My name is Priscilla Roas and I am the chair of the BPDA board. Thank you for joining the December 11th, 2025 Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston board meeting. At this time, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is hosting public meetings in a hybrid setting for the health, safety,
and accessibility of Boston residents. Hybrid means that our board meetings are conducted in person at city hall, in our boardroom, on the 9th floor, and virtually via Zoom and Boston CityTV. For more information and updates, please visit bostonplans.org. The open public meeting law requires
that I notify the public that this meeting is being recorded. Please be aware that an audio and visual recording of this meeting is being made and broadcast by Boston City TV, which is a part of the City of Boston Office of Cable Communications at Exfinity channel 26, RCN channel 13, and Verizon Fios
channel 962. It's also being livereamed at boston.gov/cable. If there's anyone in the audience who's recording this meeting, I ask that you please identify yourself now. Okay, seeing none, we'll start the meeting with the roll call. Miss Bennett, >> present. >> Mr. Mr. Shepard
>> present. >> Dr. Lansmark >> present. >> Mr. Omali >> present. >> And I Priscilla Roas the chair is present. Item number one request authorization for the approval of the minutes of the November 13, 2025 board meeting. The motion is in order. >> So moved. Second.
>> Uh all those in favor. I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Item number two, request authorization to enter into a license agreement with BBX Incorporated for the temporary use of a parcel of of a portion of portion of parcel M in the Raymond Alflyn Marine
Park to store trailers and containers on EDIC on property. Moren, >> thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. BBX has been attendant of EDIC since about 2008. PBX is a premier provider of dry and refrigerated freight transportation throughout the Northeast,
specializing in the transport of refrigerated goods. BBX had previously used underutilized land to store freight containers and associated trucks and is currently located on parcel M, also known as three Dolphin Way. Parcel M will be needed to support the upcoming
Seal Boston 250 in July 2026 and BBX will be required to vacate the parcel by May 31st, 2026 to accommodate that historic event. Earlier this year, EDIC also issued a request for proposals for the redevelopment of parcel M for a
maritime dependent use. As a result, parcel M will no longer be available and BBX will likely be required to vacate the marine park because there will no longer be any vacant land available to accommodate them. BBX will continue to utilize a portion of parcel M on a
month-to-month basis through May 31st, 2026, whereupon relocation from parcel M will be required to accommodate Seal Boston 250. BBX will reduce the number of freight containers and trailers from currently 10 to six on January 1st. The
fee will be $2,400 per month, $400 per truck, and BBX will be responsible for the procurement of any snow removal services required to utilize the site during inclement weather at BBX's expense. staff is requesting that the director be authorized to permit BBX to
utilize other land in the marine park on a month-to-month basis after the Seal Boston event if suitable land is identifiable and available. However, EDIC will be under no obligation whatsoever to accommodate BBX's relocation back to the RE the Rimman
Alpha Marine Park. Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thanks, Min. Any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion. Thank you. Item number three, request
authorization to extend tenative designation status to and to enter into lease negotiations with a joint venture between Lincoln Property Company and Quaker Lane Capital or a related entity of such joint venture for the long-term lease and redevelopment of the EDIC
owned parcel use site located at 7 Channel Street within the Raymond Elflin Marine Park for 6 months until June 30th, 2026. Ben, >> thank you madam chair, members of the board. Seven Channel Street, also known as Parcel U, is located in the Raymond Elf Flynn Marine Park. The approximately
45,000 square foot site includes a two-story building of approximately 27 27,000 square feet that previously housed Stavis Seafoods and has been vacated for several years. On June 8th, 2022, the BPDA issued an RFP for the
site to capture opportunities offered by Boston's life science lab market in that location. Lincoln Property Company and Quaker Lane Company. The selected proponent selected proponent proposed an approximately 240,000 square foot 9floor
building with office and lab space. The proposed building will include a two-floor firehouse on the grounds floor and ground floor and first floor. The ground floor is proposed to include a cafe, co-working space, lobby, loading, utilities, and storage. Since the
initial tenative designation award, Lincoln Quaker Lane have been in active negotiations with BPDA staff on the terms of the ground lease for the redevelopment of the site. They have also been in coordination with the BPDA on starting the article 80 process and have had one pre-file meeting. Staff
acknowledged that the current life science market is challenging, but we expect to see progress made on entitlements through the six-month extension period. To award final designation, building permits must be ready for issuance and the terms and conditions of a ground lease must be fully negotiated. In addition to
obtaining any necess any other necessary approvals required for the project to proceed therefore staff recommends extending tenative tenative designation for 6 months. Thank you. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Okay. Thank you. Any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order.
>> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you, Ben. Item number four, request authorization to award tenative designation status to Marcus Partners and to enter into lease negotiations for the long-term lease and
redevelopment of parcel M located at 3 Dolphin Way within the Rayman Alflyn Marine Park. Yun. Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the board. I am here to recommend a tenative designation status be granted to Marcus Partners to redevelop the parcel M site in the
Rainland Elf Flynn Marine Park. Um, as Marine mentioned, parcel M is a threeacre site located at three Dolphin Way, uh, which contains a vacant one-story industrial building totaling approximately 148,000 square ft. The site is bounded by the south jetty, the
east jetty and the massport marine terminal or the MMT per um and also per the RLFMP master plan update and the designated port area or DPA regulations 100% of the site's use must remain maritime maritime
industrial. In January 2025, the BPDA issued an RFP for the redevelopment of parcel M. This marks the fourth issuance of the parcel MRFP following prior efforts in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The
most recent designation awarded to Eastern Salt, Inc. um in 2019 was extended several times, but ultimately expired on December 2024 after the project was deemed infeasible by both parties. The objectives of the January
2025 RF for parcel M focused on promoting maritime dependent industrial uses, creating quality job opportunities for Boston's residents, supporting the regional port economy, and maintaining alignment with the chapter 9 and DPA requirements.
Of the three proposals um that was received, Marcus Partners proposal was evaluated as most highly advantageous. They propose a new 100,000 square feet uh marine robotics manufacturing and R&D facility. This proposal will require the
demolition of the existing building and also includes a $10 million investment to the East Jetty to install a fully functional floating dock. Um I will let Danielle Blake from Marcus Partners speak uh just in just a moment in more detail about their proposal in a minute.
Um but other project features outside uh of the proposal program um include the creation of 130 construction jobs, a creation of 300 to 400 new permanent blue tech R&D jobs, um public run
implements including green space, dedicated bike infrastructure and storage, a $500,000 um for procurement and installation of artwork in collaboration with the mayor's office of arts and culture. a lead gold certification and
incorporation of sustainability measures and a ground rent proposal of $428 four $428 per square foot of land uh which exceeds BPDA's asking price of $2 per square foot. Uh Marcos Partners has also
articulated a comprehensive and proactive DEI strategy that extends uh from development through operations and this includes the inclusion of three certified MWBE partners on the project team a pre pre-apprenticeship program um
in project con construction and a goal to allocate at least 20% of controllable operating expenses to MWBE firms and finally incorporating a diversity manager and the team to execute the DEI plan. Um, as a result of the
comprehensive RFP process and evaluation, uh, we are here before you today to recommend, um, that you vote to advance Mark Micros partners as the tenatively designated developer of parcel M. At this time, I will turn it over to Danielle um, to give a bit more
detail on their proposal and afterwards, we will both be happy to answer any questions. Okay. >> Thank you. Thank you, Yun. Uh, good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the board. My name is Danielle Blake and I represent the proposed project developer, an
affiliate of Marcus Partners. We are a real estate private equity firm. I've put together a series of slides and plan to speak for no more than five minutes to give you an update. Can we go to the next slide, please? Uh, for those of you who don't know Marcus Partners, um, we have extensive experience collaborating
with the EDIC and city planners on projects in the Raymond Elf Flynn Marine Park. This team has designed and permitted over 1 million square feet of development for park parcels OP and X. And through this work, we have built strong relationships with park tenants. We developed a deep understanding of
their operations and gained expertise needed to navigate the park's competing interests. We are fortunate enough to be partnering with best-in-class team of architects, engineers, contractors, and specialty consultants who have been immersed in this neighborhood for the past five plus years. We also bring more
than 30 years of successful project completion with our project architect SGA and our project contractor JMA. And we're happy to report that in this particular project, we're partnering with Jonathan Garland Enterprises and HJ Russell as part of our DEI commitment.
Their perspectives will meaningfully shape our approach to design, planning, and execution. We're also working with Shelley Webster from InOder Business who will work closely with the team to advance an intentional and impactful diversity plan for the project. Next slide, please.
This slide highlights the neighborhood projects that members of our team have direct experience with. And because of this experience, we know how to plan thoughtfully for both the industrial workforce and the water dependent uses that are essential to Boston's maritime economy. Next slide, please.
