE TWO THINGS WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION AND AS REBECCA TALKED ABOUT ISSUE AN RFP TO SAY WE THINK AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IS THE RIGHT USE FOR THE SPACE. WHAT ARE THE RIGHT USES? THE QUESTION I HAVE THAT THIS ORDINANCE DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADDRESS BUT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT CAN'T ADDRESS IT IS THAT IS
THERE A LAG OFTENTIMES WHEN A MUNICIPAL BUILDING IS NO LONGER BEING USED FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE AND WHEN THE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIES THE IDENTIFIES A
PROPERTY IS NO LONGER NEEDED FOR OPERATIONS? RIGHT. SO LIKE IS THERE A LAG WHEN THE SCHOOL CLOSES AND WHEN NOTICE IS GIVEN TO PFC?
I THINK THERE CAN BE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE'S NO FUTURE MUNICIPAL USE. SO I THINK THERE'S A PROCESS IN OUR OPERATIONS CABINET THINKS ABOUT LIKE ARE THERE OTHER
MUNICIPAL USES YOU KNOW, IF IT'S YOU KNOW THE SCHOOL MAY BE THINKING ABOUT THAT USES OR TEMPORARY USES. SO I THINK THERE IS A PROCESS AND THERE CAN BE SOME LAG BEFORE THE DETERMINATION TO GO THROUGH A SEARCH BLESSING
PROCESS SHOULD WE GIVE CUSTODIANS A FINITE PERIOD OF TIME FOR THEM TO BE DOING THIS LAG IN THINKING? I THINK YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE A COMPLICATED DECISION AND
SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, FOR FOR EXAMPLE THEY MAY NEED TEMPORARY SWING SPACE THAT THEY WANT TO USE. SO I THINK I THINK WE'D BE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED OF HAVING A VERY TIME BOUND PROCESS JUST
BECAUSE I THINK HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT MUNICIPAL USES AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANY HIGHER MUNICIPAL USE BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE SURPLUS PROCESS PROCESS BECAUSE ONCE WE DO THAT
LIKE THERE'S NO ABILITY TO HAVE A MUNICIPAL USE AFTERWARDS. THANK YOU. I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE AND AGAIN I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE OTHER FOLKS WHO CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR PROCESS
AND THEIR TIME AGAIN, I MY SISTERS WENT TO THE RODGERS. I WAS A REBEL. I WENT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN DORCHESTER BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS WERE GOING THERE SO I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T GO TO THE RODGERS. BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT SCHOOL
LYING DORMANT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AFTER IT WAS NO LONGER BEING USED AT ALL FOR YEARS. AND SO HOW DO WE AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS BEING USED AS
GREEN SPACE EITHER. IT WAS JUST BEING USED FOR NOTHING. SO HOW DO WE AVOID THAT? YEP. NO, I THINK WE TOTALLY HEAR THAT. I THINK WE AGREE IN A CONCERNED OF HAVING A LONG VACANT BUILDINGS BOTH BECAUSE IT'S A
BETTER USE AND ALSO BECAUSE THE BUILDING STARTS FALL APART AND RIGHT AND THERE'S LESS CHANCE FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE AND SO I THINK WE WOULD YOU KNOW WELCOME TO THINKING ABOUT OPTIONS THERE AND I THINK WE JUST WANT TO BRING IN OTHER COLLEAGUES LIKE
OPERATIONS CABINET WHO IS PLAYING A LEADERSHIP ROLE ABOUT MUNICIPAL USES. YEAH. SO HOW DO WE SO LIKE SO FOR ME I THINK THAT'S WHY CODIFICATION IS IMPORTANT. HOW DO WE LIKE IT?
THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE DO WE CODIFY A TIME PERIOD IN A WAY AFTER WHICH LIKE THERE IS A REQUIREMENT MAYBE I MEAN I'M GIVING MYSELF AND MY TEAM MORE WORK PERHAPS IN THIS ORDINANCE
TO SAY LIKE IF A BUILDING MAYBE HASN'T BEEN GIVEN A LABEL OF NO LONGER BEING NEEDED FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE THAT WE GET A REPORT EVERY YEAR FROM
DEPARTMENT THAT COMES BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL EXPLAINING WHY THIS BUILDING WHICH IS DORMANT BUT HASN'T BEEN TRANSFERRED OR HASN'T BEEN DEEMED IS NO LONGER
NEEDED FOR OPERATIONS. WHY IT'S STILL LYING DORMANT AND SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD ADDITION FOR US TO HAVE. I HEAR MY TIMER I'M GOING TO RESPECT MY CHAIR AND ALLOW MY
COLLEAGUES ASK QUESTIONS BUT I HAVE A WHOLE WHOLE LOT MORE. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR DURKAN. SHE CAME IN A WHILE AGO.
I APOLOGIZE COUNCILOR DURKIN AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR PFM, COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR IN 8 MINUTES
. I THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. AND JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS MY COLLEAGUE ASKED BUT AND BEFORE
I DO THAT THERE WAS A SCHOOL IN SOUTH BOSTON JOHN BOYLE RILEY SCHOOL THAT WAS CONVERTED INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNDER UNDER MAYOR FOUR AND SO ON AND TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL BUT ON THE OTHER HAND SAY THERE'S A SCHOOL IN SOUTH BOSTON ALREADY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS CONVERTED FOR NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING JUST
SAFE FOR MARKET RATE HOUSING THIS ONE IN SOUTH BOSTON IT'S CALLED THE THE TUCKERMAN SCHOOL IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE TUCKERMAN SCHOOL.
BUT WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON ON THE CITY OF BOSTON FINANCIALLY IF SURPLUS BUILDING IS USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR IT'S USED
FOR NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MARKET RATE HOUSING VISIT IS THERE ANY FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS TO THE TO THE TO THE CITY? YEAH, I THINK THE THE BIGGEST ONE IS THE TYPICALLY IF IT'S A
SUBSIDIZED AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE THE ACQUISITION PRICE WOULD BE NOMINAL VERSUS A MARKET RATE. THERE WOULD BE AN EXPECTATION FOR AN ACQUISITION OF THE STOCK . SO THE CITY OF BOSTON WOULD
WOULD RECEIVE MARKET RATE FEE FAIR VALUE FOR THE CURRENT MUNICIPAL BUILDING IS IS THAT ACCURATE? SAY YES. YES I GUESS I WOULD JUST ADD I
THINK GIVEN THE VERY SOMEWHAT LIMITED INVENTORY THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS AND THE PRIORITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION, IT IS VERY RARE THAT WE WOULD DISPOSE OF PROPERTY FOR YOU KNOW, THE
AT THE HIGHEST DOLLAR FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU KNOW WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY USE AND HAVE IT IT BE BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE LAND OF THE CITY TO AS A
FORM OF SUBSIDY FOR THESE USES THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE DEVELOPED IN A MARKET RATE CONDITION. OKAY SO SO JUST TO PARAPHRASE
THAT IS THE CITY'S TOP PRIORITY WOULD NOT BE TO GET MARKET RATE FUND MARKET RATE IN RETURN THE
CITY'S MAIN POINT MAIN GOAL IS TO USE IT FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT. EXACTLY. OKAY. OKAY. YOU KNOW THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S
GOOD TO KNOW AND AND I APPRECIATE THAT DO YOU HAVE AND I THINK YOU MAY HAVE COVERED IT IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENT BUT DO YOU HAVE AN INVENTORY
INVENTORY OR IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WORKING ON NOW OF POSSIBLE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS THAT MAY BE HEADED IN THIS IN THIS
DIRECTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE MEETING THAT ARE THEIR LIFE AS A MUNICIPAL BUILDING IS NO LONGER NEEDED SO THE CITYWIDE LAND AUDIT IN 2022 DID HAVE
SOME PROPERTIES BUILDINGS IN PARTICULAR THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THAT IS BOSTON POLICE STATION. I THINK CERTAINLY A LOT HAS EVOLVED SINCE THAT TIME AND SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE OPERATIONS CABINET BEPS ON YOU
KNOW WHAT IS REALLY THAT NEXT TRANCHE OF PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE SO THEY WOULD HAVE THE BEST INDICATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE SURPLUS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE LAND AUDIT ITSELF CAPTURED
WAS AT A POINT IN TIME AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INVENTORY ANALYSIS IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND WE ARE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED IN THE
NEAR FUTURE. SO IT'S A IT'S CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND I THINK THAT'S THE WORK THAT THE OPERATIONS CABINET CABINET IS DOING OKAY.
WHAT IS THE SO I'M JUST I JUST AGAIN WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS BUT IF IT'S A MUNICIPAL BUILDING IN IN
THE IN THE IN THE CITY WANTS IT TO BE USED FOR HOUSING BUT MAYBE THE RESIDENTS WANT IT TO BE USED FOR ANOTHER REASON. MAYBE IT'S A COMMUNITY CENTER
OR A SENIORS CITY CENTER. TELL ME ABOUT HOW THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WOULD WORK AND HOW WOULD YOU COME TO DECISION AS TO WHETHER
TO BE MADE, WHETHER IT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY'S PURPOSE SUCH AS A COMMUNITY CENTER, SENIOR CENTER OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? HOW HOW WOULD THAT PROCESS WORK? I THINK WE'D GO THROUGH WE
WOULD FIRST HAVE A KIND OF SAY SITE ASSESSMENT TO UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBILITIES IN THE SITE AND THEN I THINK WE WOULD GO THROUGH A IN-DEPTH COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT WE'RE KIND OF REBECCA HELPED OUTLINE WHICH WOULD BE MULTIPLE COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO BOTH KIND OF SHARE
OUR SITE ASSESSMENT, SHARE THE HISTORY OF THE SITE AND THEN HAVE IT A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE WOULD TALK TO THE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE COUNCILORS AND OTHERS AND AND
AND THEN BASED ON THAT WOULD TRY TO COME TO A DETERMINATION I THINK WE REALLY TRY TO CENTER COMMUNITY NEEDS AND SO I THINK WE WOULD YOU KNOW, TRY TO BAKE INTO YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A VERY
STRONG COMMUNITY DESIRE THAT WAS UNIFIED THAT INTO THE RFP PROCESS. AND THEN AS REBECCA TALKED ABOUT, WE WOULD PUT OUT A DRAFT RFP SO THAT BEFORE WE WENT OUT FORMALLY COMMITTEE MEMBERS COULD SEE WHAT WE ACTUALLY WERE
PRIORITIZING IN THE RFP AND GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK. AND THEN ONCE YOU PUT THE RFP THAT GOT SUBMISSIONS WE WOULD THEN SHARE THE TOP SUBMISSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
SAY HEY, YOU KNOW WE ASKED FOR THIS USE, WE GOT BACK SOME SOME SUBMISSIONS AND HERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT DEVELOPERS ARE PROPOSING. WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? AND THEN WE WOULD WITH THAT PLUS SOME MORE TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF THE CRITERIA
OF THE SUBMISSIONS WOULD MAKE A DECISION. I WOULD JUST ADD I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED IS THE CO-LOCATION OF USES. I THINK THE CHINATOWN LIBRARY
WHICH HAS 110 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ABOVE IT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHERE YOU CAN HAVE BOTH. I OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTAND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE OR NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WAS A DEEP NEED THERE IN CHINATOWN.
I'VE BEEN WITHOUT A LIBRARY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE LEVERAGING THE SITE TO THE BEST OF THE ABILITY JUST GIVEN THAT THE CITY LAND IS AT A PREMIUM AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THAT AVAILABLE. SO THE ABILITY TO HAVE BOTH
OF THOSE USES IN THE SAME LOCATION WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A BIG WIN FOR THAT SITE IN PARTICULAR AND SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IN OTHER PLACES. AND I THINK JUST TO ADD A GREAT CURRENT EXAMPLE IS IN MISSION
HILL THERE IS A SET OF CITY OWNED LAND THAT WE CALL THE PARK PARKER TERRACE SITE THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING BOTH HOUSING AND OPEN SPACE AN URBAN FARM ON.
AND SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT USE OF KIND OF MULTIPLE USES ON CITY OWNED LAND. YEAH, THANK YOU. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE CHINATOWN LIBRARY. IT'S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE RESIDENTS IN
CHINATOWN BUT ALSO AS YOU KNOW IT NEIGHBORS THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. BUT WHAT I REALLY RESPECT ABOUT THE NEW LIBRARY IS ITS COMMITMENT TO OUR IMMIGRANT
ROOTS BUT ALSO BEING RESPECTFUL TO THE CANTONESE SPEAKING RESIDENTS AS WELL ENSURING THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR THEM AT THE LIBRARY.
AND LET ME ASK MY FINAL QUESTION SO IF THE CITY GAVE THE CITY AS AN EXAMPLE HAD A SURPLUS PROPERTY AND THEY PARTNERED OR THEY GAVE THE
PROPERTY FOR A A SMALL FEE OR FOR NOTHING I DON'T KNOW TO A NONPROFIT COMMUNITY BASED NONPROFIT THEN IS THE CITY ALSO
RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPORTING THAT NONPROFIT FINANCIALLY IN TERMS OF BUILDING HOUSING AS WELL? DOES THE CITY THEN CONTRIBUTE
TO THE FINANCIAL PLAN TO BUILD HOUSING HOUSING EVEN THOUGH THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY GAVE THE NOT THE BUILDING ITSELF FREE TO THE TO THE DEVELOPER TEAM OR TO
THE NONPROFIT IN QUITE OFTEN YES AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEALS ARE PRETTY COMPLEX AND INVOLVES FUNDING SOURCES FROM A LOT OF PLACES STATE AND CITY
RESOURCES. OFTENTIMES A DEVELOPER WILL COME IN TO ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING DIVISION FUNDING ROUNDS FOR FOR FUNDING TO HELP CREATE THAT AFFORDABLE
SO SO IF YOU IF YOU GAVE AWAY THE PROPERTY FOR NOTHING AND SAY YOU COULD HAVE GONE I'M JUST I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD AND YOU COULD HAVE SOLD IT ON THE MARKET SAY FOR $4 MILLION
AND THEN THEN THE CITY IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING ANOTHER $4 MILLION JUST JUST THINKING OUT LOUD AGAIN FOR FOR THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING SO THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTED BASICALLY 8 MILLION OR IF THEY SOLD IT TO A NONPROFIT IF THEY SOLD IT TO A PRIVATE PERSON THEY COULD THEY
COULD MAKE A BIG FEE FOR THE FOR THE TAXPAYERS. IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE TO SAY SO IT IS ACCURATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WOULD WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY IF WE SOLD IT. I THINK WE THINK IT'S A VERY
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND WE'RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS AND SO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER THE CITY MAKING FINANCIAL GAINS OUT OF IT.
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE LAND AWAY FOR A NOMINAL FEE AND THEN JUST HOW THE THE HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO BUILD IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT ISN'T
ENOUGH FOR FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SO WE WOULD LIKELY BE GIVING A ADDITIONAL SUBSIDY THAT'S BEEN 8 MINUTES.
I THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR DURKAN ANOTHER 8 MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND SO I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS EFFORT BUT ALSO HAVING TALKED
TO SOME FOLKS FROM PUBLIC FACILITIES. IT DOES SEEM LIKE SORT OF BLESSING IS THE LAST SCENARIO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A PROPERTY OR IT'S IT'S
SOMETHING THAT IS LIKE THE FINAL STEP. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING A TOP PRIORITY I FEEL LIKE THE WORK
HAPPENS WAY BEFORE OF SURPLUS SAYING IT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, EVERY PROPERTY THAT'S AVAILABLE THERE.
DEFINITELY I WANT TO SHOUT OUT I KNOW AND TY IS HERE FROM MADISON PARK CDC AND RICH IS HERE FROM FUNDER AC DC IT'S LIKE THERE ARE SOME GREAT FOLKS AND AND OBVIOUSLY FROM THE
PRIDE YEAH SO WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE THAT KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS WORK IS BUT ALSO KNOWING THE CITY I HAVE NOT HAD TO I KNOW THE SORT
OF BLESSING OF OUR PROPERTY HAPPENS THROUGH THE COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR RIGHT NOW PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION AND I HAVEN'T HAD TO SERVE AS A PROPERTY THAT THIS WHOLE YEAR
SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A THING THAT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. ARE THERE SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY IS CONSIDERING SERVE BLESSING AT THIS MOMENT?
