Everybody, we're going to enter into the public hearing portion of tonight's meeting. This is a public hearing before the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as the Boston Planning and Development Agency being held in conformance with article 80D-5.4
4 C of the Boston zoning code to consider the proposed first amendment to the Boston University Charles River campus 2024 through 2026 institutional master plan. This hearing was duly advertised in April 24th, 2025 in the Boston Herald. This is a BPDA hearing on
a proposed petition by the agency. Staff members will first present their case and are subject to questioning by members of the agency. Thereafter, anyone who wishes to testify about the proposed project will be afforded an opportunity. We are taking support and opposition at the same time. So, if
you're planning to testify via Zoom, please take time now that your micro to verify that your microphone is active. Click on the CL on the hand icon on your Zoom control panel. This will signal to the staff that you would like to speak. And when your hand is raised, it will be blue. If you're calling into the meeting
and would like to testify, please dial star9 to raise your hand. When I call for all testimony, staff will announce your name and allow you to talk. You must unmute your microphone at that time and your webcam will not be active. If you are planning to testify in person uh in the boardroom, please line up behind
the podium after the present presentation has concluded and we will call on you. In an effort to accommodate all who would like to speak about this proposal, each person will be given up to two minutes to comment. BPD staff will indicate when 30 seconds remain and at that time, please conclude your remarks that the hearing may continue and others may be heard. Finally, the
proponents are allowed a period of 5 to 10 minutes for rebuttal if they so desire. Quinn. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Pimus. My name is Quinn Valich. I'm a senior project manager in the design uh development review division here at the planning department. Uh the proposal before you tonight is for the first
amendment to the current two-year Boston University institutional master plan located in the Fenway neighborhood. On February 12th, 2025, BEu filed an IMP amendment for the Charles River campus to include the property at 13 Buzzwell Street into their institutional portfolio. BEu is not proposing any
changes to the structure or use of the property at this time. I now turn it over to the BEu team to give a brief presentation and thank you to all the members of the public, elect officials, and city agencies who helped their review of this project. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, Chair Rojas, members of
the board, Secretary Pyus, and Director Shen. I am Greg Snyder, vice president of campus planning and operations at Boston University. And on behalf of the university, I am seeking approval for the first amendment of the 2024 the 2026 Charles River campus institutional
master plan. The university acquired the 6,000q ft residential building in the fall of 2024. Located at 13 Buzzwell Street in the university's south campus near Ottabon Circle, the university plans to make life safety and security upgrades.
Add the university IT network and paint and refresh spaces spaces while also ensuring the building's windows, roof, and masonry are in good shape. If approved to be included in our institutional master plan, the university will acquire a dormatory license to house approximately 23
undergraduate students consistent with the existing occupancy of abuing buildings. The expected occupancy is in August 2025. Thank you. Thank you. Um is that was that the conclude the presentation? Oh, okay. Um
great questions or comments? Oh, no, no, no wait, wait. It's a public hearing. Thank you. Um All right. So, it's a public hearing. Um, we'll take public comments first and then move on to board questionings. Um, so there's anyone who would like to testify in public, please.
Good evening, Madam Chair, Secretary Bohemis, members of the board. My name is Pam Beiel. My address is 462 Beacon Street and I'm here this evening in my capacity as chair of the Boston University Community Task Force to express support for the first amendment
to the 2024 to 2026 institutional master plan outlining the purchase of 13 Bwell Street. The meetings for this amendment were wellrun by Tyler Ross, and if he was here, I would thank him personally today. And the acquisition of the um 13 Buzzwell Street was wellreceived by the
task force and all the community members in attendance. Accordingly, I would like to urge you to vote in support of this this evening. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board. Uh Mina Perez representing
the Carpenters Union. I'd like to go in regular and strong support of uh Boston University's proposal. Uh for many years uh the carpenters union, we have many of our had had many of our members work uh providing for their families due to this
their projects and because of the gratitude uh that we want to express tonight by supporting them. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anyone else who would like to um provide testimony? So, please uh move the podium or if you're online,
please raise your virtual hand. Okay. All right. We're not seeing anything. All right. So, that concludes the public um uh testimony portion. Uh we'll now move on to board questioning. Uh questions or comments from the board? Do you have a name of the dorm picked out yet?
