Good afternoon. We'll get started in just a moment as folks are coming in from the waiting room. >> Great. >> Good afternoon. This is an administrative hearing before the mayor's office of consumer affairs and licensing. Today is Thursday, January 8th, 2026. This hearing is being conducted pursuant to temporary
amendments to the open meeting law. That is what allows us to meet virtually. This hearing is being recorded and will be posted to the city of Boston's website. We are joined today by the executive director of the mayor's office of consumer affairs and licensing, Kathleen Choice, and director of operations, Rebecca Fu. There's only one
item on this afternoon's agenda. I will read that item into the record. I will ask who is present on behalf of the applicant. You'll make a brief presentation regarding your proposal followed by questions by the entertainment division. There will be an opportunity for testimony beginning with elected officials or their
representatives. For any members of the general public who wish to testify, please limit your testimony to two minutes and please state your name, address, and affiliation if any. The applicant before the entertainment division this afternoon is Boston Hospitality Partners LLC doing business
as the connector, the Collective, and the Vermillion Club located at 115 Federal Street. The application is to add the live entertainment categories of disc jockey, dancing by patrons, karaoke, instrumental and vocal music up to 19 performers, and trivia 7 days a
week until 11 p.m. and also non-live entertainment outside until 11 p.m. Who's present on behalf of the applicant? Yes. Uh, good afternoon, Director Joyce, Director Fu, Secretary Green, Kevin Butler from McDermac, Quilty, Miller, and Hanley. Here on behalf of the
applicant, Boston Hospitality Partners, doing business as the connector, the collective, and Vermillion at 115 Federal Street. I'm joined today by manager of record Darren Restreo, and John Luciano from the ownership team. Both have extensive experience in the industry, including Darien's three years
with the applicant. This application comes after approximately 10-year process to develop and license the premises. The project underwent BPDA article 80 review including an extensive community process in which entertainment was discussed. The article 80
cooperation agreement between the city and the applicant stipulate that the premises shall be an active publicly accessible space to accommodate a variety of educational, civic, performance, and cultural experiences. The project was also granted an alcoholic beverages license in 2021
which also required a community process in which entertainment was also discussed and during which uh support for the project was obtained by the downtown Boston bid and city councelor Flynn's office. The connector is a ground floor publicly accessible space for events and gathering. The collective
is a thirdf flooror co-working gathering space and the vermilion is a mezzanine level modern fine dining restaurant. Additionally, the applicant operates a seasonal outdoor beer garden at Winthre Square Park where they propose to offer both live and non-live entertainment, including non-live background music and
the occasional acoustic performance. Um, since beginning operation, the applicant has received multiple one-day entertainment licenses for the connector and has successfully operated without incident. The proposed entertainment at the premises will allow the applicant to provide the educational, civic,
performance, and cultural experiences per the agreement with the city while also providing an amenity for those who live and work in the community. The live music, DJ, audio devices uh will allow the applicant to provide background music to match the ambiance of the space
and the dancing by patrons, karaoke, trivia, and having up to 13 instrumental and six vocal performers will give the applicant flexibility to host a variety of events. Uh, the space was designed with sound mitigation in mind, including soundproof construction and double pane
windows. The proposed hours of operation for entertainment are 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 7 days a week, and there are no age restrictions, cover charges, or uses of promoters. The premises has at least one security professional pre uh present during the
hours of operation, and more are added for events as needed. There are 49 cameras on the premises, and they retain footage for 25 days. The applicant will submit a a floor plan showing the locations of the cameras, uh their security, dispersal and operations plan,
uh the letters of support previously mentioned, and the uh BPDA cooperation agreement uh for your reference. Thank you for hearing this today, and we are happy to answer any questions. >> Uh thank thank you, Attorney Butler. Um and thank you to the team for joining us
today. So, uh, with this license, uh, seven days and the hours you asked for, like walk me through how you plan to program it in a week, the different spaces. Um, and like I know you haven't um had an
opportunity like to build it to think it out fully, but if you could like for our purposes walk us through the types of programming you are hoping to bring there. >> Yeah, so I think uh I might have to ask John to help me out a little bit here. Um I think the uh general idea is to
have background music the occasional uh you know pianist or uh other live music just as background music generally and then uh for events uh we'll increase that to DJs multiple performers etc. Um
John if you want to add to that. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you all for having us today. Um so to answer that question it it's really it's relatively limited. We're we're not providing entertainment on a a daily basis, but based on our agreement with the city of Boston, um we do have these
obligations to host public events. So, what we would envision are things like we're doing music and mocktails and we're giving out free mocktails to folks and we will typically have an acoustic performer on site then. Um, we will also host a variety of um, events, a meet
Boston by example or a corporate function holiday party in the connector itself whereby we would have a DJ in the background to supply it and amplified music on some of those meet Boston types events. Um, limited in the restaurant up
in the mezzanine although to have that uh, DJ at times um, to help create ambiencece certainly would be welcomed. um on our third floor collective that that attorney Butler referenced more more along the lines of a potential DJ every now and again for an event that's
booked within the space um and every now and again some acoustic performers. >> Okay. And could you describe for us a little bit more about this outside space? >> Sure. Um as part of the development, we were obligated to um refurbish Wintham
Square Park uh city-owned land and we have an obligation to maintain it. Um, last year, last summer actually, or fall, excuse me, we were granted the right to extend the liquor license out there and we did a small beer garden in that park. Um, and at that beer garden, we had some uh background music
amplified as well. So, that's really been the primary use for that outdoor space. Other than that, it's open to the general public. People come and go. Um, so we've we've limited our entertainment out there to to this particular garden. >> Okay, just a second.