SO I THINK THE OPERATIONS CABINET IS REALLY LEADS THAT PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND A PROPERTY SHOULD BE SURPLUS. THE ONE THAT IS MOST RECENT IS ACTUALLY NOT BUILDING BUT VACANT LAND.
SO THE CRESCENT PARCELS WHICH ARE FORMERLY PUBLIC WORKS OWNED ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TO ENABLE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ROXBURY. THAT'S THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE
I THINK IN TERMS OF I KNOW COUNCIL COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHN MENTIONED A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS THOSE ARE ACTIVE AND ONGOING CONVERSATIONS BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I THINK YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE PER SE
EXACTLY WHEN THOSE SURPLUSES WOULD HAPPEN AND I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MISSED OPPORTUNITY NOT TO HAVE BEEPS AT THIS HEARING JUST BECAUSE I THINK THEY ARE THE MOST CAREFUL
ABOUT REPLACING ANYTHING. THEY WOULD RATHER CHANGE ANY SCHOOL INTO OFFICE SPACE THAN SORT OF GIVE IT AWAY TO HOUSING AND I THINK I'VE BEEN PART
OF SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE IS ACTUALLY GETTING LEADERSHIP TO BUY IN TO THAT SOME PARKING
LOTS SOME PARKING THING NEED TO BE UTILIZED FOR SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PARKING LOTS AS WELL. SO ONE THING I'M KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT NOT
CONCERNED ABOUT IS JUST LOOKING AT THE PAST HISTORY OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR PUBLIC USE. THERE ARE ALMOST MOST OF THEM
ARE REUSE AND I THINK THAT MORE PUBLIC GOOD COULD BE DONE WITH MORE UNITS. BUT I THINK THE DREXEL VILLAGE PROPERTY IS LIKE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF LIKE THE IDEAL
OF LIKE GETTING A LOT OF HOUSING. I'M JUST CURIOUS SORT OF YOUR THOUGHTS OBVIOUSLY WITH MATERIALS LABOR AND INTEREST RATES FOR DEVELOPMENT
SKYROCKETED THING I THINK MORE PUBLIC GOOD COULD BE DONE WITH LIKE MORE DENSITY AND I'M JUST CURIOUS I HAVE SEEN SOME PROPERTIES BE GIVEN OVER TO
NONPROFITS FOR LIKE VERY LITTLE MONEY AND THEN WE GO TO THE RIBBON CUTTING AND THERE'S LIKE THREE UNITS AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE MOST GOOD AND SOMETIMES THAT DOES
MEAN RUBBING AGAINST THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT TO SAY WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO MORE. WE ACTUALLY NEED TO BE MORE AMBITIOUS. I THINK ON A SITE BASIS CASE BY
CASE THINKING ABOUT A CASE BY CASE I THINK WE WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO THINK ABOUT LIKE HOW CAN WE BEST USE THIS FOR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. I THINK WE ALWAYS KIND OF GO TOWARDS ADAPTIVE REUSE
OF EXISTING BUILDINGS FIRST TO MAINTAIN OFTEN THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS WITH LOTS OF HISTORY BUT ALSO JUST FROM LIKE A MATERIALS AND CLIMATE PERSPECTIVE IT'S MUCH BETTER YOU KNOW NOT TO HAVE TO YOU
KNOW, TAKE THAT DOWN AND BUILD NEW BUILDINGS. BUT I DO THINK THERE'S AN INTERESTING EXAMPLES OF MAINTAINING THE BUILDING AND THEN BUILDING MORE HOUSING AROUND IT. AND SO I THINK THAT WE WE WOULD
BE OPEN TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER PARTNERS. YEAH AND I THINK OBVIOUSLY OUR OUR ZONING IS OUTDATED SO SIMPLY SAYING WE'RE GOING TO
GIVE AWAY THIS PROPERTY TO A NONPROFIT FOR A DOLLAR NOT A DOLLAR BUT YOU KNOW FOR A DOLLAR AND YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD THE TWO FAMILY HOUSE THAT LOOKS TO THE LEFT AND TO THE
RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY. I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT LIKE SIXES AND IN MY DISTRICT MAYBE TEN STOREYS SOMETIMES. SO I THINK I JUST WANT TO PUT
THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I THINK IF WE WERE SELLING SOME OF THESE PARCELS FOR COMMERCIAL USE THAT'S WHAT OUR YOU KNOW AT MARKET RATE USE THAT'S WHAT A DEVELOPER WOULD BE PROPOSING IN
THESE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I THINK WE ALMOST NEED TO APPROACH OUR OWN PROPERTIES WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF SCRUTINY THAT A DEVELOPER WOULD I WOULD SAY WHEN WE LOOK TO THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF A PROPERTY WE DO DO A ZONING ANALYSIS OF KNOW CERTAINLY WHAT THE EXISTING ZONING IS BUT WHAT IS IT IN THE CONTEXT OF YOU KNOW, THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE ZONING HAS BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED AND SO THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT FACTORS DEEPLY INTO OUR ANALYSIS AND IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE PERCEIVE A GREATER OUTCOME COULD BE ACHIEVED WITH A ZONING VARIATION OR SOME TYPE OF CHANGE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER THROUGH THE PROCESS AND CERTAINLY INFORMED
BY THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE WOULDN'T YOU KNOW, TAKE OUT THAT ON YES BY OURSELVES. BUT I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THAT WELL AND I WATCHED BPA AFTER BPA MEETING WHERE WE ALLOW LIKE A
LOT OF YOU KNOW AND THEN WE ALLOW A LOT OF PEOPLE TO SAY OH, I CAN'T THIS PROJECT CAN'T PENCIL SO IT HAS TO BE TEN FLOORS HIGHER THAN THE ZONING
AND I HAVE WATCHED IN MY DISTRICT THAT BE APPROVED AFTER APPROVED AFTER APPROVED MANY OF WHICH I'VE SUPPORTED, MOST OF WHICH I'VE SUPPORTED BUT WE
NEED TO BE ABLE TO TO SAY FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW THE SAME DENSITY AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE NOTICED WHEN SOMETHING IS RFP THAT THAT
DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. SO I JUST I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT SO I DO THINK IN TERMS
OF THIS ORDINANCE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE NEED IS THERE. IT'S CLEAR THAT I KNOW THAT TO 2024 GREATER BOSTON HOUSING REPORT SAID THAT IF JUST 5%
OF STATE AND MUNICIPAL OWNED VACANT LAND WAS USED THAT COULD RESULT IN 8500 UNITS OF HOUSING. AND I KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR DOING A LOT AND THERE'S A HUGE
PROJECT IN BROCKTON HAPPENING AND THERE'S HUGE PRIDE. THERE'S HUGE PROJECTS AROUND AROUND THE AROUND MASSACHUSETTS AND SHE'S RELEASING HUNDREDS
OF ACRES OF UNUSED LAND. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE LAND THAT THE CITY OWNS ISN'T ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE CITY. IT'S OWNED BY THE EDA. HAS THERE BEEN A CONVERSATION
ABOUT WHAT EDC LAND COULD BE MOVED OVER TO THE CITY FOR FOR SORT OF THAT THOUGHTFULNESS? YEAH. SO YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ITSELF DOES MANAGE
THE BOTH THE EDC AND THE AREA PROPERTIES THAT WE CONSIDER IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING OR SO I THINK SOME OF THE EXAMPLES IN THE LAND OUT IN IN PARTICULAR
WERE BRE OR EDC PROPERTY THE AUSTIN STREET LOFTS IS AN EXAMPLE THE CHINATOWN PARKING LOT IN AT 290 TREMONT AND SO WE REALLY VIEW IT AS ONE COHESIVE INVENTORY I DON'T THINK THE
FACT THAT IT'S BPA VERSUS CITY REALLY CHANGES HOW WE HOW WE VIEW THAT PROPERTY AND SORRY I JUST HAVE ONE LAST COMMENT. I KNOW ONE OF THE SORT OF EXAMPLES OF OF THIS IS THE
WEST END LIBRARY PROJECT. WE'RE ALL REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I JUST MET WITH THE DEVELOPER AND POHA I DO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT SORT OF TICKING THROUGH THE ARTICLE 80 PROCESS. I THINK THAT THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WAS LITERALLY THOUGHT OF BY A COMMUNITY THAT COMMUNITY VERY MUCH SUPPORTS
THAT COMMUNITY IS ON OUR BACKS TO GET DONE. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE CUTTING AS MUCH RED TAPE AS POSSIBLE ON PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LITERALLY ASKING FOR SO WHEN I HEAR OH WE'RE
CHECKING DOWN THE LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE HAS TO DO, I JUST THINK THAT THAT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MAYOR'S, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE ORDER WHERE SHE SAID LET'S CUT YOU KNOW,
RED TAPE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT FOR THAT PROJECT IN PARTICULAR AND I JUST WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE CHAIR THANK YOU COUNCILOR DEREK. AND I'LL ALSO GIVE MYSELF 8
MINUTES ALTHOUGH SOME OF MY QUESTIONS ON TIMELINE ADEQUACY WERE ALREADY ASKED BY MY COLLEAGUE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN UM THAT'S BEEN CLARIFIED. I DO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL
CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AROUND THE PROCESS I'M JUST YOU KNOW I'VE GOTTEN THIS TODAY AND I'M JUST TRYING TO TICK THROUGH AND UNDERSTAND FULLY AND SO I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS REDUNDANT BUT AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
WE HAD SAW WITHIN THE CHARTER ABOUT THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION HOLDING THE PROPERTY AND THEN HAVING IT GO TO EMMA OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND SO THE FIRST STEP IS THE
RELEVANT DEPARTMENT THE SCHOOL OR LIBRARY SUBMITS A FORMAL LETTER REQUESTING THAT THE PROPERTY BE TRANSFERRED SINCE IT'S NO LONGER NEEDED AND THAT FORMAL LETTER GOES TO THE PFC AND THE PFC CONTROLS THE
PROPERTY. IS THAT TRUE OR IS THAT IT WOULD GO TO IN THE CASE OF MLH IT WOULD GO TO THE CHIEF OF HOUSING AND THEN THE CHIEF
WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE THE BUILDING AND RESPOND SAYING YES ,WE THINK WE SHOULD ACCEPT THIS PROPERTY AND THEN THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION AS A REQUEST TO TO TRANSFER THE
PROPERTY AND THEN IT SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE PROPERTY IS THEN IN CONTROL OR DOES THE PFC HAVE CONTROL OF THAT PROPERTY OR IT GOES STRAIGHT TO TO EMMA
WHICH IN PLANNING SO EMMA WHICH HAS YOU KNOW CARE CUSTODY AND CONTROL MLH EXCUSE ME PFC IS THE AUTHORITY TO ACTUALLY DISPOSE OF AND MOVE AND MOVE THE PROPERTY BETWEEN PFC IS NOT
THE ENTITY THAT CAN TAKE IT THAT HAS THE PROPERTIES FROM THE DEPARTMENT IT'S JUST THE LIKE YOU SAID THE AUTHORITY THAT FACILITATES THE PROCESS AND WHICH I THINK THAT CLARIFIES A LOT OF THINGS FOR ME.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT THE 90 DAY WINDOW BEING REALISTIC WAS WAS ANOTHER QUESTION SO THAT'S BEEN ANSWERED. I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING THE FEASIBILITY CRITERIA AND I KNOW THAT IS NOT
THIS IS NOT A WORKING SESSION BUT I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WHAT IS LISTED HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL ORDINANCE THAT WAS PROPOSED WHEN MY COLLEAGUE HERE SOME OF THE LIKE THE COST
THRESHOLDS OR ZONING RESTRICTIONS OR THE SPECIFIC METRICS DOES THAT ALIGN NOW WITH WHAT YOU ALL ARE UTILIZING? ARE THERE SPECIFIC METRICS IN
THIS FEASIBILITY CRITERIA THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE UTILIZING? I GUESS SO WE CERTAINLY LOOK AT IT FROM ALL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. I THINK FROM AN URBAN DESIGN PERSPECTIVE FROM A TEST FIT
PERSPECTIVE WHAT COULD BE ACHIEVED WITHIN THESE SITES FROM A FINANCE ABILITY PERSPECTIVE. SOME OF THOSE ANALYZES WE NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEFORE
WE COULD MAKE A JUSTIFICATION. SO A LOT OF IT IS I WOULDN'T SAY BACK OF THE ENVELOPE WE DO IT WITH THE BEST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STUDIES, ADDITIONAL TESTS, SOMETIMES CONSULTANTS TO COME
IN AND DO THAT REVIEW FOR US ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION LEADS US TO THE OUTCOMES OF WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE. SOME OF THAT YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WOULD HELP US INFORM WHAT
IS POSSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THOSE SITES CAN'T REALLY BE INVESTIGATED UNTIL YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SELECTED A DEVELOPMENT PARTNER AND ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN. SO A LOT SOME OF IT WE CAN GATHER UPFRONT AND AGAIN WE TRY
TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY PROCESS BUT SOME OF IT DOES NATURALLY COME OUT LATER IN THE PROCESS AS WE ARE REALLY DOING MORE INVESTIGATIVE WORK AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE
FINANCES AND CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH GET GATHERING THAT INFORMATION. WE'VE JUST COMPLETED THE PLAN CHARLESTOWN WE'RE NOT JUST IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS BUT PLAN CHARLESTOWN PLAN IS BOSTON
WITHIN PLAN CHARLESTOWN THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS ANALYSIS THAT I CALLED THE JEWEL OF THE DOCUMENT THAT DISCUSSED WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO AMENITIES AND USES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY
TALKED ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND ALL OF THAT TOO. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD EMBED AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY OF A SITE AND PLANNING AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT TOO. THAT'S A REMINDER FOR ME HOW
CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING WHAT HAS ALREADY EXISTED THAT WORK THE PLANNING INITIATIVES LIKE PLANNED CHARLESTOWN AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS ANALYSIS WITHIN THE DETERMINATION FOR THE SITE. I DEFINITELY THINK THAT WE
WOULD LOOK AT THAT IN DEPTH AND THEN ALSO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS LIKE LIFT THAT UP SAYING HEY THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY WIDE PLANNING AND THERE'S SOME EITHER SPECIFIC IDEAS ABOUT THE SITE OR NEEDS NEEDS OVERALL IN
THE COMMUNITY AND THAT I THINK AS YOU PRESENTED AT A COMMUNITY MEETING WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS LIFTED UP AND TOO THAT THE FOLKS THAT THAT COMMUNITY MEETING HAD THAT CONTEXT WITH FOR GREATER PLANNING. I WOULD SAY ACTUALLY PLANNED CHARLESTOWN IS A GREAT EXAMPLE
AND REALLY WHAT GUIDED A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DID AROUND THE DISPOSITION OF THE AUSTIN STREET PARKING LOT. SO ONE OF THE MAJOR NEEDS IDENTIFIED AS PART OF PLAN CHARLESTOWN WAS THE DELIVERY OF SPORTS FIELDS AND SPORTS FIELDS THAT COULD BE USED FOR
RECREATION AND SO THAT WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE PRIORITY NUMBER ONES IN ADDITION TO THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE BUILT INTO THAT RFP ITSELF AND CONTINUED TO BE ITERATED, OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS
MORE OF A A BROADER PLAY IN CHARLESTOWN BUT THROUGH THE SITE SPECIFIC DISPOSITION AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO REFERENCE THE PLANS IF THEY EXIST IN ALL OF OUR DISPOSITION EFFORTS AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLANS IS
USUALLY AN EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT WE LOOK AT AS WELL. SO I THINK YOU KNOW THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ITSELF IS ALSO TRYING TO DO NEEDS ASSESSMENTS MORE BROADLY AS WELL. I THINK ON THE BACK OF PLAN CHARLESTOWN WAS A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE AND SO THAT IS
SOMETHING WE ALWAYS LOOK TO FIRST TO INFORM OUR DISPOSITION IS THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TO DATE WE DON'T SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO START FROM SQUARE ONE BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE CAN BUILD OFF THAT PAST WORK
THAT HAS HAPPENED AND WE TRY TO DO THAT. YEAH AND FUTURE WORK THERE IS AN RFP THAT WAS PUT OUT FOR AND CITYWIDE THAT NEEDS ANALYSIS ON VARIOUS TOPICS SO THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO EMBED THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE'S A FORMAL ROLE FOR THE PLANNING ADVISORY COUNCIL IN ALL OF THIS OR IS THAT JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY THROUGH THE PLANNING REVIEW PROCESS? I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY HAPPENS
NATURALLY BUT I THINK THE PLANNING ADVISORY COUNCIL IS A BODY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CABINETS AND SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD FORUM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE IDEAS EITHER FROM THE NEEDS
ASSESSMENT OR THE PLANS THAT HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE AND YOU KNOW, REALLY PUT IT INTO THE CONTEXT OF THESE SITES AND I THINK HAVING THE COLLABORATION ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S OWNERSHIP ACROSS DIFFERENT CABINETS AND DEPARTMENTS IS
REALLY HELPFUL TO USE THE AS THAT FORM. THANK YOU. I ALWAYS LIKE TO START WITH THE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND THEN GO TO THE BROADER I ACTUALLY MISS A TECHNICAL QUESTION WHICH IS THE NOW THE ADDED LAYER OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT RATHER THAN
THE BPA IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU IN THE SECOND STEP DURING THE DISPOSITION PROCESS FOR SURPLUS PROPERTIES THAT SAYS MLH SLASH PLANNING I GUESS YOU KNOW FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT WHAT DOES THAT
ACTUALLY MEAN LIKE THE PARTNERSHIP MLH PLANNING AND WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES NOW THAT PLANNING IS NOW INTEGRATED INTO THE CITY? YES, I THINK WITH NOW THAT
PLANNING IS A CITY DEPARTMENT WE ARE TRYING TO COORDINATE VERY CLOSELY WITH THE REBECCA'S TEAM THE PLANNING IS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AS WELL WITH THAT WITH THE TEAM WITHIN
MY AGE WITH JANE PLAYS A LEADERSHIP ROLE AROUND OR ON OUR DISPOSITION AND SO WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY A JOINT PROJECT RIGHT NOW WITH WELCOME ON BOSTON PHASE THREE WHERE WE BOTH HAS MLH SITES SITES AS
WELL AS BRE PLANNING SITES THAT ARE GOING OUT TOGETHER AND WE'RE THE STAFF ARE WORKING JOINTLY. AND SO I THINK AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT SURPLUS AND DISPOSITION OF MUNICIPAL SITES
I THINK WE WOULD THINK TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON ON THOSE SITES DEPENDING ON THE USE OF THE SITE OF YOU KNOW IF IT WAS VERY CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE'LL PROBABLY PLAY A
BIGGER ROLE WITH PLANNING SUPPORT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF IF THERE IS DIFFERENT USES BEING THOUGHT ABOUT PLANNING MIGHT PLAY A BIGGER ROLE. SO I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO BE A COLLABORATIVE TEAM WITH KIND OF SHARED MISSION AND VALUES.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD MORE? I WOULD JUST REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID. I THINK YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF BOTH PLANNING IN ME WHICH HAVE DISPOSITION FUNCTIONS BUT AND I THINK YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE AS
COHESIVE AS POSSIBLE AND WORKING TOGETHER AND SO YOU KNOW, DAN AND I SPEAK ON A REGULAR BASIS. WE'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE THAT PEOPLE ARE VIEWING IT AS REALLY THIS ONE
ENTITY. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S DIFFERENT IF YOU'RE WORKING ON THE WAGE OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON THAT AND JUST TRYING TO BUILD THE CAPACITY TO ENABLE US TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY WITH SOME OF THESE DISPOSITIONS THAT
ARE UP AT DISPOSITION OPPORTUNITIES. AND I THINK THERE'S TWO GOOD EXAMPLES OF THE AUSTIN STREET LOFTS AS WELL AS THE BAZEMORE SEWER COMMISSION. LOTS WERE LIKE JOINTLY JOINT PROCESSES THAT THE RFP WENT OUT
FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BUT THE STAFF WAS DEEPLY, DEEPLY INVOLVED AROUND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENTS YET AGAIN JUST TRYING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SORT OF SURPLUS LAND INVENTORY HOLISTICALLY.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER RIGHT AND IDENTIFY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THERE'S SOME SYNERGY BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, LAND THAT MAY CONTROL AND LAND THAT PLANNING MAY CONTROL. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THAT'S MY TIME.
I JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT OF ALL OF YOU JUST FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. I KNOW THAT OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT MAYBE HAD MORE QUESTIONS SO I'LL GO BACK TO HER. THANK YOU. AND SOMEONE MENTIONED THE SITE
ASSESSMENT THAT HAPPENS THAT I THINK IS MADE PART OF THE RFP. HOW ROBUST IS THAT SITE ASSESSMENT PROCESS? BECAUSE WHAT I'M THINKING IS WHEN WE'RE MAKING WE WANT THIS ORDINANCE TO DO IT WITHIN 90
DAYS OF THE PSC TRANSFER. MLH WHAT'S THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING POTENTIAL THAT THAT BE DONE TO AT THAT STAGE? SO WHEN DOES THE SITE ASSESSMENT HAPPEN?
WHEN IS IT SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC? I WOULD SAY WE KIND OF CATEGORIZE IT AS DUE DILIGENCE SO WE GATHER WHATEVER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. SOMETIMES THAT IS VERY LIMITED, SOMETIMES IT'S MORE ROBUST.
FOR INSTANCE THE EAST BOSTON POLICE STATION WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF A PDF A PFG STUDY TO ASSESS THE STRUCTURAL CONDITION OF THAT FACILITY. SO THAT IS INFORMATION WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT AND GATHER THAT
IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE UNCOVERED A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PROCESS LIKELY BY OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS. SO I THINK WE PULLED THAT ALL TOGETHER UPFRONT BEFORE A COMMUNITY PROCESS IS DONE
BECAUSE THEN WE USE THAT INFORMATION TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY SOME OF THE MAYBE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE. I WOULD SAY YOU KNOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS SOMETIMES WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION UPFRONT TOO BUT
AGAIN IT'S NOT NECESSARILY STANDARD ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE WE ARE GATHERING WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE TO THAT INFORMED YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN WHAT COMES NEXT. YEAH.
OH I WAS GOING TO SAY I WOULD ADD TO THAT ANOTHER EXAMPLE A RECENT EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE PRIDE MEMO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOL FACILITIES DEPARTMENT FOR EXAMPLE THROUGHOUT THAT TRANSITION TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A
SMOOTH HANDOFF. ALL THE BUILDING SYSTEMS REMAIN OPERABLE WHERE THEY NEEDED TO AND YOU KNOW OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAMS SORT OF STARTED THE INITIAL PHASES OF THEIR ASSESSMENT RIGHT OFF
THE BAT AND JANEY, YOU WANT TO SPEAK MORE TO LIKE THAT ONCE WE GET THE FIRST PROPERTY OR BUILDING THE PRE RFP SITE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT THAT WE MIGHT DO BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHERWISE THAT'S RIGHT.
SO WE DO A LOT OF SORT OF INTERNAL ANALYSIS AS WELL AS YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF CONTRACTUAL WORK YOU KNOW IN SOME CASES WE MAY HAVE REPORTS PASSED TO US FROM FROM THE
PREVIOUS DEPARTMENT AND WILL ANALYZE THOSE MY ROLE I WILL SAY I DO SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME SMALL TANKS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO REALLY HAVING A REALLY GOOD OLD TANKS.
YEAH, YEAH, EXACTLY. OLD UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS OR YOU KNOW, A HAZARDOUS BUILDING MATERIALS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO HAVING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THAT FROM BOTH THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE AND ALSO FUTURE DISPOSITION UNDERSTANDING WHAT POTENTIAL
LIABILITIES THERE MAY BE AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S SOME OF THE SORT OF UPFRONT WORK WE TRY TO DO BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THAT COMMUNITY PROCESS. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I JUST GOT
A MESSAGE FROM A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER THAT SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY DO A LOT MORE WORK ON THE SITE OF SITE AND SITE ASSESSMENT BEFORE THE RFP BECAUSE IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO LIKE MAYBE IN RETROSPECT
THIS WASN'T THE BEST USE FOR THE LAND BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T CATCH. JUST YESTERDAY I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN LEASED CITY OWNED IT WAS CITY OWNED
LAND WAS ASKED TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION TO RECTIFY THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS BARSTOW'S FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE MORE
THAT WE DO THAT ON THE FRONT END EVEN WHEN LIKE WHEN WE'RE DOING THAT DOES AFFORDABLE HOUSING MAKE THE MOST SENSE BEING MORE ROBUST ON THAT END? AND I THINK DOING THAT ALLOWS
US TO BE MORE RESTRICTED WHEN WE DO TURN TO COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE USES ARE RIGHT LIKE WE WANT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE A PARTY NOT NECESSARILY THE ONLY PRIORITY BUT A PRIORITY OF THIS
PROPERTY BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THIS ROBUST ASSESSMENT WE FOUND THAT THE IT'S IT'S SUITABLE FOR SEARCH OR YOU KNOW WE ACTUALLY DID THIS ROBUST ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINED THAT WE DON'T WANT
IT'S NOT IF WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO USE A GO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ROUTE BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH MONEY AND HOW COSTLY IT IS. WE DON'T THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO BURDEN A DEVELOPER NONPROFIT DEVELOPER COMMUNITY WITH ADDITIONAL $9 MILLION
TRYING TO CLEAN THE SITE UP. SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT SEEMS LIKE A I MEAN AND I ENVISION THIS ORDINANCE AS MOVING THAT PROCESS UP OF MAKING THAT DETERMINATION SO THAT IT'S MORE
IT'S CLEARER IN THE RFP ABOUT WHAT THE INTENDED USE IS BASED ON THE SITE ASSESSMENT WHICH I'M SURE THAT THERE WILL BE MORE ASSESSMENTS DONE AFTER THAT BUT AT LEAST TRYING TO FRONT LOAD IT AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE. NO, I THINK YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY DO TRY TO GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN UPFRONT. I THINK THERE NATURALLY WILL BE THINGS THAT ARE DISCOVERED LATER IN THE PROCESS BUT WE ALWAYS ARE TRYING TO GET AS
MUCH INFORMATION TO INFORM THAT DECISION AS WE CAN. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE CHAIN FORGE BUILDING IN THE CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD THAT IS A VERY HEAVILY BURDENED
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT THAT WE YOU KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF CALLS THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THAT LOCATION BUT YOU KNOW, GIVEN I THINK THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE WE HAD TO SORT OF LEVEL SIDE WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT IT
WAS VERY NOT LIKELY OF UTILITY USE THAT COULD BE ACCOMMODATED THERE BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. SO THAT WAS A CASE IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE NOW OR WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL USES.
SO THERE'S AN RFP ACTIVITY OUT TODAY BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE A POTENTIAL HOTEL USE TO REALLY ACTIVATE THE SITE AND GET MORE UTILIZATION THERE. I THINK SOME COMMERCIAL SPACE AS WELL WAS BROUGHT UP AS PART
OF THE COMMUNITY PROCESS SO IT'S A LITTLE OPEN ENDED AT THIS POINT AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE MARKET TO BE A PARTNER AND THINKING THROUGH THAT AND WHAT'S FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. BUT I KNOW THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS A MAJOR CONSTRAINT
BECAUSE OF I THINK IT WAS A $9 MILLION PRICE TAG FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION. ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SPOKE TO THE FACT THAT LIKE WANTING TO HAVE A QUEUE AND THERE'S LIKE
DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW YOU KNOW, WEATHER RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY TO BE SERVED LAST AGAIN I THINK THERE'S PROPERTIES THAT ARE
LINGERING POTENTIALLY FOR GOOD REASONS, MAYBE NOT GOOD REASONS BUT IS THERE A WAY FOR PFC I MEAN WE DON'T HAVE PFC HERE BUT
TO HAVE A QUEUE OF POTENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT COULD BE COMING OFFLINE I THINK THERE'LL BE MORE WITH LIKE THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT CABINET IN THE PLANNING THAT THEY'RE DOING TO THINKING ABOUT A QUEUE.
I THINK THE PUBLIC FACILITY COMMISSION IS JUST GOING TO AUTHORIZING BODY SO THAT WILL JUST BE LIKE ONCE THAT DECISION IS MADE WE WOULD BRING IT TO THEM TO FORMALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE A SURPLUS.
DO YOU THINK THAT IT COULD ALSO WE COULD REQUEST I MEAN THIS IS SOUNDING LIKE A WORKING SESSION BUT I WANT US TO GET AS MUCH AS IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ASSESS OR INCLUDE IN THE
ORDINANCE FOR THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT TO BE DOING AND KEEPING US ABREAST OF YOU KNOW ,PROPERTIES THAT COULD BE COMING OFF LINE. I THINK I WOULD JUST WANT MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE AVIATION
CABINET TO SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. FAIR I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS IF MADAM CHAIR, YOU'LL INDULGE ME IN ASKING. ABSOLUTELY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET SOME. HAVE YOU FOUND THAT MIXED USE OR MIXED INCOME MODELS IMPROVE A PROJECT'S FINANCIAL
FEASIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY ? I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE MIXED USE IS IN A CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCE YOU KNOW THE HOUSING, THE PUBLIC ASSETS, THE
CREATION OF HOUSING PLUS LIBRARY IN THE CASE OF THE DELIVERY OF THE LIBRARY IT'S REALLY COST NEUTRAL. IT IS A MUNICIPAL BUILDING. I THINK WHEN WE SEE PROJECTS THAT ARE HOUSING PLUS SOME
RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT THE RETAIL SPACE IS CROSS SUBSIDIZING THE HOUSING IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IT'S ACCESSORY AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADD TO THE COST PER
UNIT BUT I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY LOWERS IT EITHER. SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT MIXED USES YOU'RE LOOKING AT. BUT I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING THERE'S NOT A TON OF CROSS-SUBSIDY AVAILABLE. I THINK WHAT CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
HAVE YOU SEEN FOR SMALLER OR IRREGULAR PARCELS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE CONSIDERED BUILDABLE?
I DO THINK OF A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE WELL I THINK WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF IT FOR EXAMPLE LIKE IN SURFERS PARTS DORCHESTER ON PARK STREET WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST THEY'VE
DONE IT LIKE SOME OPEN SPACE PROJECTS ON SORT OF LIKE URBAN AGRICULTURE. SURE. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF URBAN ARROGANCE IN SOME SOME OF THOSE SMALLER CITY OWNED PARCELS.
YEAH, YEAH. I THINK FOR THE SITES THAT ARE VERY HARD TO BUILD ON EITHER BECAUSE THE PARCEL DYNAMIC OR YOU KNOW IF THERE'S A NUMBER OF MATURE TREES WHICH ARE YOU
KNOW VERY HESITANT TO CUT DOWN MATURE TREES I THINK YOU KNOW WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY MOVING FORWARD ON OUR CULTURE CULTURE STRATEGY GROW BOSTON IS BASED IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM AND SO JANEY
KIND OF COORDINATES THINKING ABOUT THE PARCELS WITHIN OUR INVENTORY AND THEN THINKING ABOUT THE BEST USE AND KIND OF TALKS VERY CLOSELY TO SHANI FLETCHER, THE DIRECTOR FOR BOSTON COMMON.
THEN WE TRY TO THINK ABOUT IF IT'S NOT A GOOD HOUSING USE OR IT'S A BETTER URBAN AGRICULTURE'S USE TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. YEAH, I'LL JUST FLAG THAT. I THINK MY STAFF WAS PUTTING THIS QUESTION THE THERE WAS
PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT LIKE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ARE ACTUALLY STILL GOING FORWARD IN BUILDING THE HOUSING BUT IF THERE ARE NO EXAMPLES OF THAT IT'S FINE BECAUSE I ALSO MENTIONED THE URBAN AGRICULTURE ACT. TWO MORE QUESTIONS AFTER I DO
MORE QUESTIONS AFTER DISPOSITION WHAT KIND OF ONGOING RELATIONSHIP OF ACCOUNTABILITY DOES THE CITY HAVE REGARDING COMPLIANCE AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS? SURE.