This slide shows the subject property and how it fits within the existing context and particularly shows the opportunity for the building and landscape design to create an attractive and meaningful terminus to fit Kennedy. Next slide, please. As Yun mentioned, the proposed project is to demolish the
existing structure and construct a new 100,000 square foot manufacturing and R&D facility. We are in current conversations with a marine robotics tenant um for the site whose mission is directly aligned with the Raymanl Flynn uh master plan vision for innovation and
water dependent industry. Their operations are truly water dependent requiring direct over the dock access to safely move equipment from the facility to the harbor. The project includes approximately 10 million in east jetty repairs and new inwater infrastructure to support the tenant operations. These
upgrades will increase the long-term functional and economic value of the city-owned parcel and reinforce the parcel as an active water dependent industrial site. Next slide, please. Let's go to the next slide, please. This slide and the following slide shows
rendered elevations of the conceptual design. What is important to note is the building has two distinct volumes in response to the tenant program, but also to break down the overall mass, which gives it visual relief and ties it back to the neighborhood. The material pallet is strong and speaks to the industrial
nature of the park and the working waterfront. Next slide, please. Let's go to the next slide, please. This slide in the following slide highlights the project's environmental commitment. Sustainability as a central component of our proposal. The project will incorporate high efficiency building
systems, a high efficiency building envelope, strategies to minimize both operational and embodied carbon, and the storm water will be managed in accordance with Boston Water Sewer Commission and Mass D standards. The team will also work with city planners on resiliency and flood mitigation
strategies. In short, this will be a best-in-class energy efficient marine industrial facility that reflects the city's goals for sustainable development on the working waterfront. Next slide, please. Next slide, please. This slide highlights a number of meaningful benefits the project
provides. First, the tenants operations are explicit explicitly water dependent, ensuring the parcel will be a productive contributor to Boston's maritime economy and to the growing blu-te sector. The tenant has significant job creation with a headcount of approximately 400 people
and growing. The project includes on-site parking well below the industrial district standard to prioritize transit use and centralized vehicle activity in the city-owned garage, creating additional municipal revenue. The project includes also a major capital investment in the east jetty,
restoring critical infrastructure that enables water dependent use of this parcel. Next slide, please. Um, so why us? Um, the team brings deep experience in the marine park and has a proven record of engagement with neighborhood stakeholders. We understand
the park's competing interests, its operational dynamics, and the entitlement framework. We have the financial strength supported by our fund to execute the project responsibly. This development will support the working waterfront, create jobs, strengthen the blue tech ecosystem, and increase real
estate tax revenue and ground rent to the city. Our team is prepared to uh hold a coordinated series of meetings with park, city, state, federal stakeholders over the coming weeks to talk about the project, talk about the entitlement path forward and commence
the collaborative planning process. Uh thank you and I'm available for any questions. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board? >> Two comments. First you set a very high standard for a succinct five minute presentation and I know that subsequent
presentations which will be five minutes I hope follow suit. So thank you for that. It was a lot of information but you did it very well. Uh and I just wanted to note the uh my appreciation on the commitment to sustainability. I often note at these meetings that um we rightfully celebrate when there's an
affordable housing development that also meets high uh sustainable standards. It's sort of turning the conventional wisdom that suggests you could have one or the other on its head. Well, I think it's even more true when you've got a manufacturing highly dense sort of uh plant uh to be able to solve for both.
So, it's uh not gone unnoticed uh when you are going to be, you know, in a coastal city like Boston building such an impressive uh uh plant there that there needs to be some extra measures and it sounds like you've gone beyond that. So, we're uh we're grateful and I think it's a great project and I look
forward and and a great deal for the city, I might add. So, thank you to you and your team for uh doing that. So, proud to support this. >> Thank you. >> Additional questions or comments? >> Um just also wanted to um you know call
out the uh the creation of the the blue tech jobs. Um and uh in addition with that the pre-apprenticeship program that kind of helps to um really build that workforce here. Um really we had lots of proposals around this parcel. Um and I'm
you know again really really hopeful that this one will um yeah I think this is a really good fit and and also the investment in um in the in the east jetty um is is much appreciated and um yeah I think a a great um great thing for the city. All right. Uh there are no
other questions or comments. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> Opposed? The eyes have it. Uh motion passes. Congratulations. Thank you very much. >> Item number five, request authorization to issue the invitation for bids for
construction work for the realignment of Fid Kennedy Avenue through parcel V1 adjacent to the intersection of Northern Avenue at the Leaderbank Pavilion within the Rayman Flynn Marine Park. Rebecca, >> thank you, Madam Chair and members of the board. I am before you today to request authorization to advertise and
issue an invitation for bid to procure a qualified contractor for the Vid Kennedy realignment project in the Raymanl Flynn Marine Park. This matter was last before you in February 2024 requesting authorization to hire a design engineer for this effort which resulted in the contract with HDR. As you might recall,
Fid Kennedy primarily travels east west through the park making a 90 degree bend near the Leaderbank Pavilion. This turn currently does not allow concurrent travel by large trucks. This project will reconfigure the bend and the north south portion of the roadway to maximize both efficiency and safety of the