Um, if we could have a donor, uh, we be happy to name it after that donor. Uh, most of our most of Boston University addresses are we usually go by the address for other locations. Gotcha. I'm I'm just thinking I remember uh a a a mentor to me and many in this room. Uh,
the late great Tom Manino, an esteemed professor. I think his office was not too far from there when he uh when he was working for your folks in retirement. Some addition questions or comments? Well, it's just great to uh see this project moving forward. Um it helps
address all the issues of uh students gentrifying neighborhoods and the like and you're to be commended for making this happen. Thank you. Thank you. Additional questions or comments? Uh comment from me. I didn't well I did not go to Boston University. I went to Depal
University and lived in a similar structure uh uh in Chicago. Um, but it was a really good transition to like adultting life, right? Like um to uh and and I'm just looking forward that um you know some of the BE students are going
to get to experience uh experience that um you know should should this uh be approved. So uh with that uh a motion is in order. So moved. Second. We'll call for a vote. Miss Bennett. I Mr. Shepard. Hi. Dr. Lansmark. I Mr. Omali. I. And
the chair votes I. Motion passes. Um thanks so much. Great. Thank you very much everybody. Yeah. All right. So that was 31. We're going to go back to item number 30. Uh request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80 small project review of the
zoning code for the proposed construction of 68 hotel rooms and 14 bicycle parking spaces located at 1767 through 1769 Washington Street and 631 Massachusetts Avenue, also known as the Alexandra Hotel. uh to enter into a
community benefits agreement and to take all related actions. Zoe, Madam Chair, I think we're um having a little bit of a confusion about this. If you give me 30 seconds, I will grab Zoe and make sure she's prepared. Hey, Zoe. Hi. I'm so sorry. It went really fast.
That probably it was very fast. Um thank you. Sorry about that. Um good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Director Shen, and Secretary Paul Hamus. My name is Zoe Shy and I'm a project assistant in the development review division of the planning department. We're here before you this evening to
discuss the proposed article 80E small project located at 1767 to 1769 Washington Street in Roxbury, also known as the Alexander Hotel. As you may remember, the Alexander Hotel has previously undergone the article 80 review process for a large project
approval as a hotel in 2019. In 2021, a notice of project change for a change of use from hotel to condo was approved. And in 2024, another MPC was approved to return to hotel use. The most recent MPC was approved with 150 rooms, 13 floors,
and 83,500 gross square ft. The project team has secured funding from the state to help restore the historic facade of the hotel. The new funding has allowed them to remove the tower above the historic facade, resulting in the new proposal before you today. which is
significantly smaller at 68 rooms, six floors, and 39,300 gross square feet. And because of this reduction, it's been reviewed as a new um article 80 small project. The proponent filed a small project review application on March 31st, 2025. A public meeting was held on
April 23rd and was advertised in the local newspapers, posted on the planning department website, and a notification was emailed to all subscribers of both the Roxberry and Southoun neighborhood update lists. The public comment period ended on April 30th and I will now hand it over to my colleague Alana to present
the planning context before the development team begins the presentation. Thank you. Thanks Zoe. Next slide please. Oh all right. I don't know that my slides are in here but we will just wing
it then. Uh, good evening, Chair Roas, Secretary Bohemis. There we go. Members of the board and director Shen. My name is Elana Hayes and I am the planner assigned to this project. The proposed project site is located in the Roxbury neighborhood district in a multif family residential/local services
subdistant to article 50. Uh, similar proposals for this site, as we just mentioned, have been approved by the BPDA board three times in the past. Next slide, please. The current iteration of the project maintains similar conditions and proposed uses but reduces the height of
the project. Thus, this project is met with the same call for zoning relief pursuant to section 73 conditions for required variance of the zoning code. The dimensions of this adjacent parcel which are uncharacteristic for the neighborhood and the importance of retaining the existing
historic building continue to create conditions consistent with the requirements for variance by the zoning board of appeal. The revitalization of the hotel on site aligns with the provision that the variance is necessary for the reasonable use of land or structure. And given the narrowness of this vacant parcel, a variances
warranted per special circumstances. Next slide, please. The proposed project continues to meet the planning goals of acknowledging the importance of historic preservation as a tool for revitalization and as a source of neighborhood pride and identity as specified by the Roxbury strategic
master plan. The proposed project is located within the coastal flood resilience overlay district, requiring that the first floor elevation be 1 foot above the projected 2070 base flood elevation as anticipated by the Boston Harbor Flood risk model. And for this
proposed project site, the BF is 18 ft requiring a design flood elevation of 19 for this development type. In previous board approved project modification in the previous board approved project modifications were made to the development proposal to ensure compliance with seafood requirements
including the DFE and other flood proofing measures in accordance with the Boston coastal resilience flood design guidelines. Such provisions have been maintained in the current proposal. Other commitments by the previous iterations of this project are continued in this current version. uh but some such commitments have been appropriately
scaled with the reduction in size of the project. After board approval and zoning board of appeal approval of the required zoning relief, the proposed project will continue in design review at the planning department. Thank you. And I will turn it over to the development team to present the project in more detail. Thank you.