SO ONCE IT GOES TO THE PSC PROCESS PROCESSES AND WE IF IT'S SURPLUS PROPERTY IT'S SURPLUS AND THEN WE DO AN RFP AND WE GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION TO DO A
TENTATIVE DESIGNATION AND SO THAT'S SAYING LIKE WE'VE PICKED A DEVELOPER BUT WE HAVE NOT YET TRANSFERRED THE LAND TO THEM. THEY'RE IN A DEVELOPMENT PERIOD WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THEIR PLANS OR GETTING THE NECESSARY PERMITTING AND WE
ONLY TRANSFER THE PARCEL ONCE THEY'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE ON THE FINANCING AND START ITS CONSTRUCTION. AND SO THERE'S A PROCESS THOUGH AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO PULL BACK IF IF THE DEVELOPMENT ISN'T GOING FORWARD OR IF IT'S
KIND OF ACTUALLY MOVING THROUGH FINANCING OR THEY'RE JUST NOT MEETING THEIR COMMUNITY OBLIGATIONS FROM THE RFP. AND SO WE HAVE YOU KNOW, BETWEEN A YEAR AND SOMETIMES MUCH LONGER PROCESS BEFORE YOU
ACTUALLY TRANSFER THE PROJECT OVER OR IF IT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING BASED ON THE THE MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN AND THE LOAN DOCUMENTS WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT SO WE
HAVE A TEAM THAT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IS OUT THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK MONITORING THE CONSTRUCTION, MAKING SURE WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING TO PLAN AND THAT YOU KNOW, AT THE END ONCE FOR THE COMPLETED YOU KNOW ISDA
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT START DOING WALKTHROUGHS TO MAKE SURE IT IS ACTUALLY BUILT TO PLAN. THANK YOU. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION FOR THE PANEL IS DO YOU HAVE AS WE CONSIDER THIS ORDINANCE, ARE
THERE THINGS THAT YOU WANT US TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE MAYBE DON'T HAVE FULL INSIGHT ON OR SHOULD CONSIDER AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE? I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THOSE MAINTAINING FLEXIBILITY FROM
MULTIPLE USES AND SO YOU KNOW, I THINK I THINK IN SOME WAYS THE ORDINANCE IS IS CODIFYING WHAT WE ALREADY DO IN THE CITY OF BOSTON IF IT COMES DOWN AS WE LOOK AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE ALSO WE DO A COMMITTEE PROCESS. WE THINK ABOUT OTHER USES BUT
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT FLEXIBILITY IS MAINTAINED. SO THERE'S REALLY INTEREST IN A COMMUNITY CENTER OR A SENIOR CENTER OR OPEN SPACE THAT WE STILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS MOMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP AS SOON AS WE CAN AND WITH THE CHAIR'S CONSENT WITH THE WORKING
SESSION SO WE CAN SORT OF CONTINUE TO HAMMER OUT THESE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR PEPEN AND COUNCILOR MEJIA. COUNCILOR GRIFFIN, I'VE BEEN
GIVING 8 MINUTES FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND HE'S ALSO A CO-SPONSOR. THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME CUSTOMERS OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I JUST WANT TO START BY
THANKING OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT RICHARD LOUIJEUNE FOR MAKING ME A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A TOPIC THAT IS VERY MUCH PREVALENT IN MY DISTRICT AND ACROSS THE CITY AND JUST I KNOW WE'VE MET EVERYONE KEEPS MENTIONED THE PRIDE BUT IT'S
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE PRIDE OF DISTRICT FIVE. I WAS WE WERE THERE LAST NIGHT FOR A FOUR HOUR CANDIDATE FORUM AND IT JUST EVERY SINGLE TIME I'VE BEEN THERE I AM SO GLAD THAT THAT PROJECT HAPPENED.
I MEAN TO SEE A SCHOOL BECOME SUCH A WELCOMING PLACE WHERE THERE'S NEW RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE CAN BE PROUD OF THAT. SO THAT IS THE REASON THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MAIN
REASONS WHY I WANT IT TO BE A CO-SPONSOR WITH WITH MADAM PRESIDENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN THE IN MY DISTRICT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE OF THIS TO HAPPEN. THERE'S MERGERS OF SCHOOLS HAPPENING.
THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE OLD SUMNER BUILDING ONCE IT'S VAGUE AND THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT CITY LIGHTS THAT EXIST IN MY DISTRICT. SO I WANT IT TO REALLY BE PART
OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD MORE OPPORTUNITIES OF WELCOMING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY. SO WHAT I WANTED TO REALLY ASK
YOU ALL IS WHEN IT COMES TO ONCE YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED A BUILDING THAT COULD BE USED FOR HOUSING AND IS TRANSFERRED TO MORTGAGE, HOW DO YOU BUILD A RELATIONSHIPS LIKE LIKE WE DID
AT THE PRIDE? HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT NONPROFITS I KNOW AS PART OF THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS BUT I WON'T KNOW THE EXACT YOUR
YOUR THINKING YOUR YOUR PROCESS IN THE MORTGAGE DEPARTMENT. SURE I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. SO AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLY IN THE HEARING, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE HAVE THE SURPLUS PROPERTY
COME INTO OUR INVENTORY WE'LL DO A SITE ASSESSMENT AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO SEE KIND OF POSSIBILITIES. WE'LL DO A IN-DEPTH COMMITTEE PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, TO UNDERSTAND FOR THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY THINK THE BEST USE FOR IS AND THROUGHOUT THAT
PROCESS THAT'S A PUBLIC PROCESS AND THAT WE ARE IN CONVERSATION WITH THAT KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND I THINK THEY WOULD OFTEN BE AWARE OF THAT AND HOPEFULLY WOULD BE
YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SITE MAYBE COME TO SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING AND SO WE WOULD MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THAT AND THEN WE FORMALLY PUT OUT THAT RFP AND
WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, SEND IT TO ALL OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND BEYOND AND IN A PUBLICLY POSTED AND THEN WE HOST A NUMBER OF INFO SESSIONS AND I THINK
YOU KNOW DEPENDING ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE FOR THAT SITE YOU KNOW WE MIGHT THOSE INVOLVE SESSIONS MIGHT HAVE SPECIFIC PEOPLE IF YOU KNOW IF WE WANT TO HAVE BOTH OPEN SPACE AND HOUSING WE MIGHT HAVE OUR OPEN SPACE COLLEAGUES THERE AS
WELL TO TALK ABOUT POSSIBILITIES THE SITE. SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KIND OF SEED INTEREST AND THEN SOMETIMES IF WE THINK THERE'S SOME INTERESTING PARTNERSHIPS LIKE BETWEEN URBAN AG AND HOUSING WE MIGHT LIKE HAVE A MIXER WHERE WE HAVE BEFORE THE
RFP IS DUE HAVE A TIME WHERE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS ARE COME AND MEET FOLKS FROM THE URBAN FARMING COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN THINK ABOUT FILING JOINT PROPOSALS AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN
THE PAST AND WE WOULD BE OPEN TO YOU KNOW OR DEFINITELY WOULD DO DEPENDING ON WHAT THE USE THAT COMMUNITY HAD IDENTIFIED WAS. OKAY. NOW THAT'S THAT'S REALLY GOOD
TO KNOW AND FOR ANOTHER AREA THAT HAS BEEN OF INTEREST IN MY DISTRICT IS THE COMBINATION OF HOUSING WITH OTHER AMENITIES AS WELL. THERE'S CONVERSATION ABOUT
POTENTIALLY A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER NEEDED IN HYDE PARK MORE SMALL BUSINESS SPACES. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT ALSO HELPS WITH ONCE YOU HAVE THE PROPERTY ON THEIR
MORTGAGE? YES. SO WE WE WERE DEFINITELY AS PART OF THE RFP PROCESS YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO THAT IN THE RFP SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE
DESIRE FOR BOTH HOUSING AND YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER HERE AND SO YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD GET ADDITIONAL POINTS TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BOTH THOSE USES AND THEN YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SUPPORT THAT GOING FORWARD THROUGHOUT THE RFP
PROCESS AND THEN YOU KNOW, WOULD BRING IN OTHER COLLEAGUES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO IF THERE'S MORE EXPERTISE AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WE WOULD MAKE SURE WE'D HAVE OUR COLLEAGUES FROM SMALL BUSINESS THERE AS WELL.
GOTCHA. YEAH, I GUESS ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS A LOT OF PLACES WE HEAR CALLS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE USES IN ADJACENT TO HOUSING OR OTHER THINGS AND SO WE WERE VERY
CLOSELY WITH MY WORK ON YOU KNOW WHAT ARE THE NEEDS IN THE AREA AND SORT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE. YOU KNOW, I THINK AS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WE KNOW THAT TO SOME EXTENT BUT A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAPPEN IT IS BECAUSE OF THE OUTREACH
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO DO BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR PARTNERS. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING AS MUCH OUTREACH AS POSSIBLE THROUGH WHOEVER HAS THOSE PARTNERSHIPS OR RELATIONSHIPS. OKAY. AND DO YOU DO YOU ALL KEEP A
LIST OF CITY OWNED BUILDINGS ACROSS THE CITY LIKE IS THERE SOME SOME SORT OF NOT NECESSARILY JUST FOR THOSE ON THEIR MORTGAGE BUT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GO TO A MORTGAGE?
I'M JUST THINKING LIKE THE CITY BUILT THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THE I MEAN THERE'S A POLICE ACADEMY OPEN FAIRMONT HILL. THERE'S A WELCOMING CENTER FOR VIPS ON HYPERCARD LIKE THAT
YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT DO YOU GUYS HAVE A LIST OF ALL THOSE BUILDINGS IS SO THE CITYWIDE LANDLORD IT DOES HAVE ALL OF THE PARCELS AND THUS THE BUILDINGS ON THEM THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY'S INVENTORY. I THINK SOMETHING THAT THE
OPERATIONS CABINET IS LOOKING AT IS OF THOSE PROPERTIES. ARE THERE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MOVING TOWARDS AN ACTIVITY OR WOULD BE VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED IN THE NEAR
FUTURE? AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING CERTAINLY AND NATURALLY AND I THINK THAT LIST IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY MAINTAINED BY OPERATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY ITSELF. OKAY.
AND I KNOW THAT TODAY'S CONVERSATION IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON OUR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY BUILDINGS. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PARCELS THAT
WE OWN THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON IS THIS IS IT THE SAME PROCESS THROUGH THE THAT I GO THROUGH AN RFP AND THEN YOU GUYS TRY TO FIND OUT WHO'S THE BEST MATCH? EXACTLY. I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THOSE PROPERTIES ARE ALREADY IN
THE CARE AND CUSTODY OF M0 OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND SO THAT FIRST STEP OF SURPLUS THING DOESN'T HAPPEN. BUT THEN WE GO THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS OF DOING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO
HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE BEST THE MOST INTEREST IN THE PARCEL AND THEN A TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT AND THEN PUTTING IN AN RFP AND WHAT'S HOW DO PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT THE RFP?
SO LIKE I MEAN IF SOMEONE WANTS TO APPLY FOR THE RFP, WHERE DO THEY GO? YEAH, SO IT'S POSTED ON THE CITY OF BOSTON'S PROCUREMENT WEBSITE. IT'S ALSO POSTED ON THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE OF HOUSING WEBSITE. BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE A VERY LARGE LIST OF ANYBODY WHO'S EVER INTERACTED WITH MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING PLANNING PROBABLY HAS A SIMILAR LIST AS WELL. I THINK IT'S THREE OR 4000 PEOPLE ON IT THAT WE WILL SEND
OUT THAT RFP TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY. OKAY. I WOULD JUST ADD THOUGH, IT'S NOT JUST AN RFP RELEASE IN WHICH THAT SORT OF OUTREACH OCCURS. IT'S VERY MUCH THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SO WHEN THESE INITIAL MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S COMING WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE RFP BEING RELEASED, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGING AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIALOG THAT
HAS LED TO THE DOCUMENT THAT ULTIMATELY WILL HAPPEN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LISTS THROUGH OUR LISTSERVS OF PEOPLE THAT WE ENGAGE WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS, THAT IS HOW WE'RE TRYING TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE ALWAYS WANT TO
IMPROVE UPON AND GROW. AND I THINK ONE EXAMPLE FOR THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON PHASE ONE WE DID A MAILING I THINK TO SOMEBODY IN TEN OR 15,000
HOUSEHOLDS AROUND THE THE PARCELS THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT DOING THE DISPOSITION FOR INVITING THEM TO COME TO A COMMUNITY MEETING BUT ALSO FILL OUT A SURVEY I THINK WE HAD YOU KNOW FIVE 600 PEOPLE FILL OUT
THE SURVEY. THEY ALL KIND OF WENT ON TO OUR LIST AND THEN WE DID A NUMBER OF SITE WALKS AND THIS IS AGAIN PRE RFP TO SAY TO CHECK OUT THE SITE AND IT WAS MOSTLY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS BUT I REMEMBER AS A TEN DEGREE DAY
THAT JANEY AND I WERE OUT THERE BUT THERE WAS DEVELOPERS OUT THERE TOO WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SITE AND THEY WERE VERY LIKE JUST KIND OF COMMUNITY MINDED DEVELOPERS. AND SO I THINK TO REBECCA'S POINT IS A BUNCH OF YOU KNOW PRE RFP MOMENTS WHERE HOPEFULLY
FOLKS ARE KNOWING ABOUT THE SITES AND CAN START TO ENGAGE ON THEM. YEAH. AND I THINK WE WE ALSO ENGAGED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS TOO BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WELCOMING BOSTON WAS GOING TO BE THE SORT OF SMALL TO
MIDSIZE BUILDING SO WE REALLY DID A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO DO OUTREACH TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS DEVELOPERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE OPPORTUNITY WAS WAS
COMING DOWN ON THE HORIZON. GOTCHA. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND ALL MY TIME IS UP BUT JUST WE'LL LOVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL MY MY COLLEAGUES
ON ENSURING THAT ANY MUNICIPAL PROPERTY, ANY ADMINISTRATIVE LAW GOES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ANY WAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PREPARED COUNCILOR MEJIA. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU
TO THE SPONSORS AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRIDE YOU ARE THE PRIDE OF BOSTON AND IS SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU WORK IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY TO MEET THE MOMENT IF YOU ALSO IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE, GRETCHEN. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT COUNCILOR FORMER COUNCILOR JACKSON AND FORMER
COUNCILOR LADA WHO ALSO WERE BIG CHAMPIONS AROUND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE UTILIZE EVERY TOOL IN OUR TOOL KIT IN MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND SCHOOLS WERE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION SO I'M REALLY
HAPPY TO SEE THAT WORK CONTINUE THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PRESIDENT COUNCIL HERE AND THE CO-SPONSORS. SO HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE DIALOG. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT I'M GOING TO
DO WHAT I LIKE TO TALK THE MOST ABOUT IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND SO YOU HAD MENTIONED A FEW SPACES AND PLACES BUT NOT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT THE MAYOR'S WEBSITE.