roadway as it leads to the intersection at Northern A. The bid package has been prepared by HDR and will be advertised following the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requirements under Mass General Law Chapter 3039M. The construction contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder after being brought back to the
board for approval. The work is estimated at around 4.5 million and will be funded from the fiscical year 25 capital budget with funding from the city capital plan. We anticipate returning to the board for an award recommendation in March and to start construction in August 2026. Therefore, we are requesting that the secretary be
authorized to advertise and issue an IFB for this project. Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions. Any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? Opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thanks. Item
number six, request authorization to execute a contract with Santael Electrical Corporation for electrical repair and maintenance of EDIC owned properties for a contract term of 3 years with two one-year extension options for a total contract amount not
to exceed $100,000 annually. Chris, >> good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board, Madam Secretary, Director Shen. I'm here today to present the results of the procurement process for the electrical repair and maintenance services of multiple EDIC owned properties located in the city. The selected vendor will be responsible for
all labor, materials, equipment, transportation, supplies, and services necessary for electrical repair, maintenance, andor refurb refurbishment of designated EDIC managed or owned properties located in Boston. In response to the invitation for bids issued on September 1st of this year,
the BPDA received three bids which were publicly opened on September 24th, 2025. After reviewing all submissions, Santael Electrical Corporation was determined to be the most responsible and responsive bidder. The resulting contract will be for an annual amount of $100,000 totaling up to $300,000 for the initial
three-year term. If both renewal options are exercised, the contract value is not expected to exceed 500,000 over a 5-year period. This contract will be funded through the BPDA's fiscal year 26 operating budget and represent an ongoing operational expense to maintain
the safety and accessibility to all EDIC owned properties throughout the city. Thank you. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board hearing? >> Just briefly, sorry, Madam Chair, Chris. So, I mean, supportive. I think this is a no-brainer. But I'm just curious from
a a process point of view, if the scope of work were to exceed $100,000 in a given calendar year, what how would we pay this vendor? >> So, if it's if it's a big project that way, usually that is out for bid and that would be how we would get that
vendor. This is just for like small things like if lights are out or if poles go down or >> building. So, if there was something that warranted a lot more work, that would be >> Yeah. That would have to go out and publicly bid. Yes, makes sense. Thanks. >> Okay, great. Any additional questions or comments? Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order.
>> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I oppose. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thanks, Ben. >> Item number seven, request authorization to issue an invitation for bids for landscaping services on EDIC owned properties in the Raymond Flynn Marine Park. Chris,
>> Madam Chair, >> just stay here. Yeah, >> I'm here to request permission to advertise for landscaping services for the Raymond Elf Flynn Marine Park. The selected vendor will be responsible for all labor, materials, equipment, transportation, supplies, and services at the marine park. The FBI The FBI The
IFB will be like, "What? >> We don't want the FBI not read that. >> Keep them away." Yes. The IFB will be publicly advertised with local newspapers on the BPDA's website, the statewide combine system, the state goods and services bulletin, and through other channels as appropriate, including
affirmative marketing to small, local, and diverse businesses. The resulting contract will be awarded to the responsible and responsive bidder with the lowest total bid price. The awarded contract will be for a term of three years with two single optioners to be exercised at the sole discretion of the BPDA. Funding for this project will be
from the BPDA's fiscal year 26 operating budget and the cost is not expected to exceed $450,000 for the initial three-year term. Thank you. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Makes sense. Uh questions or comments from the board hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes
have it. Motion passes. Thanks, Chris. >> All right. Item number eight. request authorization to enter into a contract with the Peterson School to deliver HVAC training for the Power Corp Boston Building Operations Training Program for a period of 6 months commencing January
1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2026 for a total contract amount not to exceed $84,240. Peggy. >> Hi. Good afternoon, Madame Chair, Madame Secretary, members of the board, and Director Sheenan. My name is Peggy Hines Watson and I am the director of
operation for POC call Boston, a workforce training program that works with young adults 18 to 30 to gain skills, certificates, and employment in the green space. We are requesting authorization to award a contract
submitted through a competitive RFP released on November the 10th with the board's prior approval for HVAC training program for the parkour building operation participants. During the advi the advertisement period, we received
three competitive bids. After review of the bids, OWD has selected the Peterson school. It proposal met OWD requirement detailed in the RFP document and was the strongest technical proposal received.
The estimated contract amount of $84,240 will be supported by the funds from the contract driven from the Corona state and local federal recovery funds as part of the American Rescue Act. Power Call Boston is a sub receipt of the city of
Boston environmental department recipient and may use funds for program service or capital expenditure that respond to the public health and the negative economic impact of the pandemic. The estimated contract amount will be supported through OPA funds and
the vendor will be contract beginning January 2026. With this training course, we will be able to ensure that our participant have the training necessary to effective lead principle of H A HVAC and then as they
begin careers and explore jobs in the HVAC and green space using these new acquired skill. Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Great. Uh questions or comments from the board? >> Sounds great.