Um taking a quick look at what is submitted to us. >> Yeah. Um the original application uh was only for non-live outside. We are now asking uh for the ability to have live as well. Um just limited to acoustic
performance. >> Okay. What are the hours outside? Usually >> we usually run it from 4 to 7. >> Okay. So that would be when the live would be for >> Yes. >> Attorney Beller, I think you said there
would be one security person, >> correct? Yeah, there's uh always one security professional there. Um and then for events, you know, as needed, they can go up to I think John said four they've had for events. Uh it really just depends on how many people um and
they up it. >> Okay. Uh I know you'll be working with groups like me, Boston, um and so forth. Do you anticipate working with promoters? >> No. >> Okay. >> All right. And and we can work with you and your attorney, but we'd like to have
on on file with us and for you to have on site a security plan, a dispersal emergency and operations plan. I know this is a unique space, so we'll have to figure out what that looks for. I don't think I have one on file. I could just say work off of this. This sounds like
we'll have to um talk through that. um and see. >> Yes, we we haven't uh submitted one yet, but uh we are working on it and we're uh going to submit that along with the uh floor plan with cameras um and the letters of support.
>> Okay. Um thank you. I appreciate that. It sounds like a you've put a lot of thought into how the space could be used and should be used. I'm going to ask Rebecca to see if there's any questions I may have missed so that we could kind of review it all together.
>> Um, yes, I do have a few questions. I'm just a little confused about the different spaces. So, the mezzanine is a restaurant. >> Yes. >> And then what's >> Yes, the vermilion. >> Oh, that's okay. And then the collective and the connector, are they just kind of
a vent spaces? >> Um, the connector is the ground floor. It's a um it's a ground floor passageway from Devonshshire to Federal Street and that's where we host a series of events. In the daytime there's a small food hall
with um four food kiosks and a coffee shop that operate from call it 7:00 in the morning till 3:00 in the afternoon for lunch service only. But that's where we host events. The third floor collective um is on is uh more or less
an amenity floor for the building and there are some events that are held in that space as well. >> And then um what type of abutters are in this or abuts the building? Residential,
commercial, both? >> Uh it's commercial, right? 75101 Federal Street to our if we're facing Devonshire to our right and and then 100 Summer Street if we're facing toward our left. >> Yeah. And then correct me if I'm wrong.
Uh there are residential above in the actual building as well. >> Correct. On the 30 uh 36th floor, there are uh 317 residences begin. They go up to 62. >> And then um
the um sorry I'm just uh for the community process, can you just say who you met again? I know you went through it, but it's kind of quick. >> Um so this all has been taking place over the past 10 years. Um so I am not exactly sure on the exact uh community
engagement specialist or who from ONS we met with. Uh but there was >> extensive meetings with uh the community including the bid um throughout the process. um where entertainment was discussed as well as for the initial liquor licensing in 2021. Um so it goes
back to 2016. So >> sorry to interrupt just you know this this process you know went through the the full BBTA process. So you know we worked with BPDA or John and his team work with BPDA. So there are a lot of uh
with the the assigned planner they hosted a fair amount of meetings to discuss all of this including the entertainment and um before before Kevin Stein which is why I'm interrupting him uh I don't think he's he's uh done too many of these meetings before uh Sigy
and his team were were part of the process but it was with uh I'm not even sure it was might have been been before Sierra but it was with the neighborhood rep. Uh there was a virtual butters meeting held for the licensing process at 2021 um that was held uh at that time and uh
they also John has met with the bid and um individual stakeholders throughout the community as well >> and the um the outdoor space is only the winthrop square park. There's no other outdoor spaces. Okay, >> that's correct. I know in the application you said background music
until 11 and then 4 to 7 for live. Correct. >> That's correct. >> And uh so oh manager um Darren's a manager. Can you tell us about his experience where he's worked before?
Uh Darien. So he has three years of experience here with the applicant. Um recently, a couple months ago, actually, the licensing board, we made him the full um manager of record on the liquor license. Um Darren, if you want to elaborate more on your experience. Um
>> of course, uh thank you again for having us. Um I've been in the hospitality industry for a decade and ongoing. Uh specifically with restaurants for the last seven years. Um, I've had the privilege of working here with Winthrup Center in this building and all its capacities for the last three years. Uh,
being an integral part from its uh, fruition to now what we execute on a day-to-day basis. Great community from residents in house and those that we look forward to welcoming from the outside. Um, and then past experiences as well in hotel uh, customer service, front face.
>> Um, did you work in any other Boston licensed restaurants? Indeed, I was uh formerly part with the Columbus Hospitality Group uh at their uh Mu Beacon Hill location uh for shy of the five-year frame. Uh I've also uh done since with the Smith and Winsky
group uh here in Atlantic Warf. Um and those are kind of restaurant segments I've been participants of. >> Perfect. Thank you. I do not have any more questions. >> Thank you, Director Joyce. Any further questions? >> I don't at this time. Thank you all very much.
>> Thank you. Are there any individuals who would like to testify on this matter? Beginning with elected officials or their representatives. >> Yes, Madame Director Siggy Johnson with the Office of Neighborhood Services. This applicant has undergone an extensive community process which has been detailed by their council. However,
would request, if they have not already, to additionally reach out to the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association and let them know of their plans regarding this application. We defer further judgment to the division. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Are there any other individuals who would like to testify on this matter?
Seeing none, the entertainment division will take this matter under adisement and will issue a written decision. That is the only item before us this afternoon that will adjourn this hearing. Thank you all. >> Thank you all much. We really have a great week. We will >> Thank you.