NOT EVERYONE IS TAPPED INTO YOUR DISTRIBUTION LIST. SO KIND OF CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW ARE WE CATCHING FOLKS WHO WHO MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME IDEAS OR SOME
CONCERNS AND WANT TO ENGAGE HOW HOW ARE WE GRAPPLING WITH THAT INFORMATION GAP FOR FOLKS WHO COULD TEND TO BENEFIT FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONVERSATION
AND TO HELP SUPPORT YOU ALL IN THIS PROCESS IS I THINK WE REALLY KIND OF SHARE THAT DESIRE AND CONTINUE TO TRY TO BE CREATIVE NEW WAYS AS NOT JUST THE FOLKS WHO SHOW UP AT
THE MEETING WHO KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS AND OPPORTUNITY. SO I THINK SOME THINGS WE'VE BEEN TRYING IN IN RECENT YEARS IS YOU KNOW, DOING MASS MAILINGS TO NOT JUST ABUTTERS
YOU KNOW, FROM TWO FEET AWAY BUT WITHIN A PRETTY LARGE CIRCUMFERENCE SO THAT FOLKS WHO ARE WHO ARE SOMEWHAT CLOSE KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND THEN
ARE INVITED TO ENGAGE BUT NOT JUST TO BE COMING TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR THEIR LIVES THROUGH SURVEYS, THROUGH SIDEWALKS. WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO POST ON THE SITES A SIGN THAT
HAS A QR CODE SAYING YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT USES HERE, GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK. SO IF SOMEBODY WALKS BY THEY CAN SEE IT. SO I THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING AS MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE IT'S NOT
JUST ONE EVENING MEETING THAT IF YOU MISS IT YOU'RE OUT IN IS IT IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES? YUP. JOB YEAH ABSOLUTELY. AND I WOULD JUST ADD ANOTHER THING THAT WE LOOK TO DO IS BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND
SO ACKNOWLEDGING YOU KNOW, THE CATCHMENT AREA OF A LOT OF THESE PLACES AND ENGAGING NOT ONLY IN FORUMS THAT ARE VIRTUAL OR ONES THAT WE HOST BUT ALSO AND MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT AND JOIN THEIR
MEETINGS AND SHARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE UPCOMING . THAT'S GREAT. AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND THE RFP AND THE BIDDERS AND WHO WHO I UNDERSTAND HOW IT
WORKS BUT I'M CURIOUS IN TERMS OF SOME EFFORTS THAT YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS WE CAN LOOK AT AND MAKING SURE IT'S MINORITY AND WOMEN DEVELOPERS
PARTICIPATING VETERANS LGBTQ LET'S LIKE TALK ABOUT EVERYBODY . WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD
TO EXPAND THE POOL OF FOLKS WHO ARE RESPONDING TO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. RFP IS I THINK WE'RE FEELING REALLY EXCITED OUR SUCCESS FROM THE WELCOME ON BLOSSOM PROGRAM WHERE WE ALMOST HAD ALL NEW DEVELOPERS ARE EMERGING DEVELOPERS AS PART OF THAT.
AND SO I THINK AS JANEY WAS JUST SPEAKING FOR WELCOME HOME BOSTON IS THE EXAMPLE WE WENT OUT AND MET WITH THE BUILDERS OF COLOR COALITION MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY WE MET WITH A NUMBER OF COUNCIL
WELL HAD A NUMBER OF IDEAS COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE WENT OUT TO TALK TO TO KIND OF GIVE THEM A VERY ADVANCED HEADS UP THAT AN RFP WOULD BE COMING OUT IN THE COMING MONTHS. AND SO I THINK WE ARE LIKE
WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY AND EVERYONE TO LET THEM KNOW AND I THINK IF THE COUNCIL HAS IDEAS OF PLACE THAT WE BE GOING THEN WE AREN'T GOING YET TO KIND OF GIVE PEOPLE ADVANCE WARNING WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT, ENGAGE THEM.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING WE DID IS WE STARTED A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND PRE-DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM EMERGING DEVELOPERS THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE
ABILITY THE CAPITAL TO DO THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT DESIGNS AND OTHER THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO JUST EVEN GET INTO THE RFP PROCESS AND AFTER THE RFP PROCESS TO KIND OF MOVE A DESIGN FORWARD AND THEN THEY
NEEDED SUPPORT ON THE TECHNICAL ADVICE AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. AND SO WE WE STARTED A FUND THAT THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON DEVELOPERS ARE USING SUCCESSFULLY. AWESOME, AWESOME.
HAPPY TO HEAR THAT AND I DON'T HAVE THE TIMER SO I DON'T KNOW AND I'M NOT KEEPING TIME SO I HOPE MY TIME'S NOT UP. IT IS NOT YET 3 MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS. OH THANK YOU CHAIR OKAY SO TWO
MORE QUESTIONS AND I'M CURIOUS AROUND THESE FOLKS WHO ARE LLC IS LIKE THESE BIG CORPORATE FOLKS WHO ARE BUYING UP BLOCKS LIKE ARE WE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME GUARDRAILS?
HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE GO WITH THE LOWEST BIDDERS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PIECE? AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING AHEAD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE
PRIORITIZING FOLKS WHO ARE NOT JUST GOING TO BE BUYING UP BLOCKS FOR THE RFP PROCESS. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SET THE EVALUATION CRITERIA IN WHICH WE MAKE THE SELECTION FOR
OUR PARTNER. AND SO ONE OF THE BASELINES IS 25% OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. WEIGHT IS ALWAYS TOWARDS THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE TEAM. SO WE MAKE SURE AND WE REQUIRE
THAT TO BE DISCLOSED AS PART OF THE PROCESS. AND THEN IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IS YOU KNOW, ALIGNMENT WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS, ALIGNMENT WITH THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE INFORMED BY THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IS REALLY OUR OPPORTUNITY TO THEN BE VERY SELECTIVE WITH WHO OUR PARTNERS ARE RATHER THAN THE LOWEST BIDDER. I LOVE THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN I'M JUST CURIOUS TWO
THINGS HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING AND DEFINING AFFORDABLE BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S AFFORDABLE AND WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY? I'D LOVE TO HEAR THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION
THAT I HAVE IS REALLY THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX BOTH IN COUNCIL ROLE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS AND I AND I'M IN AGREEMENT IS THAT HOW WE UTILIZING OUR
SPACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAYBE COMMUNITIES PROGRAMING OR CHILD CARE CENTERS OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LIKE HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THESE BUILDINGS
IN WAYS THAT THEY COULD BE LITTLE MULTI PURPOSE SPACES? SURE, YES SO ON THE QUESTION OF LIKE AFFORDABLE FOR WHOM AND THAT'S A REALLY YOU KNOW QUESTION THAT WE ARE INCREDIBLY
CONCERNED ABOUT AND WE TAKE REALLY SERIOUSLY AND TO WORK WE DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO PUSH FOR AS MUCH AFFORDABILITY AS POSSIBLE THE DEEPEST AFFORDABILITY OF POSSIBLE IN
OUR DEVELOPMENTS. I KNOW WE DO, I KNOW WE DO BUT I'M LOOKING FOR A COMMITMENT AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY CAN'T GIVE THAT TO ME RIGHT NOW BUT I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WHAT
HAPPENS FOR FOLKS WHO WORRY ABOUT GENTRIFICATION? RIGHT. BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY A CONCERN FOR A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO STAY HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE AFFORDABLE HAS EVOLVED AND HAS
CHANGED AND THERE ARE A LOT OF ELDERS WHO ARE CAN'T STAY IN THE CITY. THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, GRADUATES AND WHO CAN'T STAY IN THE CITY. SO I JUST WOULD LIKE AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION WITH PARTICULAR TO THIS ORDINANCE IF THERE IS SOME IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY AND COMMIT TO AROUND AFFORDABILITY, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?
YEAH, I THINK THAT THE PROJECT FINANCING THE AFFORDABILITY KIND DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT FINANCING AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE. THEY COME TO THE CITY OF BOSTON
FOR FINANCING. THEY ALSO GO TO THE STATE BOTH FOR AS KIND OF SUBSIDY FINANCING AS WELL AS TAX CREDIT FINANCING IT SO THE AFFORDABILITY REALLY DEPENDS ON THE DIFFERENT FINANCING SOURCES AND IF THEY'RE ABLE TO GET PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS FROM THE
BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY OR FROM THE STATE. AND SO I THINK WE'RE DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO PUSH FOR A DEEPER AFFORDABILITY AND MORE OF THOSE ARE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME UNITS WHICH ARE 30%
OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME OR BELOW. AND SO SO I THINK WE REALLY SHARE YOUR CONCERN AND SHARE YOU KNOW AND THAT AND JUST THE PRESSURE OF FOLKS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ARE AROUND HOUSING COSTS. YEAH.
SO AND I KNOW MY TIME IS UP SO I'LL JUST OFFER FOR CONSIDERATION AS THAT THE SAME WAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROCUREMENT AND YOU KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEET CERTAIN MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS THRESHOLDS IS THE SAME WAY THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT
PROCUREMENT, ABOUT COMMITMENTS THAT DEVELOPERS WILL HAVE FOR THE AFFORDABILITY TO MEET THE AFFORDABILITY NEEDS OF OF THE PROJECT AND I THINK THAT I KNOW
WE DO THAT THROUGH ADP BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID HERE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING CITY LAND FOR US TO HAVE BETTER TOOLS TO WORK WITH AND TO HOLD
OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO A HIGHER THRESHOLD AND COMMITMENTS ON AFFORDABILITY AND I KNOW MY TIME IS UP AND I AND AND SO I JUST WANT TO NAME THAT FOR THE RECORD AS SOMETHING THAT I AM GOING TO BE
BARKING ABOUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR MEJIA I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS I THINK WE'LL WRAP BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN ADVOCATE'S PANEL THAT'S BEEN SO PATIENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WAITING BUT YOU ALL ARE WELCOME TO
STAY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK FOR YOUR PRESENTATION HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AS WE TRANSITION I WILL INTRODUCE FOLKS WHO ARE MAKING THEIR WAY DOWN TO TO PROVIDE
THEIR TESTIMONY. CHARLIE ADAMS, PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AT PENROSE RICH GIORDANO GIORDANO APOLOGIZE SENIOR ADVISOR FOR SPECIAL
PROJECTS AT FENWAY CDC GRETCHEN VAN NESS LGBTQ SENIOR HOUSING SHE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND TIA AMBROSI IT IS CYA.
I'M SORRY I SAID THAT WRONG. I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR SO LONG. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME. I KNOW MY CONSTITUENT IN CHARLESTOWN VICE PRESIDENT OF REAL ESTATE AND MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT CORP. AND EVELYN FRIEDMAN, I BELIEVE WHO IS THE
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT NUESTRA COMUNIDAD CDC. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND YOU'RE THE PERSON.
OKAY, GRETCHEN, I THINK WE MAY BE GOING TO YOU FIRST. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU HAVE THE. THANK YOU, TERRY. GOOD MORNING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
CHAIR COLETTA AND COUNCILORS PEPEN AND MCGUIRE. MY NAME IS GRETCHEN VAN NESS. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LGBTQ SENIOR HOUSING, THE ONLY NONPROFIT IN NEW ENGLAND WHOSE
SOLE MISSION IS TO CREATE LGBTQ WELCOMING AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONVENING THIS HEARING TODAY WHICH ADDRESSES AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO
ADDRESS THE GROWING HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN BOSTON. THIS CRISIS IS ESPECIALLY AFFECTING OUR ELDERS. IT IS A NATIONAL TRAGEDY THAT WE SEE LOCALLY AS WELL THAT OUR
ELDERS ARE THE FASTEST GROWING GROUP OF THE UNHOUSED IN OUR COUNTRY. SO I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PRIDE TODAY AND HOW THIS INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY CAME ABOUT.
I'M JOINED ON THIS PANEL WITH MY GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE CHARLIE ADAMS, DIRECTOR OF WHO WAS PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF PANELS DEVELOPMENT AND PRESIDENT AND WHO WITH OUR
FRIENDS AT THE BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OF DALLAS SCHAEFER NEARLY A DECADE AGO LAUNCHED A PLAN TO TRANSFORM SURPLUS MUNICIPAL PROPERTY THE ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN HYDE
PARK WHICH HAD CLOSED IN 2015 INTO THE FIRST LGBTQ WELCOMING AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMMUNITY IN NEW ENGLAND. AND I'D LIKE ALSO TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO FORMER COUNCILOR JOSH ZAKEN WHO IN
2015 CONVENED A HEARING IN THESE CHAMBERS ABOUT THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING THAT'S WELCOMING FOR OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY SAYING THAT THIS THE CREATION OF THIS KIND
OF HOUSING IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE BOTH FOR OUR CITY AND FOR OUR NATION. EVEN THOUGH WE IDENTIFIED THE FORMER BARTON ROGERS SCHOOL AS A POTENTIAL SITE IN 2016, IT TOOK ANOTHER THREE YEARS FOR
THE CITY TO ISSUE THE RFP FOR THE SITE. PENROSE WAS GRANTED THE RFP IN 2020 AND BEGAN THE DIFFICULT WORK OF ASSEMBLING THE PUZZLE PIECES TO FINANCE THIS PROJECT.
I KNOW THAT CHARLIE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN MORE DETAIL. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 2022. THE PRIDE OPENED IN JUNE 2024. MANY OF YOU WERE THERE FOR OUR GRAND OPENING AND OUR FIRST RESIDENTS MOVED IN IN JULY
2024. TODAY ALL 74 APARTMENTS 100% INCOME RESTRICTED AND A MIX OF 100% ADA ACCESSIBLE STUDIOS AND ONE AND TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS ARE OCCUPIED AND THE
PRIDE COMMUNITY CENTER CREATED OUT OF THE FORT FORMER GYM IS A BUSY AND VIBRANT GATHERING PLACE FOR RESIDENTS A RARE ADA ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY SPACE IN HYDE PARK FOR HYDE
PARK ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO HOLD MEETINGS AND EVENTS AND A SAFE AND WELCOMING SPACE FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONS DURING THIS TIME OF INCREASING BACKLASH AGAINST OUR COMMUNITY'S.
THE RESIDENTS SIDE OF OUR BUILDING INCLUDES SUNROOM A FITNESS CENTER, LANDSCAPED COURTYARD AND A WHAT WITH A WALKING TRACK AND RAISED PET GARDENS WHERE THE SCHOOL'S ASPHALT PARKING LOT USED TO BE
A MOVIE ROOM AUDITORIUM AND RITA HESTER'S OPEN VAULT A FREE STORE STAFFED BY RESIDENTS AND KEPT STOCKED BY LGBTQ SENIOR HOUSING WHERE RESIDENTS CAN FIND BASIC HOUSEHOLD GOODS AT
NO COST. THERE'S ALSO EXTENSIVE ART EXHIBITION SPACE AND PERFORMANCE SPACE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING ALTHOUGH IT'S ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR A YEAR, IT'S CLEAR THAT THE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY CENTER ARE AN
ENORMOUS SUCCESS. RESIDENTS TELL US HAVING A HOME AT THE PRIDE AS HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE CLOSER TO FAMILY AND GRANDCHILDREN. THEY'VE GOTTEN RID OF THEIR CARS BECAUSE THEY CAN WALK TO
THE STORE OR TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO THEIR JOBS OR APPOINTMENTS. THEY FOUND A COMMUNITY OF CARING NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS . OUR NEIGHBORS IN HYDE PARK TELL
US HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HAVING THE PRIDE DOWN THE STREET AND COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE WE HAVE HOSTED A VOLUNTEER FAIR FOR THE HYDE PARK MAIN STREETS ORGANIZATION A LAUNCH EVENT FOR THE HYDE
PARK CREATIVE CONNECTOR, A SUMMIT ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS ORGANIZED BY THE GROUP WORKING TO BRING A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER TO HYDE PARK. CANDIDATE FORUMS ORGANIZED BY THE HYDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WHERE I SAW
COUNCILOR PIPPIN LAST NIGHT AND EVEN A FREE KIDS HALLOWEEN COSTUME GIVEAWAY ORGANIZED BY AN UNINCORPORATED GROUP OF HYDE PARK MOTHERS. WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED BOTH IN CREATING THE PRIDE AND ONE YEAR INTO ITS OPERATION. BUT THIS MUCH WE KNOW FIRST IT TAKES TOO LONG TO MOVE SURPLUS PROPERTY TO THE RFP PROCESS
BETWEEN 2015 WHEN THE ROGERS SCHOOL CLOSED IN 2022 AND CONSTRUCTION STARTED. THIS BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC LANDMARK WITH A LEAK PRONE ROOF WAS UNHEATED AND AT THE MERCY OF THE ELEMENTS.
THE WORK OF TRANSFORMING THIS BUILDING INTO HOUSING WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT EASIER HAD THERE BEEN LESS DETERIORATION AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER. PERMITTING WAS NOT AN ISSUE FOR
THE PRIDE BUT MANY PROJECTS ARE DELAYED BY THAT PROCESS AS WELL. PEOPLE WHO THIS IS OUR FIRST PROJECT OF CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUT PEOPLE WHO DO THIS WORK LONGER THAN WE HAVE.