Good afternoon, Chair Roas, Director Shen, Secretary Pyus, members of the board. My name is uh Pablo Hunts, development manager for the Alexandra Partners. Thank you Zoe and Alona for the thorough explanation. Uh our team is
here tonight to present the revised design for the Alexandra Hotel. Many of you know this project. Um it's been in front of this board few times, been in front of the many city agencies uh a few times as well. So the previous iteration
of this project was a 155 room 83,000 ft² hotel 13 stories. Our team is now presenting a design that stays within the existing envelope of the building. It's actually more of a restoration of the existing building versus you know a
tear down of the building behind the facade and an erection of the new building behind it. So the project has excellent momentum now. We are now pursuing historic tax credits as a part of this smaller iteration. Part two approval went in uh at the end of April
and we were just recently in front of the Southoun Landmarks Commission. Um very strong support from the community and also approval from the South Landmarks Commission for this design. Everything was received pretty well. Um through this change, our team has worked
closely with city staff to make sure that many of the benefits, the community benefits, the impact on the public realm have stayed the same. You know, this project has gone through many, many layers of review with the city, many, many layers of community meetings. So
the intent was to just downsize the project primarily remove floors 6 through 12. The tower component of the project and overall the level of support from the community for this change has been extremely strong. So with this I'll turn it over to Dartanian Brown from
Embark to walk through the architecture. Thank you. Thank you Pav. Good um evening madam chair, director Shen, Secretary Pimus and members of the board. our Tanyian Brown architect from Embark. Um, as mentioned, we're excited to be here
tonight. The project certainly had a long journey and we're at a very uh important stage now of being able to see this come to life. A couple key things to note uh on the plan. You can see the existing hotel structure that as mentioned will remain with a full
restoration which allows us to go after the historic tax credits. And the addition that's labeled on page south is essentially following the exact same footprint that was previously approved. Sands the tower above. Uh, next slide, please. Um, architectural elevations. On
the right, you can see the existing building to remain with the infill edition at the old Ivory Bean site coming in at the same height uh with uh with the tower removed above. Uh, next slide, please. And in this slide, this is really
focusing on the the gem of the project, which will be the restoration of this building, full activation of the ground floor, sorry, restaurant retail. And then to the left, you can see the infill design for what will become the hotel
entry and access to the 68 rooms. Uh we've worked closely with the staff at the Boston Planning and at the Landmarks Commission to make sure the design is in keeping with the category A site within the South End and one that is respectful
of the historic nature of the Alexandra. Um next slide, please. And then lastly, this is a a really great pedestrian view of what it will be like to experience this building. I think everyone is excited to see this come to life. uh we'll have an activated cafe space at
the ground floor restaurant and then on the left here in the infill edition kind of paying homage to the architectural elements of the existing building we'll enter into the hotel with a little local use cafe uh back house support at the rear and then as we move up through the
building providing full accessibility to all uh areas of the project and I think with that love to answer any questions and appreciate the board's time. Okay, thank you. All right. Uh questions or comments from the board? Uh through the chair since I might make
it home for dinner today. A few questions. Um first uh looking at that picture, how how tall are the ceilings? How high are the ceilings? So they the floors. Yeah, they vary floor to floor. Uh first of all be around 14t. Then it's
anywhere between 10, 11, and 12 depending where we move up. Typically the parlor levels are a little bit more in height. And then you go as you go up they'll uh get more into the 10 range. It's a beautiful building. But uh I almost this project since the letter of
intent it almost shows the es and flows of the city from you know the good, the bad, the ugly, the unpredictable just from the changes from you know what worked for you guys to make this go through. Um I definitely hope this goes
through and I hope to see this project you know come to fruition. It's a beautiful building. Thank you. Agreed. It's such an iconic piece of Boston's history to see it revitalized and it's been a long long process. It's it's very very exciting. So congratulations. Thank
you. Thank you. I have a a minor aesthetic question. Could you go back to the um last slide? I'm curious as to um why you used a gray brick rather than a red brick.