>> Yeah. Yeah. and great great skills to have. Um just really looking forward to this. Um if there are no other questions or comments, um a motion is in order. >> Uh so moved. >> Second. >> Uh all those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Motion
passes. Good luck. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Item number nine, request authorization to enter into a grant agreement with Caribbean Integrated Community Development Acting through the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, awarding $200,000. previously accepted
ARPA funds in support of small business lending initiatives in the city of Boston and to take all related actions. Chief, >> Madam Chair, >> honorable members, brother Chief, Madam Secretary, um well, it's good to be back. Um and first I'm joined by our
deputy chief Donald Wright as well. Um first to thank all of you. So, a couple months ago, uh, you helped to approve, um, a $500,000 grant, uh, to BDC Community Capital, uh, established CDFI that's going to help, uh, catalyze at least $20 million in debt capital for
small businesses across the city of Boston. So, we very much appreciate that investment. And today, I'm here to ask you for another 200,000. Uh, but that's located, it's ARPA money that's with the Boston Local Development Corporation. and it was shifted uh there to uh help advance our efforts to support the
19,000 small businesses here in Boston. This particular grant we're asking to be awarded to Caribbean Integrated uh community development, which I believe is known to all of you, uh they're looking to expand their services to establish themselves as as another CDFI specifically to the Matipan
neighborhood. And I think given the fact that plan Matipan has passed, thanks to all of you, um lots of folks are looking forward to the future of Matipan Square and the surrounding area and this is going to provide a specific resource for the small businesses there who are thinking of how to grow and expand and
also remain uh in the area. So asking for your support in approving this uh this grant to um CICD. Okay. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board? All right. Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second.
>> All those in favor? I >> oppose. The eyes have it. Uh, thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> Congratulations. >> All right. Item number 10. All right. Personnel. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Members of the board, Madam Secretary, and Director
Shen, we have a number of items for your consideration on the EDIC agenda with the exact details included in the board memos. We have one status change in the administration division. Theresa Bohemis as interim chief procurement officer. We
have three three contracts in the administration division. Anthony Verani and Izzy Wagner in the office of general counsel. Lisa Richardson. We also have three uh internships. In the office of general counsel, John Soo in the real
estate division. Uh Mariah Camson and Isabelle Shang. And that's it. Any questions? I'll answer. >> Thanks. Uh questions or comments from the board? And seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes
have it. Uh thank you and welcome Teresa to another and and welcome to our new uh the new people who uh who joined us and specifically our interns. We excited for you to be here. Uh that was the last item. I'm asking for a motion to adjourn this meeting.
>> So move. Second. >> All those in favor? I >> opposed. The eyes have it. PDIC meeting is adjourned. Moving on to the next portion. Thank you for joining the December 11th, 2025 Boston Redevelopment Authority board meeting. At this time,
the Boston Planning and Development Agency is hosting public meetings in a hybrid setting for the health, safety, and accessibility of Boston residents. Hybrid means that our board meetings are conducted in person at city hall in our boardroom on the 9th floor and virtually via Zoom and Boston City TV at the same
time. For more information and updates, visit bostonplans.org. Uh, the open public meeting law requires that I notify the public that this meeting is being recorded. Please be aware that an audio and visual recording of this meeting is being made and broadcast by Boston City TV, which is a part of the City of Boston Office of Cable
Communication and Expinity channel 26, RCN channel 13, and Bryzen Files channel 962. It's also being livereamed at boston.gov/cable. Now, if there's anyone in the audience who is recording this meeting, I ask that you please identify yourself now. Okay, seeing none, we will start the
meeting with the roll call. Miss Bennett, >> present. >> Mr. Shepard, >> present. >> Dr. Lansmark, >> present. >> Mr. Omali, >> present. >> And I, Priscilla Roz, am present. Um, so before we get started, I know we have some Yeah, >> counselors, uh, Kleta Zapata,
>> if you're available, we can take your testimony now. >> Good evening, everyone. Just making sure that you can hear me. >> Yes, we can. Thank you. Great. And I apologize for not being on camera. I've been having some difficulties lately, but thank you u madam chair, members of the board, uh secretary pimus, uh really
grateful for the opportunity to provide comments on two separate matters tonight, both in Charles Town. Uh we love 02129. So the first one is on 15 super test and 25 super test. So I've also submitted a letter as well. Um and
it this is in regards to the uh I think specifically 15 super test. And so I just want to get on and say while I appreciate the urgency of advancing affordable housing and the importance of securing a grocery store to serve the neighborhood, I have to express deep