TELL ME IT USUALLY TAKES 15 TO 20 YEARS BETWEEN THE IDEA THE CONCEPT AND OPENING THE DOORS OF A NEW PROJECT AND NEW HOUSING WHICH BREAKS MY HEART IN THE SHORT TIME THAT WE WERE
WORKING ON CREATING THE PRIDE. MANY PEOPLE ON OUR WAITING LIST PASSED AWAY. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING SENIORS IN PARTICULAR. ANY KIND OF DELAY CAN BE JUST
TRAGIC. SECOND AND OLD SCHOOL BUILDING EVEN ONE CHOCK FILLED WITH UNKNOWN CONDITIONS LIKE THE ROGERS SCHOOL IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
LOCATION IS USUALLY IDEAL FOR THE PRIDE BUT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HYDE PARK LIBRARY AND THE MENINO ART CENTER, THE FAMOUS RUNS ICE CREAM AND BOWLING AS WELL AS
THE MENINO YMCA ARE A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY AND THE SHOPPING AND RESTAURANT DISTRICT AS WELL AS TWO COMMUTER RAIL STATIONS AND BUS LINES ARE CLOSE BY. THIS LOCATION IN A WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD MAKES LIFE RICHER
SIMPLER AND MORE AFFORDABLE FOR RESIDENTS. THIRD AND THIS IS THE PART THAT I SEE MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY THAT THE PRIDE IS IN OPERATION AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES
LIKE THE PRIDE KNIT COMMUNITIES BACK TOGETHER FOLKS WHO GREW UP IN HYDE PARK AND STILL HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LOVE AND CLOSER TO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
FOLKS WHO CAME OUT IN BOSTON LIVED SAFELY IN OUR WELCOMING CITY FOR DECADES BUT HAVE BEEN PRICED OUT AS THEY AGED HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE BACK TO A PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE IN A COMMUNITY THAT KNOWS
AND CARES FOR THEM. AND MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS HAD TO MOVE TO PLACES THAT FORCED THEM TO RETURN TO THE CLOSET FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. SO BEING ABLE TO BE BACK AND LIVING AS THEIR FULL SELVES IN
A SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACE IS CRITICAL. WE KNOW THAT OUR PRIDE RESIDENTS HAVE JOINED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZERS TIONS THAT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN NUMEROUS WAYS STRENGTHENING MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICE OUR
RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOP AT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND GO OUT TO EAT AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS. FORMERLY IN-HOUSE NEIGHBORS NOW HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT THERE'S A HUMONGOUS AND AND I THINK UNMEASURED NEED FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE
PROCESS OF ADVERTISING THE PRIDE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY. WE FOUND PERSON AFTER PERSON AFTER PERSON LIVING ON THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK WHO WAS
TOO POOR TO LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THINK ABOUT THEM EVERY DAY AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT AND FIND A WAY TO NOT JUST SUBSIDIZE HOUSING MORE DEEPLY
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU COUNCILMEMBER HERE ON CHANGING THE ARMS SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SENIOR AM-I THAT IS MORE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT IT SENIORS LIVE ON IN OUR ESPECIALLY THE CURRENT
GENERATION. FIFTH, WE KNOW THAT BUILDINGS LIKE THE FARM ABOUT ROGERS CAN'T BE BUILT TODAY SO REPURPOSING THESE INCREDIBLE BUILDINGS CREATE COMMUNITY IN
WAYS THAT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO CREATE OTHERWISE AND LISTED THE AMENITIES THAT THE PRIDE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO MAKES THIS BUILDING MAKES POSSIBLE THESE BROAD WIDE
HALLWAYS ALCOVES OUTSIDE CLASSROOMS THAT ARE NOW APARTMENTS JUST TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIP AND CONNECTION. THE THINGS THAT SAVE OUR LIVES AS WE AGE.
AND FINALLY, IF IT'S DONE RIGHT. AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN BE OUTWARD FACING AND IT CAN BE EMBRACED THE COMMUNITY A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND IT CAN ALSO RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS AND CONCERNS
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. SOMEHOW MIRACULOUSLY PENRHOS MADE A HOME FOR THE 54TH REGIMENT WHO YOU ALL KNOW AND ALL VOLUNTEER AT HISTORICAL SOCIETY THAT PRESERVES THE HISTORY OF THE ALL BLACK
REGIMENT OF FORMERLY ENSLAVED MEN WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR. THEY ARE BASED IN HYDE PARK WHERE THE ORIGINAL 54TH REGIMENT MUSTERED AND THEY HAD NEVER HAD A PERMANENT HOME SO
THEY HAD HISTORIC ARTIFACTS, THEIR UNIFORMS, ALL OF THEIR PAPERS HAVE JUST BEEN STORED IN SOMEBODY'S GARAGE OR ATTIC FOR DECADES NOW THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND ARE AND HAVE A
HOME AT THE PRIDE. CHARLIE ADAMS IN THE PROCESS ALSO BECAME A BELOVED MEMBER OF THE HYDE PARK COMMUNITY AND HE DID THAT BIT BY APPROACHING DEVELOPMENT IN A WAY THAT MOST
DEVELOPERS DON'T. HE WAS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. HE ANSWERED THE PHONE. HE ANSWERED PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS. OUR CO-FOUNDERS EILEEN MONTOUR AND PHILIP SAADE ATTENDED COUNTLESS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS
AND STAYED IN TOUCH WITH ABUTTERS LONG BEFORE THE DESIGN PROCESS BEGAN. WE KEPT THE NEIGHBORHOODS INFORMED THROUGHOUT CONSTRUCTION AND WE WELCOME NEIGHBORS TO TOUR THE PRIDE DURING OPEN STREETS AND OPEN HOUSES. HYDE PARK MAIN STREETS
ORGANIZED A MOBILE WORKSHOP DURING THE NATIONAL MAIN STREETS CONFERENCE HERE IN BOSTON IN 2023 THAT INCLUDED A TOUR OF THE PRIDE AS WELL AS LOCAL RESTAURANT RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES HIGHLIGHTING HOW
AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND MODELING HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THIS WORK IS NOT EASY AND WE SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS BY THE CITY
COUNCIL AND OUR CITY OF BOSTON AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN THIS WORK TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE IT EASIER AND TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS. WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE SO THAT MORE OF OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS CAN
CONTINUE TO IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES THEY KNOW AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY. I CAN TALK ABOUT THE PRIDE TILL
THE COWS COME HOME AS YOU ALL KNOW AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH GRETCHEN. APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. CHARLIE ADAMS GREAT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH GRETCHEN THOSE VERY KIND KIND REMARKS. AND IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE WORKING WITH GRETCHEN
AND HER TEAM AND ON THIS WITH THE PRIDE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR US TO TO TESTIFY. JUST BRIEFLY PENRHOS IS A DEVELOPER OWNER MANAGER
OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING. WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND WE'VE BEEN ACTIVE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS OVER THE LAST TEN. WE HAVE DONE OVER 50 ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECTS IN OUR HISTORY
MANY OF WHICH WE WOULD CONSIDER AS THE SURPLUS PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT TODAY. SO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, CHURCHES, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE DOING THE BLESSED SACRAMENT RIGHT NOW IN JAMAICA
PLAIN WHICH JUST CLOSED ON THAT. SO THAT'S AN EXCITING ONE. PRIDE BLESSED SACRAMENT. CHELSEA SOLDIERS HOME THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO SORT OF FALL INTO
THIS CATEGORY. WE DID TWO SCHOOLS IN AUBURN. WE'RE DOING AN OFFICE AND ACTUALLY OFFICE HISTORIC OFFICE RENOVATION DOWN IN HARTFORD RIGHT NOW ACROSS FROM THE CAPITOL AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO
AN OLD SCHOOL IN NEW HAVEN VERY SIMILAR TO TO THE PRIDE KIND OF CONCEPT. SO WE WE WE SPECIALIZE IN BRAIN DAMAGE. WE WE GO AFTER THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS AND WE REALLY LIKE THEM AND APPRECIATE THEM.
I WANT TO REALLY CONGRATULATE YOU ON THIS ORDINANCE. I MEAN IT'S JUST IN SOME WAYS IT'S IT'S LIKE LOW HANGING FRUIT BUT AS AS CLEARLY AND AS YOUR QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, DICTATED WITH THAT WE ARE
LISTENING TO QUESTIONS THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL HERE YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THE SUCCESS FOR AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING THE DETAILS THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DIGGING INTO. I SAY IT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT IN THE SENSE OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WE ALL KNOW THE CRISIS.
WE HAVE IT'S A IT'S AN ISSUE OF OF OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND YOU KNOW, THE EASIEST PLACE TO TO FIND SUPPLY IS EXISTING ASSETS THAT ARE MUNICIPALLY OWNED SO YOU CAN TREAT THAT YOU
CONTROL THEM. YOU HAVE A SAY OVER WHAT BECOMES OF THEM AND YOU CAN OFFER THEM AT NO COST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COST IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT US AS DEVELOPERS ARE CHASING. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
RESOURCES TO DO THIS BECAUSE THESE ASSETS DON'T PAY FOR THEMSELVES. AND ANYTIME YOU LAY ON AN ACQUISITION IT'S ONE MORE PIECE OF OF ADDITIONAL CAPITAL THAT GETS ADDED TO THE BUDGET THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUND AND PROVIDED
FOR. SO DOING PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS OFTEN CAN BE CHALLENGING IN THAT REGARD. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND THINK ABOUT THAT. THESE ARE REALLY CHALLENGING PROJECTS. I THINK GRETCHEN DID A FABULOUS
JOB OF OF IDENTIFYING SOME OF THEM. I'LL ECHO SOME OF THOSE MAYBE ADD A FEW MORE. THESE PROJECTS HAVE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. THEY HAVE SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS AND THEY HAVE ECONOMIC
BENEFITS STARTING IN REVERSE ORDER. I MEAN YOU'RE TAKING ABANDONED RESOURCES THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT PRODUCING ANY REVENUE AND YOU'RE TURNING THEM INTO REVENUE PRODUCING PROJECTS IN TWO WAYS. ONE, YOU'RE PUTTING THEM BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.
SO THERE ARE TAXES THAT ARE BEING GENERATED AND PROVIDED BACK TO THE CITY AND YOU'RE OCCUPYING THEM WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE DISPOSABLE INCOME THAT ARE GOING TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THAT ARE GOING TO SPEND SPEND THEIR MONEY ON THE LOCAL
BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL SHOPS, THINGS THAT MAKE WHO WE ARE AS A CITY AND WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY, WHAT WE WHAT WE WHAT WE NEED TO BE AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE. AND SO THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD
THINGS FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW THESE ARE THERE THEY ARE EXPENSIVE BUT BUT THEY ARE FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE THERE ARE SOME REAL BENEFITS OF HAVING THE EXISTING
STRUCTURES TO WORK WITH, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO BUY A BUNCH OF WOOD TO DO THE WOOD FRAMING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THE FOUNDATIONS THE STRUCTURES THOSE ARE ALREADY THERE. DON'T GET ME WRONG IT'S STILL A
LOT OF COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT BUT YOU'RE TAKING OUT THAT THAT THAT CRITICAL VARIABLE OF THE OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF OF THIS STUFF AND THEN YOU KNOW FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT YOU KNOW
GRETCHEN MENTIONED THIS IT'S WORTH REITERATING EVEN MORE. I MEAN THESE ARE IN MANY CASES WHETHER IT'S THE RIGHT TO BUY BARTON SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH AND EVEN THE CHELSEA SOLDIERS HOME THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WHICH IS
YOU KNOW, NOT IN BOSTON BUT JUST NORTH OF HERE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL ICONIC STRUCTURES THAT HAVE MEANING AND VALUE AND NOSTALGIA TO AN EXISTING COMMUNITY AND THAT HAS TWO THINGS ONE, IT ADDS TO THE
COMMUNITY LIFE THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT BUT ALSO MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH DOING A NEW PROJECT ON VACANT
LAND AND COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO THAT THAT KIND OF STUFF. THAT'S A VARIABLE THAT FOR THE MOST PART IS TAKEN OUT OF THESE TYPES OF ASSETS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY LOOKS AT THAT AND SAYS WELL WOULD I RATHER HAVE IT SIT THERE
VACANT, ABANDONED AND FALLING APART WHERE I'D RATHER HAVE IT TORN DOWN AND REBUILT? YOU KNOW BRAND FROM NEW OR WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT REPURPOSED FOR FOR ANOTHER USE
ANOTHER USEFUL LIFE AND IT'S PRETTY EASY TO GET TO THAT THIRD MENTALLY FOR FOLKS TO GET TO THAT OPTION PRETTY QUICKLY. SO THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT MAKES IT REALLY IMPORTANT
AND VALUABLE. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND YOU GUYS IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF THEM WHEN YOU WERE TALKING WITH WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND YOU KNOW, WE
CAN'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT TIME, RIGHT? TIME KILLS ALL DEALS. NOTHING NOTHING GETS WITH TIME ON DEVELOPMENT DEALS, ESPECIALLY OLD BUILDINGS. THEY'RE NOT FINE WINE. THEY DON'T GET BETTER WITH AGE
AND AS GRETCHEN POINTED OUT, THE LONGER TERM IS THESE ASSETS. IT'S THE MORE DIFFICULT THEY GET, MORE EXPENSIVE THEY GET AND SOMETIMES IF THEY SET TOO LONG THEY CAN'T BE SAVED. RIGHT.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY LOST AN ASSET THAT IS REALLY SAD AND MEANINGFUL MEANINGFUL SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE WORST HIT POSSIBLE OUTCOMES. SO YOU KNOW, WATER IS THE ENEMY OF BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, MOLD.
WE HAVE YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES DETERIORATION. SO SO THE ABILITY AND I YOU KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR COMMENTS IN PARTICULAR BY TALKING ABOUT THE TIME FRAME FOR GETTING THESE PROPERTIES OUT AND INTO THE INTO HANDS AND
I REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP TO KEEP WORKING ON THAT AND KEEP PUSHING TO GET THEM TO GET THEM OUT THE IN TERMS OF THE TIME PIECE I THINK YOU
KNOW, GRETCHEN IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAD YOU KNOW THE IT HAVING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING BE PROACTIVE AND TRYING TO GO AND GET THESE ASSETS FROM OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE REALLY
VALUABLE TOO RIGHT BECAUSE YOU KNOW NO DISRESPECT ANY OTHER PRIVATE ENTITY BUT IT'S NOT YOU KNOW IT'S NOT THEIR DAY TO DAY RIGHT TO TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD DO WITH SURPLUS PROPERTIES SO THEY HAVE OTHER
THINGS TO DO. SO IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING BE ACTIVE AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY ASSETS FROM OTHER OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OTHER CHALLENGES WE SHOULD TALK
ABOUT OBVIOUSLY IS YOU KNOW AGAIN ENTITLEMENT PERMITTING AND ZONING PROCESS. SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE MAYOR'S MAYOR'S I WANT TO I
WANT TO SAY ORDINANCE OR SOMETHING I'M NOT GETTING THE WORDS RIGHT BUT ABOUT IN TERMS OF ACCELERATING THE PROCESS FOR FOR FOR GETTING THESE ASSETS TO MOVE THROUGH THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS AND I THINK YOU HAVE A
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY WITH THE EXISTING SURPLUS ASSETS TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A LOT OF CHANGES TO THE OUTSIDE THAT ARE BEING MADE WITH THESE BUILDINGS THAT YOU KNOW, NEED TO BE EVALUATED AS MUCH. SO REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. SO I THINK COUNCILOR SMART, YOU TALKED ABOUT A YES AND ON ONE OF YOUR COMMENTS YES AND FOR FOR THE AFFORDABILITY
ABSOLUTELY NEED TO SERVE LOWER INCOME FOLKS THERE IS A AS A AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS THE DEMAND IN THAT 30% OR LESS COHORT OUTSTRIPS ALL THE OTHERS
. THE PROBLEM THOUGH BE BECOMES THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUBSIDIZED SO PROJECT BASED SECTION OF THE PROJECT BASED SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS AND MRV FEES THAT'S
THE END RIGHT? WE REALLY NEED THOSE FOR TWO REASONS ONE THE RESIDENTS THAT MOVE INTO THOSE UNITS WILL HAVE TROUBLE PAYING THE RENT AT 30% EVEN AT THAT 30% LEVEL BECAUSE
OF THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT A FAMILY HAS THAT THEY ARE AN INDIVIDUAL I SHOULD SAY BUT A SENIOR HAS IT THAT THAT THAT INCOME LEVEL. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THAT THOSE UNITS ARE SUBSIDIZED AND THAT SUBSIDY HELPS PAY IT
ALLOWS IT ALLOWS DEVELOPERS LIKE US TO INCREASE THE FIRST MORTGAGE ON THE PROPERTY WHICH IS MONEY THAT CAN BE INVESTED IN THE BRICKS AND MORTAR. RIGHT. SO WE CAN THAT THAT ADDITIONAL
CASH FLOW GETS CHANNELED INTO A FIRST MORTGAGE THAT REDUCES THE REQUIREMENT FOR OTHER CITY STATE RESOURCES TO LEVERAGE THAT. SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP THINKING ABOUT THE THE SUBSIDY
PIECE. SO I THINK THAT THAT SORT OF BRINGS ME TO THE END OF THE THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SAY . I'M CERTAINLY AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND I THINK IF YOU HAVE OTHER OTHER STUFF TO TALK
ABOUT I CAN GET INTO MORE DETAIL ON SPECIFIC THINGS. ONE THING I DO WANT TO NOTE UNFORTUNATELY IS I HAD THIS SCHEDULED FROM 10 TO 12 AND UNFORTUNATELY HAVE A HARD I HAVE A STOP AT 1230 I'D HAVE TO TAKE YOU OUT TO TAKE A PHONE
CALL BUT I CAN COME BACK UP TO THAT. BUT BUT I'M HERE UNTIL 1230 AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK AFTER THAT IF IT KEEPS GOING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHARLIE.