um which would have carried forward with the detailing on the uh hotel and on the building next to it. Yeah, that's a great question. So, that's actually um a metal panel system that's got a like a laser cut filigree detail that's in
front of a spandal glass panel to kind of cast the shadows. It's picking up a lot of the historic detail that's in the existing building. So, it's actually not brick, but it's a two-layer glass and metal component. So, it it should have nice reflection, pick up a lot of depth
to the facade. Seems like a better project. Looks good. Agree. Yeah, we want to see this one work. Yeah. We do, too. This is We're We're very very excited with this iteration of the project. We drive by it all the time and
can only imagine it. No, I know. I drive by and it hurts like when you see it you're just like yeah. So yeah. But now but this is this is exciting. This this is not hurting. This is like hoping and again I know it's been through all of like the processes and that's what the
processes are for and the input and like um and so and I think you uh you know the support of it is a reflection of um of the of the process and kind of you know the
um you know collaboration and cooperation um to get to the to today. So um a motion is in order. So moved. Second. Roll call for a vote. Miss Bennett. Hi. Mr. Shepard. Hi. Dr. Lansmark. Hi. Mr. Milly. I. And the
chair votes I. Motion passes. Thank you so much. Congratulations. Good luck. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Good job. Item number 32. Request authorization to disperse $150,000 from the Boston Garden Project funds to Boston Harbor now to advance the
Harborwalk 2.0 O program and coastal resilience. Erin, thank you. And uh good evening, Chair Roas, Secretary Pamus, and Director Shen, members of the board. I'm here this evening once again uh to ask you for the permission to allow the director
to distribute community benefit funds once again to a very good cause and a great organization. This being 150,000 from the Boston Garden Project funds to Boston Harbor Now for their Harborwalk 2.0 program. Um, let's see. We intend to
collaborate with Boston Harbor Now on a series of steps and investments to advance resilient Boston Harbor based on 2030 and 2070 projected flood paths. Assist with collecting chapter 91 licenses for flood path properties. Assist with identifying current
Harborwalk surface elevations. Assist with developing a city policy requiring new or rehabbed segments of Harborwalk to be protected from projected 2070 astronomical high tides. Advocate for enhanced enforcement of Chapter 91 to
require preservation of Harborwalk for the terms of current Chapter 91 licenses in light of flood risks. Advocate for revisions and/or interpretations of state rags to advance coastal resilience projects. Engage with harbor walk property owners through meetings,
newsletters, etc. to discuss resilience, maintenance, signage, and owner concerns, and develop a 10-year roadmap for completing Harborwalk while also addressing coastal resilience. The city will also be providing funds to Boston Harbor Now and Friends of the Boston
Harbor Walk for design and installation of historic interpretive signage on planning department and city waterfront properties, including peers three and four in the Charles Town Navyyard. This dispersement will be drawn from public realm contribution made per the Boston Garden Project master cooperation
agreement dated December 3rd, 2015. And with that, happy to take any questions from it. All right. Thank you. Questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order. So moved. Second. We'll call for a vote. Miss Bennett, Mr. Shepard, Dr. Lans, Mr. Ali. I chair
votes I. Motion passes. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Right. Okay. Item number 33, request authorization to submit applications to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Mass Works Infrastructure Program and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive
Office of Housing and Livable Communities Housing Works Infrastructure Program in support of various projects in the city of Boston and to enter into a grant agreement with respective development entities and proponents of said projects for the use of funds from the Mass Works and Housing Works infrastructure programs. Amina, thank
you. So, good evening again, Madam Chair, members of the board, director Shin, and Madame Secretary. My name is Amina Scott. I'm the deputy controller here. I want to say over the past several months, staff across finance, real estate, procurement,
transportation, policy review, and dev review have worked together to implement a more inclusive and transparent process for evaluating projects for submission through the Commonwealth's Massworks and Housing Works infrastructure programs. These programs remain among the most important tools in the states and city's
shared infrastructure toolbox providing capital for public improvement that support affordable housing community development and neighborhood revitalization. This year for the first time uh the BPA issued a formal expression of interest uh in February to
solicit projects for consideration. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we are proud that this step brought more visibility, structure, and equity to the process. The proposals we are sharing tonight reflect all of the applications that were reviewed and are still under consideration for submission