concern about several substantive deviations from what was initially promised to the Charlestown community. So the first of which being the mitigation funding structure which I believe you will have a full presentation uh from the proponent moving forward but there was an original
commitment of $2.5 million uh that was presented as a major benefit to offset impacts to Hood Park's expansion. It's now being proposed over a longer period of time tied to uh future project
milestones that really uh and this shift dilutes the value and the immediiacy of the commitment and removes the community's ability to plan for meaningful timely investments um particularly those related to investments to Boston public schools in
the neighborhood as well as uh public facilities and um neighborhood amenities. The second is that there is a unit mix change based on um some of the affordable uh housing financial
framework challenges that they have had. And so I do appreciate the proponents aspirational goals to uh have familysized units. Um there were uh verbal commitments that were made to the
community and uh in the earlier uh stages of this process and so now there is a a stark change to what has been originally presented to the community and what they're moving forward with. And so based on comparisons that were presented to my office from the planning
department, the unit mix uh used to include for example 56% of two bedrooms, 22% 3bedrooms and 22% four bedrooms. Whereas the revised mix shifts uh
heavily towards really small units. So 500 square f foot studios, onebedrooms now comprising over 70% of the total. And so this change drastically reduces the number of units
capable of supporting families and undermines Charlestown long-standing need for stable multi-bedroom housing. And so I just wanted to come on and call attention to what I'm hearing from the community and I do anticipate that you'll be hearing from the neighborhood
as well. So I just wanted to provide that perspective. May I shift to the courageous sailing proposal or should I take any questions or comments from the board on on that? >> No, you can you can you can shift.
>> Okay. Excellent. Um uh and firstly, so Courageous Sailing has submitted a proposal for Pier 5 and I'm here to express my strong support for them. They have been an incredible organization in this neighborhood. I have gone to many
of their programs and I think that their submission demonstrates organizational credibility. I have seen the positive impact of their youth development model um and what it has had on the young people in Charles Town and citywide. And so this project truly represents a
communitydriven activation of the harbor that expands youth development and learning opportunities. It also provides meaningful climate and resilience leadership embedded in the space which is something that we need uh as we look towards the future and looking to our
young people to help us with um the climate crisis. Uh third, a public realm enhancement that strengthens our arts culture and marine heritage. And then lastly, a destination that's linked to the uh freedom trail and harbor walk
visitation patterns, which I think will enhance civic tourism and neighborhood vibrancy. So, I'm proud to come on and support them in this proposal. Thank you. >> Thank you, counselor. Uh did we have anyone else? >> Not right now. >> Okay. We're going to move on to the
first item on the agenda. Request authorization of the approval of the minutes of the November 13, 2025 board meeting. The motion is in order. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? Opposed? The eyes have it. Item number two, request authorization to schedule a public
hearing on January 15, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. or at a date and time to be determined by the director to consider the proposed third amendment to plan development area number 50 at 371 through 401d Street in the South Boston neighborhood and to
consider the 391D street project as a development impact project. Um, motion to schedule. Motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Item number three, request authorization amend the lease with Lockport Marine LLC to allow
for the federal, state, and local permitting required for the proposed subleasase to Coastal Marine Incorporated for a designated marine time industrial use of the site located at 146 through 172 Condor Street in East Boston to take all related actions. Yes.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. In 2008, the Boston Redevelopment Authority purchased the former Hess oil site in East Boston. The site consists of seven acres of land and one acre of water along the Chelsea Creek. Hess actively received oil
deliveries from ships in Chelsea Creek and distributed oil via trucks from East Boston. In 2015, uh BRA issued a request for a request for proposals for the reuse of the former Hess oil site. As much as a beautiful park, soccer fields,
or affordable housing would be welcomed by the community and the city, varied legal regulations and jurisdictions require that the site can only be used for maritime independent uh maritime dependent industrial uses. In 2015, Bar issued an RFP to solicit acceptable uses
within these strict parameters. After receiving proposals and conducting community process, including presentations from all proponents to the community, East Boston Community Development Corporation was subsequently designated with tentative designation in
2016 and received final designation in December 2021. Uh they formed an LLC referred to as Lockport Marine, which is the actual tenant of the of the property. Both sides of this transaction knew that ultimate development would be