RICH GIORDANO OH, OKAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR COLETTE DE ZAPATA WANT TO THANK COUNCIL PRESIDENT VISUAL COUNSELORS PEPEN AND MY HERE
FOR BEING HERE. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS RICHARD GIORDANO. I WORK AT FENWAY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
WE ARE A 51 AND GOING ON 52 YEAR OLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER NONPROFIT WORKING PRIMARILY IN THE FENWAY. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 500 UNITS
OF HOUSING IN OUR PORTFOLIO AND I WANT TO THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT FOR THIS ORDINANCE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO MOVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROCESS AND THIS IS REALLY A GREAT IDEA TO THIS IS REALLY A GREAT IDEA TO CODIFY AND MAKE REGULARIZED THE PROCESS OF WHAT
WE DO WITH CITY ASSETS TO MAKE SURE THEY GET INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND OR THROUGH THAT ANALYSIS THEN POTENTIALLY OKAY IF THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR HOUSING WE'LL SEGMENT IT
FOR SOMETHING ELSE. I'D LIKE TO BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE FENWAY, CDC HAS BEEN AT WITH THIS PROCESS
OF ADAPTIVE REUSE AND HOUSING ON CITY ASSETS ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE YEARS AGO WHEN MAYOR WALSH PUT OUT AN RFI THROUGH THE
HOUSING INNOVATION LAB FOR DOING HOUSING WITH CITY ASSETS AND FENWAY CDC RESPONDED PRIMARILY AT THAT TIME WE WERE
LOOKING AT A ADAPTIVE REUSE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE FENWAY AND SINCE THEN WE COLLABORATED WITH WENTWORTH
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DID A STUDY ACTUALLY THE ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM DID THE STUDY. WE WE ENCOURAGED THEM AND GAVE THEM THE ASSISTANCE BUT THEY
TOOK A LOOK AT THE ENTIRE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL PORTFOLIO AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND OUR THINKING A LITTLE BIT TO SAY
NOT JUST CITY FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS BUT CITY LOTS AND WHAT THEY DETERMINED OUT OF THE ENTIRE 100 PLUS CITY PARKING CITY BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
FACILITIES THERE WERE ABOUT 40 BUILDABLE SITES THAT IS LAND AROUND THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING AND THAT STUDY WAS DONE IN 2019 I THINK THE IDEA BEING WE HAVE TO
ASSETS, WE HAVE STRUCTURES, WE HAVE LAND AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST LANDHOLDERS IN THE CITY PORTFOLIO IS THE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND SO WE'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ALSO
THINK ABOUT BUILDING ON THOSE CITY BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL LOTS OUT OF THE 40 PROBABLY THE EASIEST 30 ARE REALLY BUILDABLE AND DEPENDING AGAIN ON
COMMUNITY PROCESS AND ON INVOLVEMENT AND ON WORKING THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT HERE IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING AND THE ENGAGEMENT THERE'S STILL
HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF HOUSING THAT COULD BE BUILT ON THOSE FACILITIES. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT WHILE WE WERE WAITING I TOOK A QUICK
LOOK AT CERTAIN THINGS LATELY THE FIGURE OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS IS SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF 5200 WHICH IS
ASTOUNDING AND TERRIFYING AT THE SAME TIME AND IN ORDER TO SERVE THAT AND IN ORDER TO GO BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE SENIOR
HOUSING CRISIS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. WE HAVE I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO THINK OF HOW TO SORT OF PUT THE WIND IN OUR SALES
AND MOVE FORWARD IN A BIGGER WAY. AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO MAYBE GIVE US ALL A SENSE THAT HEY, OTHER FOLKS ARE
DEALING WITH THIS, THEY'VE GOT IDEAS WE CAN LOOK AT THEM TO SELL THEM MOST RECENTLY IN DECEMBER NOTED THE GROUNDBREAKING OF TWO FORMER
SCHOOLS INTO 61 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS THAT WAS IN THE SALEM NEWS. YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE STATE
SURVEY OF AVAILABLE STATE LAND IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA THAT'S BEEN COVERED IN THE BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL AND MASSLIVE AND THE APPROXIMATE
ANALYSIS IS IT IS POSSIBLE TO BUILD 85,000 HOMES ON THE UNUSED VACANT LANDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE THE BPC
SURVEY OF NEEDING TO CLOSE CERTAIN SCHOOLS ALL AROUND THE CITY ADAPTIVE REUSE HAS BEEN DONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
SMART CITIES THE PUBLICATION HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND SOME OF THESE DOCUMENTS BACK TO THE COUNCIL AFTER WE'RE DONE.
AURORA, ILLINOIS HAS TURNED SCHOOLS INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESS AND THIS WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN 2020 FOR OKLAHOMA CITY IS REOPENING
SCHOOLS FOR HOUSING AND MULTIPLE USES THAT STARTED IN 2017 IN SAN FRANCISCO THEY'VE ACTUALLY STARTED TO BUILD AND
REUSE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND BUILD HOUSING ON SCHOOL PROPERTY FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE THE TEACHERS CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO AND IN MIAMI THE SAME THING IS GOING
ON TEACHERS AGAIN CAN'T AFFORD THE RENTS IN MIAMI, FLORIDA AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK AT BUILDING HOUSING ON SCHOOL PROPERTIES
FOR TEACHERS THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR HOUSING OF ALL KINDS. WE'VE ACTUALLY WE FIRMLY CDC SPOKE TO THE BOSTON TEACHERS UNION AND TO THEIR
SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON FACILITIES AND HOUSING JUSTICE. THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE CAN HELP GET
POWER OF PROFESSIONALS AND THE LOWER PAID STAFF HOUSING AT THINGS LIKE CITY FACILITIES AND POTENTIALLY ON THE LOTS THAT
THE CITY HAS. WE'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY CHAIR BOK WHO'S VERY INTERESTED IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE HER
VOUCHERS AND CERTIFICATES TO HELP WHOLE HOUSE HOMELESS BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND WHAT A BETTER WAY TO DO IT THAN TO USE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
FACILITIES TO HOUSE BOTH THE SCHOOL STAFF AND THE TEACHERS OR THE PARISHES AND THE HOMELESS STUDENTS. AND I THINK WE CAN MAKE THIS ALL HAPPEN.
WE HAVE TO COLLECTIVELY PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER TO DO IT. THIS ORDINANCE IS ONE OF THE WAYS I THINK THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD AND
YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO THANK THE CITY REALLY AND YOU KNOW MLH H AND DAN LOESSER AND EVERYBODY WHO WAS HERE EARLIER FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING,
THEY NEED TO BE COMMENDED FOR DOING THAT. THE QUESTION IS JUST HOW DO WE EXPAND HOW DO WE BUILD, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY AND WITH THAT I'LL BE HAPPY TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. THANK YOU, RICH ANTIOCH HI. MY NAME IS AMBROGIO SULZER AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF REAL ESTATE AND I WAS IN PARK
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHICH MEANS THAT I OVERSEE THE WORK THAT MADISON PARK DOES TO DEVELOP AND OPERATE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR PORTFOLIO. WE HAVE ABOUT 1300 UNITS UNDER OUR OWNERSHIP.
OUR ORGANIZATION WAS ACTUALLY FOUNDED NEARLY 60 YEARS AGO SPECIFICALLY IN ORDER TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT. SO WE WERE FOUNDED IN ORDER TO
PUT CITY OWNED LAND THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN THROUGH SO CALLED URBAN RENEWAL WHICH WAS DEVASTATING TO THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO OUR MISSION IS TO FOSTER A VIBRANT, HEALTHY ROXBURY
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT SUPPORTS THE WELL-BEING AND ADVANCEMENT OF COMMUNITY. THAT ADVANCEMENT THAT WE SEEK RELIES ON THE FOUNDATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACQUIRING LOW OR NO COST CITY OWNED LAND
TO SITE. OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BEEN THE CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN MANY OF THE PROJECTS IN OUR HISTORY AND WE HAVE BUILT OVER 1500 UNITS THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DEED AND
RENT OR SALE PRICE RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. MOST RECENTLY WE COMPLETED 16 UNITS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP AT 2451 WASHINGTON STREET AND WE ARE PLANNING TO BREAK GROUND ON
ANOTHER 15 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE DEED RESTRICTED HOMEOWNERSHIP ON AN ADJACENT SITE THIS FALL. BOTH OF THOSE SITES WERE THROUGH CITY RFP PROCESSES.
WE HAVE ANOTHER APPROXIMATELY 300 UNITS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU COUNT THEM WHICH WE ARE WORKING TO BRING TO FRUITION ON OTHER CITY OWNED LAND LOTS. SO I THINK I WOULD ECHO WHAT
RICHARD WAS SAYING IN TERMS OF HIGHLIGHTING NOT JUST LOCATIONS WHERE THERE ARE BUILDINGS PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE URBAN RENEWAL DESTROYED BUILDINGS. WE ARE WORKING MOSTLY WITH
EMPTY LOTS IN ROXBURY. I DO ALSO WANT TO OFFER MY EXPERTISE SPECIFICALLY ON THE MATTER OF DISPOSITION OF LAND FOR A NOMINAL FEE AS WE DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NOW THERE'S A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB AT OUR ORGANIZATION THAT WE REALLY CAN'T JUSTIFY CARRYING MORE THAN $50,000 IN ACQUISITION COSTS PER UNIT. GETTING CITY OWNED LAND IS
EFFECTIVELY A CONTRIBUTION IN-KIND FROM THE CITY THAT SERVES AS THAT FIRST SORT OF KEY AND MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT INTO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS FINANCIAL FUTURE.
IT CAN ACTUALLY BE AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED WAY FOR THE CITY TO ALLOCATE FUNDS AND TO INVEST EARLY IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
VERSUS YOU KNOW, SELLING A LOT FOR TOP DOLLAR AND THEN SORT OF REALLOCATING OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY BUDGET INTO THAT SAME INVESTMENT IN HOUSING. YOU MAY AS WELL SORT OF MAKE THE INVESTMENT DIRECTLY BY
CONTRIBUTING THE LAND AND THEN THOSE FIRST DOLLARS IN MIGHT ACTUALLY BE USED TO LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, FIVE TIMES OR TEN TIMES THE INVESTMENT THAT THE
CITY IS MAKING INITIALLY. I ALSO DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT A LOT OF THESE LOTS WHICH HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO IN THE CONVERSATION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING ACTUALLY DO COST
QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO BRING UP TO SORT OF BUILDING READY AND SAFE SITES. AND SO YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT IS A FREE SITE TO ACQUIRE MIGHT ACTUALLY END UP REQUIRING
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT TO MAKE IT A HEALTHY PLACE FOR HOUSING. I ALSO WANT TO APPRECIATE COUNCILOR DURKIN'S WORDS REGARDING DENSITY.
IT'S CRITICAL BOTH TO MEET THE HOUSING CRISIS NEEDS AND ALSO JUST TO KEEP THE PROJECT COSTS DOWN SO YOU KNOW THE MORE UNITS THERE ARE ON A SITE THE LOWER
THE COSTS ARE PER UNIT JUST AS A MATTER OF SORT OF ALGEBRA AND SO THAT KIND OF DENSITY DOES ALWAYS RESULT IN A LOWER PER UNIT COST FOR A PROJECT ALL
ELSE HELD EQUAL IN TERMS OF GETTING TO FASTER HOUSING PRODUCTION. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT EVEN AS THIS IS A WONDERFUL EFFORT TO
DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO BRING A SITE INTO AN RFP OR TO COMPLETE THE RFP DESIGNATION THAT RFP SORT OF LIFETIME MIGHT
BE JUST A BLIP RELATIVE TO THE FULL LIFETIME OF WHAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE A BUILDING RIGHT. SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT MIGHT TAKE TEN, 15, 20 YEARS. RIGHT. AND MADISON PARK HAS WORKED ON
THOSE KINDS OF PROJECTS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE 15 UNIT SITE THAT WE'RE HOPING TO BREAK GROUND ON THIS FALL, WE ACTUALLY GOT THAT DESIGNATION
IN 2018. AND SO YES, THE DESIGNATION ADDS SPEED, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT WAS SIX MONTHS OR THREE MONTHS MATTERS A BIT THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE THE
UNIT IS STILL GOING TO GO FAR BEYOND THAT. AND SO I THINK THERE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE RFP STAGE TO ADDRESS THAT LARGER PRODUCTION SCHEDULE AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE
. SO IF YOU KNOW PRIOR TO AN RFP ISSUANCE THE ZONING ON THE SITE IS REMEDIED TO PREPARE IT FOR HOUSING OR IF IT HAS FUNDING
FROM M0 THAT'S GOING TO BE NECESSARY FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING THAT'S GOING TO BE NECESSARY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF THAT FUNDING IS MADE AVAILABLE IN TANDEM WITH THE
RFP OR IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER WAYS TO PRELOAD CATE THAT SITE READINESS FUNDING SO FOR SOIL REMEDIATION ETC. AS MUCH
OF THAT AS CAN BE DONE PRIOR TO OR DURING THE RFP STAGE THAT WOULD THEN ENABLE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS TO REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING RATHER THAN SPENDING YEARS TRYING TO THEN
PIECE ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AFTER THE FACT. AND I DID WANT TO I'M TRYING TO RESPOND TO KIND OF THREADS THAT
HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP A BIT ALREADY IN ROXBURY. I CAN SHARE DEFINITIVELY THAT COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL SPACE PRODUCTION DOES NOT PROVIDE ACROSS SUBSIDY TO AFFORDABLE
HOUSING. WE HAPPILY DO IT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT BOTH TO OUR STAFF, TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO PUT IN THE
SPECIAL EFFORT AND GET THE SPECIFIC FUNDING THAT IS REQUIRED. BUT IT IS A SPECIAL ADDITIONAL EFFORT AND IT IS SPECIAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT HAS TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR IN ORDER TO CREATE THOSE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL SPACES.
MADISON PARK ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING CALLED MASTER LEASING WHICH EFFECTIVELY MEANS THAT BECAUSE THE KINDS OF TENANTS THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THAT WE WANT TO ATTRACT TO THOSE SPACES
THAT WE PRODUCE AREN'T TYPICALLY SEEN AS BANKABLE BY THE BANKING INDUSTRY FOR MORTGAGES TO ACQUIRE OR RENOVATE SPACES.