in FY26. At this time, we are sharing with the board the full set of proposed projects under review for Mass Works and Housing Works. The applicants include 495 Dorchester Avenue located in South Boston, Boston Water and Sewer Commission lots, the Austin Street Lot
development project in Charles Town, St. Mary Center Phase 1 in Dorchester, Art at the Non-Factory in Roxberry, 176 Lincoln Street in Alustin, 776 Summer Street in South Boston, one Mystic Avenue in Charles Town, Dorchester Bay
City in Harbor Point, 465 Columbia Road in Upam's Corner, and the Mission Hill Pathway in Mission Hill. Each of these projects submitted a full application for infrastructure support and remains actively under consideration. This presentation is meant to provide an overview of the process, share all
projects submitted, and reflect our commitment to transparency, fairness, and proactive planning. The details of the projects, budgets, and work scopes are included in the memo. Thank you for your time, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. You questions or comments from the
board. Um, all right. Hearing seeing none, motion is in order. So moved. Second. Roll call for a vote. Miss Bennett. I Mr. Sheepard. I Dr. Lansmark. Hi, Mr. Omali. I And the chair votes I. Motion passes. Thanks, Amina. Thank you. Item number 34, contractual. I need a
motion to pay the bills. I move that we pay our bills. I second that. Okay. Roll call for a vote. Miss Bennett, I. Mr. Shepard, I. Dr. Lansark. Hi. Mr. Omeali. I. And the chair votes I. Motion passes. Please pay the bills. And finally, item number 35, director's update. Director
Shen, that floor is yours. Members of the board, I'm happy to uh provide a summary and report on our board activities today. Um there were two office to residential projects. Um and these are projects that
are going through and completed the article 80 process. 18 to 16 to 18 Holly Street and 123 North Washington Street. um 16 to 18 Holly Street, also known as 21 Milk Street, will be will convert
what is currently an office downtown into 110 new uh homes with uh while maintaining the ground floor uh retail and post office. The office at 123 North Washington Street will be converted to
45 new homes with also maintaining the ground floor uh retail. Uh these two projects are two of 15 applicants in the mayor's innovative office to res residential conversion program which is
on track to create over 7 uh60 units of housing um converting 20 vacant office buildings. Uh with tonight's actions, nine of the 15 projects in the program have completed the development review uh article 80 process. Others have gone
through the article 80 uh process are now closer to permitting and one of them will be uh one of them will have tenants actually moving in this fall. Uh we'll continue to update you on this exciting program which is set to result in a thousand new homes being under
construction in downtown by next summer. On the real estate front, I also wanted to highlight tonight that the board awarded final designation to the Garrison Troder Neighborhood Association to redevelop two parcels in Roxbury into Zen a Zen Garden. The Zen Garden will be
named uh for Elma Wright, a retired Boston public school teacher and Roxbury pioneer. The vision of this garden is for it to be an area where students and staff from the nearby Troder Elementary School and community members can enjoy nature and learn about their community.
Congratulations and thank you to the staff who worked on the worked with the community on seeing this vision through. Um we have three new development projects that were approved today totaling 155 residential units 20 of which 29 of them will be
incomerestricted units. The total development cost is estimated to be around $68 million. Uh these projects represent more than 108 uh,000 square feet uh of which the majority 121,000
square ft will be residential square footage. Uh when constructed, these projects will put approximately 211 trades people to work and createund close to 180 direct jobs and six indirect jobs. So that concludes
um my report and thank you again for uh the great work and uh also thank you for the staff for the work that they do in making sure that these um you know continue to have great projects in front of this board. Great. Thank
you. Okay, so um this concludes the uh the public portion of our agenda today. So um our last item on the agenda is a non-public executive session. So the purpose and full transparency of this executive session is to receive updates and discuss strategy with respect to
certain litigation as discussing such litigation strategy in an open meeting could have a detrimental effect to the litigating position of the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Uh after the executive session, we plan to call the meeting back into order and vote to adjourn the meeting, but there will be
no further items to be considered. Uh, I ask it's kind of already empty, but I ask that the public leave leave the boardroom at this time and that the recording uh and transmission of the meeting be paused. Um, and we'll we'll be moving into executive session. So,
thank you. We will