years away in no small part due to the significant investment needed to bring the site physically uh to make the site physic physically available for development. The perimeter of the site is slightly below the FEMA flood level. However, due to the 6 to 12 foot drop
off throughout the remaining five acres of the site, uh the site needs to be raised by 8 to 15 feet to bring the entire site outside of the FEMA flood zone. uh for lack of a better description, it looks like a giant crater. >> Um next step would be to bring clean
fill to bring the entire site out of the flood plane. The fill and settlement process alone can take several years. Um to date, Lockport has spent almost $800,000 on permitting, including geotechnical investigations, wetlands permitting, chapter 91 modifications,
and a site assessments for FEMA. However, FEMA has rejected the application to permit site elevation to be raised out of the flood plane. Um, I'm not an expert on permitting, but my understanding is that the next step would require involvement of the Army Corps of Engineers to determine that the
interior portion of the site is not quote waters of the United States. I can't explain that in any more detail. However, this process alone can cost millions of dollars. Um, in anticipation of this potential situation, the lease allows Lockport to terminate
the lease after spending up to $200,000 or more on that specific Army Corps of Engineers required remediation. Um, East Boston CDC, not to speak for them, but they they're not in a financial position to continue pumping money into permitting that it has to date proved
feudal. Uh, enter Coastal Marine Construction Company. Coastal Marine is a woman-owned construction company specializing in marine and heavy civil construction. Uh they clearly fit the parameters of the permitted use criteria of the water dependent industrial and the planning department has utilized
their services on many occasions. Um they're very good at what they do. Um Coastal is going to take on the required permitting of the site which will still take a few years ultimately entering into a sub lease with Rockport for the productive reuse of this challenging site. staff is recommending that all
options be considered before BRA recaptures the site for future disposition. Given what we've learned from East Boston CDC's experience, we do not want to recapture the site and start a disposition process from scratch. You'll see in the memo that no fewer than 13 city, state, and federal
authorities need to individually issue permits for the reuse of that site. to incentivize both East Boston CDC and Coast Marine to pursue the required permitting. We're proposing the following changes to the lease. Uh rent is currently scheduled to increase from
its existing uh $30,000 per year to 150,000 per year uh in January of 26. We're proposing that the rent be reduced to a dollar per year until January 2030 to allow East Boston CDC and Coastal to dedicate their efforts to the task at
hand and to further incentivize East Boston CDC not to default on the lease and return the site back to the care and custody of the BRA. All other delivery milestones within the lease will be adjusted accordingly to the um uh the 2030 date. And um all who know me can
attest that I am the last person to ever advocate not to charge for the use of our property. Um but I believe that we are fortunate to have an established maritime independent industrial company willing to take on the expense, sweat equity and time to pursue this worthy
endeavor and I enthusiastically recommend the deferral of rent to 23rd. >> Okay. Thank you. Questions or comments from the board? >> Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Uh, the eyes have it. Uh, thanks so much, Dennis, and good luck.
>> Thank you. Item number four, request authorization to adopt demon to adopt a demonstration project plan pursuant to general laws chapter 121b for the acquisition of the parcel located at 11 Ashmont Park in Dorchester consisting of approximately
3,900 ft of land and to acquire the property for 1,351,937.50 50 cents from 11 Ashmont Park LLC and to execute a deed with 11 Ashmont Park LLC and to transfer the property via deed to the city of Boston and to take all
related actions. Ben. >> Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. 11 Ashmont Park located in Dorchester abuts the existing Boston Fire Department's Engine 18 firehouse. The property currently consists of an approximately 39,000 ft vacant parcel.
The property was initially disposed of by the city of Boston in 1981. Earlier this year, 11 Ashmont Park LLC purchased the property from this private from this prior private owners after completing the necessary steps to um start
construction on a multif family residential building on the property. Before con starting construction though, this entity reached this new entity reached out to city officials to ask if they would be interested in purchasing the property for use by the adjacent firehouse. The firehouse is in poor
condition and has been identified as a station that is in need of capital improvements. Without this adjacent property, improving the existing firehouse to current standards would likely not be possible, and the city may need to pursue a costly relocation. It was it was determined that a
demonstration project plan process could be utilized here to assist as a unique and innovative approach to acquisition to enable a future firehouse improvement capital project. The PPDA has received a site survey, appraisal, title report on the property and will be receiving a
phase, well actually we received it this morning um a phase one environmental assessment. On November 18th, staff led a community meeting to share this demonstration project plan. The community and councelor Fitzgerald were supportive of this parcel being utilized for an improved fire station.