WE TAKE ON THESE MASTER LEASES EFFECTIVELY PUTTING THE FULL FINANCIAL RISK OF THE PRODUCTION AND OPERATION OF THOSE SPACES ONTO THE BOOKS OF MADISON PARK IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM POSSIBLE SO WE
CELEBRATE THOSE SPACES IN THOSE USES BUT IT DEFINITELY YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE FUNDING SOURCES OR SORT OF A SMALL KEY INVESTMENT WERE MADE
IN THOSE SPACES UPFRONT AGAIN THROUGH THAT RFP PROCESS THAT'S ALL I HAD WRITTEN DOWN. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR CONVENING THIS GROUP AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS. I DO HAVE TO HEAD TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AT 1245. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS DISTINGUISHED PANEL'S INSIGHTS
AND PERSPECTIVES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS WORK. I'LL PASS IT TO THE LEAD SPONSOR THEN GO TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THEY HAVE. WE'LL DO 5 MINUTES. YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. AND AS I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE AS A DOMINICAN FLAG RAISING THAT THEY'RE RUNNING TO AND SO I THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK ARE
EVERYONE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TIME IF THEY HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS THEN YOU ALL HAD THE PRIOR PANEL LIKE HOW DO WE GET AT THAT TIME ISSUE SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT THREE YEAR GAP BETWEEN THE
ISSUANCE OF THE RFP AND YOU SAW THE RESISTANCE EVEN ON THE PRIOR PANEL IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT YOU KNOW SO ANY IDEAS ON THE STICKS WE CAN USE TO SORT OF GET THAT JUST THAT ARE THAT
THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE WANT THEN DETERMINATION AND REMEMBER WE WANT TO SORT OF TRY TO QUICK UP THE PROCESS BUT HAPPY TO HEAR ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YOU HAVE ON HOW WE SPEED UP THE ZONING SPEED UP THE TIMING I'M
SAYING ZONING BECAUSE THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING IDEA INTO AND SORT OF I THINK IT WAS YOU OR RICH BUT IN BREAKING INTO THE RFP THAT ZONING THE ZONING
APPROVALS I THINK IT'S A I'M JUST GOING TO BE HONEST I THINK FOR THIS ORDINANCE I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THEY LIKE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALREADY BARKING AT SORT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS PUTTING THE RESTRICTION ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL LAYER THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY PUSH BACK ON SIGNIFICANTLY. I THINK IT'S WORTHY I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IN THIS PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO MAKE SENSE BUT I WANTED TO ASK SO THAT'S MY
QUESTION FOR YOU AND FOR RICH. MY QUESTION IS ARE THERE ANY MODELS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE IN YOUR REPORT IS FASCINATING WE READ ADDRESSING WE READ IT ARE THERE ANY MODELS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY'RE DOING THIS
HOUSING ON WHERE SCHOOLS CURRENTLY EXIST? I THINK IN THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU LISTED IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE USE THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT IS HAPPENING AT THE THAT HAPPENED AT THE ROGERS.
SO THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS SO EVERYONE'S AND I KNOW WE HAVE PROJECTS YEAH I CAN TAKE A SHOT AT IT WELL I THINK I WOULD JUST KIND OF ECHO BACK I MEAN THE PLACE YOU'RE GOING I FELT WAS
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN YOU WERE SAYING OKAY WHAT IS NEEDED PUTTING A TIMELINE ON IT WHEN ONCE A PROPERTY BECOMES VACANT YOU KNOW HOW LONG YOU KNOW, PUTTING A TIMELINE ON WHEN A DECISION IS MADE ABOUT WHEN
THAT PROPERTY GETS GETS DONE FOR THAT. THE THING THAT I WAS ALSO SORT OF CURIOUS ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHETHER IT'S THE SCHOOLS OR THE
LIBRARY, WHATEVER IT THINKS ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE'S A WHOLE YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT EACH OF THESE DEPARTMENTS DOES AT THE BEGINNING OF A YEAR THREE YEARS OR FIVE YEARS FOREVER AND THEY'RE IDENTIFYING IN ADVANCE LIKE WHERE THOSE WHERE THOSE
PROPERTIES ARE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED AND NOT NEED. I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO EVEN TO SORT OF SCROLL BACK FURTHER AND THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, START THINKING ABOUT THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE GOING TO BECOME VACANT BEFORE THEY
BECOME VACANT IS PART OF THE PART OF THE PART OF THE THING IS IF IF MLH IS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT 90 DAYS AND NEEDS MORE TIME AND MAYBE INSTEAD OF GIVING IT ON THIS END MAYBE THERE'S MORE ROOM ON THE ON THE ON THE FRONT END,
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE SET OF FACTS REMAINS THE SAME. IT'S GOING TO BE IT'S GOING TO BE THE LONGER IT GOES, THE HARDER IT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT. SO THAT'S PART ONE. THE OTHER THING THAT WE ALWAYS
DO WE WE ENCOUNTERED I'M NOT IN A GENERIC LEVEL SOMETIMES AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY TRUE HERE BUT A LOT OF TIMES THAT WHAT SOMETIMES HAPPENS AND THIS IS A DANGER WITH WITH THE SOMETIMES WITH THE COMMUNITY
PROCESS IS THAT THERE'S THAT THERE BECOMES A SUCH A A DEFINITIVE VISION OF WHAT THIS PROPERTY WHAT THIS VISION COULD BE FROM A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT ENDS UP NOT BEING
FEASIBLE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE. AND SO THAT ENDS UP BECOMING A SELF-DEFEATING PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T GET THIS YOU CAN GET SOMETHING CLOSE TO THAT AND IT'S GOOD BUT
NOW YOU'VE SET UP A PARAMETER, A DYNAMIC WHERE IT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT? AND SO ONE THING I THINK IS THAT IS TO THINK ABOUT USING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AS AS YOUR THOUGHT PARTNER IN IN SOME
OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS. RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE HAVE THE ARCHITECTS, WE HAVE THE ENGINEERS, WE HAVE ALL THESE FOLKS THAT WE USE ALL THE TIME. THEY CAN QUICKLY DO AN ANALYSIS OF A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SO ONE THING I THINK IS LIKE JUST TO BE CAREFUL ON THE PLANNING FRONT ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU PLAN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS PROPERTY SHOULD BE VERSUS YOU KNOW, HAVING A GENERAL IDEA GOING RIGHT TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND THEN THEY CAN
TELL YOU WHAT WHAT THESE PROPERTIES CAN AND CAN'T BE THEN ONLY HELPS THAT HELPS NOT JUST WITH TIME BUT THEN ALSO HELPS WITH PROCESS. NOW THE DEVELOPER COMMUNITY COMES UP WITH SOMETHING NOBODY
WANTS IN THE COMMUNITY IT'S NO HARM, NO FOUL YOU JUST DON'T GO FORWARD WITH IT, RIGHT? SO THERE'S NO DOWNSIDE TO TO HAVING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW GET INVOLVED EARLIER AND OFTEN TO HELP HELP WITH THE VISIONING PROCESS OF WHAT SOMETHING COULD
BE. THAT'S ANOTHER THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE IN TERMS OF HOW YOU THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT. BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING TO ME TO BE THINKING
ABOUT THAT'S HELPFUL. THAT IS JUST A PROBLEM WITH TWO POINTS THAT CHARLIE BROUGHT UP. OH, BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS ALREADY DONE OVER THE LAST
EIGHT YEARS TO COMPLETE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENTS OF ALL OF THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS UNDER MAYOR WALSH THERE WAS THE THE ONE THAT WAS DONE I'M
FORGETTING THE TITLE OF IT AND THEN A SECOND ONE WAS DONE IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS WE'VE ACTUALLY ACCESS THAT AND YOU KNOW, AND SEEN WHERE THEY'VE DONE A COMPLETE
ANALYSIS OF HEATING PLANTS AND AIR CONDITIONING MASONRY TEACHING ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, ADAPTABILITY THE WHOLE THE
WHOLE DONE IT'S DONE SO IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT PROPERTY IN THE CITY IF I'M WAGE WERE TO FIRST OFF TARGET BP'S BUILDINGS
THAT ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN DONE AS TO WHAT THOSE BUILDINGS NEED FOR WORK AND CLEARLY WE WANT TO CHERRY PICK AND NOT PICK THE
ONES THAT NEED $5 MILLION WORTH OF WORK TO BRING THEM UP TO, YOU KNOW, CODE AND CURRENT FUNCTIONING. BUT SOME OF THAT WORK IS DONE FOR US ALREADY TO SPEED THAT
PROCESS UP AND ALSO IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS AT THAT POINT WAS WAS SO WELL TAKEN ANY COMMUNITY PLANNING ENGAGEMENT THAT'S DONE
WITH THESE SITES NEEDS TO BE TAKEN WITH THE COMMUNITY. A FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO WALK PEOPLE THROUGH IT SO THAT YOU
KNOW I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD IN THAT KIND OF PLANNING MISSION HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES WITH PARCEL 25 WHICH WAS FORMER AND BTR LAND AND ALSO WITH
WHAT'S NOW ONE BRIGHAM CIRCLE WHERE THE STOP AND SHOP AND ALL THE REST OF THAT IS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT WE DIDN'T LEAD ANYONE DOWN THE
GARDEN PATH HAD BROADER IN NOT ONLY ARCHITECTURE BUT FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS YOU KNOW BECAUSE PEOPLE COME UP WITH FABULOUS IDEAS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE AND THEN WE
HAVE THE REAL WORLD TEST IT AND YOU HAVE TO WALK THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS EVEN IF IT TAKES ONE OR TWO MORE MEETINGS TO SHOW PEOPLE HERE'S THE KIND OF RENT STREAM THAT'S GENERATED, HERE'S THE PURCHASE
PRICE, HERE'S THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COST AND HERE'S WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPECT IS EITHER THE OPERATING LOSS THAT NEEDS TO BE SUBSIDIZED, RAISED
OR IN OUR CASE WITH HOUSING YOU KNOW, HERE'S HERE'S WHAT WE DO NEED FOR THE HOUSING WE NEED AS WAS POINTED OUT, WE NEED SECTION EIGHTS, WE NEED MASS RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM.
THERE ARE OTHER INTERESTING CERTIFICATES THAT PAY MORE MONEY. THERE'S AN 811 PROGRAM THAT LETS PEOPLE WHO WORK IN
FACILITIES FOR REHAB BUT WHO CAN'T GET OUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THEM AND THEY'RE SITTING THERE THERE'S THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE HAVE TO WALK PEOPLE
THROUGH THAT PROCESS THAT THEY KNOW WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD HERE AND WHAT WE CAN AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE DENSITY ISSUE . YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK TO, YOU
KNOW, FINANCING AND TO GO TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT HOW CAN WE SPEED THE PROCESS UP, UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF THIS IS A LACK OF RESOURCES AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND
THIS IS NOT TO THROW STONES OR CAST ASPERSIONS. IT'S JUST WHERE WE ARE AT AND YOU ALL KNOW THE FUNDING ROUNDS THAT THE STATE GOES THROUGH OR
NOT SINK TO IN THE CITY FUNDING ROUNDS IN GENERAL SPEAKING YOU NEED TO GET YOUR CITY FUNDING IN ORDER IN ORDER TO APPLY AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND SO WE ALL KNOW THAT PROCESS
HOPEFULLY IN A STREAMLINED WAY IT CAN TAKE TWO YEARS. SO NOW WE GET BEYOND THE ORDINANCE HERE AND WE GET BEYOND THE CITIES PURVIEW.
BUT TO TALK TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE, IS THERE A WAY TO COORDINATE THESE ROUNDS MORE CLOSELY TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE? YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE ALL KNOW
WE HAVE THE GIGANTIC PROBLEM AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHERE THE UNCERTAINTY WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MAY INFLUENCE ALL OF US.
SO WE'LL JUST KEEP DOING OUR BEST. YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO TOWN TO TALK ABOUT THE BUT HOW THE FUNDING AROUND SENTENCING AND HOW THAT DRIVES ALL OF YOU CRAZY AND SO I TAKE THAT TO
HEART. ONE LAST QUESTION WAS HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DESIGNATED A PROPERTY OR BEEN GIVEN AN RFP AND AFTER OR THROUGH SAY DEVELOPMENT OR FEASIBILITY OR WHATEVER HAD TO DECIDE THAT YOU CAN NO LONGER
MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED? THAT'S NOT HAPPENED TO FENWAY. CDC OKAY. NO I'M BUT WE ALL KNOW AN
EXAMPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN PARCEL THREE GOING BACK TO THE MENINO ADMINISTRATION WHEN GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK WAS GOVERNOR THERE WAS A DESIGNATED
DEVELOPER AND THEN DUE TO ANY NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC SITUATION OVER YEARS AND YEARS THEY WERE DESIGNATED THEY WERE BROUGHT BACK AND THEY WERE BE DESIGNATED AGAIN IT
WENT BACK OUT AND THE CURRENT PROJECT MAY GET OFF THE GROUND BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME MORE TIME NOW UM I KNOW MADISON
PARK FOR FOUR YEARS SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE WHOLE HISTORY AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST BUT I CAN SAY THAT YOU KNOW OF THE OF THE MANY
PARCELS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY FROM CITY DESIGNATIONS, YOU KNOW WE'RE KIND OF CONSTANTLY ASKING OURSELVES THAT QUESTION OF HOW MUCH MORE PRE-DEVELOPMENT RUNWAY CAN WE
BEAR? SO I'LL GIVE THE EXAMPLE OF OF THE ONE THAT I AM WILLING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE THIS FALL BUT YOU KNOW, IT WAS A
DESIGNATION THAT WE GOT IN 2018 AND WE HAD ORIGINALLY RESPONDED TO THE RFP AND DESIGNED IT AS A 20 UNIT BUILDING WITH COMMERCIAL SPACE.
IT NOW STANDS TO BE A 15 UNIT BUILDING WITH NO COMMERCIAL SPACE AND THAT WAS THROUGH A SERIES OF SORT OF PERMITTING ISSUES ALONG THE WAY AND WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE
DETAILS OR CASTING ANY ASPERSIONS, YOU KNOW THAT PROCESS HAS COST US QUITE A LOT OF MONEY. THE ORGANIZATION HAS WRITTEN OFF OVER $600,000 IN OVERHEAD
COSTS THAT WE'VE SPENT THE ACTUAL MONEY PAID TO EXTERNAL VENDORS TO PRODUCE THE PLANS FOR THAT 20 UNIT BUILDING. AND WE MADE A DECISION BECAUSE
WE'RE MISSION DRIVEN NONPROFIT COMMITTED TO THE WORK TO WRITE OFF THOSE EXPENSES AND TO TRY AGAIN AS A 15 UNIT BUILDING RATHER THAN GIVING UP THE DESIGNATION.
SO WE'VE KIND OF PLOWED THROUGH IT BUT IT'S COST QUITE A LOT AND AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY STARTED OR AND NEVER MIND
FINISHED CONSTRUCTION BUT YOU KNOW WE EXPECT THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION IF NOT ALL OF OUR DEVELOPER FEE AND OVERHEAD THAT WE STAND TO MAKE IN THE REMAINING PROJECT BUDGET
THAT WILL END UP NOT GETTING ANY OF THAT EITHER AND SO YOU KNOW I HOPE THAT JUST HIGHLIGHTS OUR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK BUT IT IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AND THERE WERE THERE WERE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS
OF YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THIS PROJECT IS IS GOING TO COST US PROBABLY YOU KNOW IN IN THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS $2 MILLION TO PRODUCE OUT OF OUR ORGANIZATION COFFERS LIKE HOW HOW FAR CAN WE PUSH THIS COMMITMENT AND SO WE'VE DECIDED TO SEE IT THROUGH. BUT THOSE WERE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AND AND I WOULD SAY THAT THAT THAT KIND
OF THINKING OR PROBLEM AREA IS NOT UNIQUE TO THAT PROJECT. I THINK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSOR I
HAVE I HAVE NO QUESTIONS I MEAN IT WAS IN LINE WITH THE TIMING HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT EASIER YOUR TESTIMONY WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. I WILL SAY THAT IT IS MY MY
HOPE AND I'M SURE THE THE LEAD SPONSORS HOPE THAT WE EMBED AND INTEGRATE YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE POLICY OUTCOME IN ALL OF THIS. SO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY
GRATITUDE TO ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND BEING HERE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE TIMING CONSTRAINTS. WE'VE ALREADY LOST ONE PANELIST
I WILL TRANSITION TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY IF WE HAVE ANY AT ALL. I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO I'M I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE CAN ADJOURN THIS MEETING AND
FORMALLY BECAUSE I HAVE TO DO THIS FORMALLY SAY THAT THIS HEARING OH OH AND WHAT I SHOULD SAY IS THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THIS TO A WORKING SESSION. SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AND WE'LL DO THAT
QUICKLY. SO THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 1 TO 7 SIX IS FORMALLY ADJOURNED.
THANKS EVERYBODY. THANK YOU A