This higher and better use to be realized through the demonstration project plan will create a safer and more modern workspace for BFD first responders and a safer community overall with a more up-to-date and current fire station. In order to acquire the parcel,
staff are seeking to approval to acquire the property for $1,351,937.50. This value considers the appraised value of the property, the cost of entitlements received from the previously proposed residential use, and the cost savings to the city of Boston to be able to deliver an improved fire
station on this parcel. It is therefore recommended that the BPDA proceed with acquiring the property by adopting a demonstration project plan and and executing any and all related agreements and documents to support this acquisition, including execution of a D with 11 Ashmont uh Park LLC and then
subsequently with the city of Boston. Thank you. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you, Ben. Item number
five, request ten request authorization to extend the tenative designation status of Drexel Village LLC as developer of the Crescent Parcel in the Nubian Square area of Roxbury, Southoun urban renewal area, campus high school urban renewal area for a period of 12
months through December 31st, 2026 and to take all related actions. Ben, you're still here. >> Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the board. The BPDA board tenatively designated Drexel Village LLC to be the developer of the Crescent
Parcel in November 2021. The developer is an affiliate of the Planning Office of Urban Affairs Incorporated and JG Garland Enterprises LLC. The Crescent Parcel is an approximately 73,000 square foot site comprised of eight parcels of vacant land. The property is located in
both the campus high school and south and urban urban renewal areas. Drexel Village proposes a 250,000 foot development with approximately 217 residential units and a community space for a daycare. Originally, the plan was to create both rental and home ownership
opportunities, but due to subsidy availability for home ownership, pursuing the original program would create delays. Drexel Village is in the process of pivoting and uh their project to all rental units, but delivering 100% affordability. The final changes came
before will come before you as a notice of project change in the future once all of these changes have been figured out. Um, since being granted tenative designation, the development team has made significant progress in furthering this development, including getting article 80 and BCDC approval and is
hoping to submit an application, a full application for funding resources to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities early next year and um has submitted an application to Mayor's Office of Housing. Dur during the requested 12-month extension, the development team
is planning on furthering their evidence of funding, negotiating the ground lease with our team, and received public improvement commission approval, which we will co-etition with them for and which you voted on uh last extension. Therefore, staff recommends extend extending their tenative designation for
12 months. Happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it. Thank you very much. On this next item, I'm going to hand over.
>> Sorry. >> Thank you, Chair Rohouse. Give her a second. Back here, >> Ben. Back at it. >> Do you want me to I got you. I got you.
>> All right. Item number six, request authorization to one award ten tenative designation status to courageous sailing center for youth inc for the property comprised of assessing parcel 020350600 also known as a portion of parcel NY-4
also known as sub parcel 1B in the Charlestown urban renewal area project number mass R- as 55 in the Charles Town Navyyard known as Pier 5 in the Charlestown neighborhood and two enter into a lease negotiation with the
redeveloper to facilitate the long-term lease and redevelopment of the BRA owned site. >> Ben, >> thank you, Vice Chair and members of the board. I'm here to recommend that tenative designation status be granted to courageous sailing center for youth
incorporated to redevelop pier five the pier five property in the Charlestown ABard the pier five property is approximately 158,000 square foot site containing a pier and adjacent water sheet currently the pier has a gate blocking entrance from the abuing harbor walk due to the deteriorating condition
of the structure the pier was constructed by the US Navy in 1943 staff have been actively trying to redevelop Pier 5 since the 1970s, including a 2020 request for proposals that included the property. As part of this new RFP process, staff offered many
opportunities for community feedback. In 2024, including two public meetings and by releasing a draft RFP. After reviewing feedback from the community and reviewing different planning, zoning, and regulatory materials, it was decided that an RFP for the premises should include the following thieves as
development objectives. And sorry, that was in 2024 RFP. my mistake. Diversity, equity and inclusion, waterfront access and education, public open space and cultural destination, sustainable and resilient development, and accessory economic development. Further, the
design guidelines of this RFP were written to ensure that any proposed development of the property preserves and enhanc the distinctive uh physical character of the Charles Town Navyyard and respects the general sca scale of the surrounding area. To support the redevelopment, the BPDA committed up to
$8 million for the rehabilitation and/or demolition of the property or pier. An RFP was released uh last September and proposals were due earlier this year. Two responsive pro proposals were submitted by the deadline. The two proposals were submitted by Charlestown
Marina LLC and by Courageous Sailing Center for Youth Incorporated. Charlestown Marina's proposal included a plan to demolish the existing Pier 5 and extend the adjacent marina, also operated by them, into a portion of the water sheet of the Pier 5 property. Courageous's proposal includes a plan to
demolish the existing Pier 5 and uh and build a new pier with a new multi-purpose building and outdoor open space. I will let Dave Dorenzo, executive director of Courageous, speak in more detail on the proposal in in a minute. Both the Charlestown Marina and Courageous teams pres presented their
proposal and answered questions in a public meeting attended by many community members in July. In addition, we offered a chance for people to submit questions to our team and both proponents for which we then released such answers in a publicly accessible document. In line with our commitment to
hear from our community, we had a 51-day public comment period where we released comments where we received comments from over 140 community members. A team of professionals, including those with experience in urban design, building design, coastal resiliency,
sustainability, finance, transportation, planning, construction, and real estate, met to evaluate the proposals and feedback from the community. The courageous proposal presents a forward-looking, missiondriven vision for the property that aligns with the city's development's objectives and
public realm priorities. It in incorporates a positive diversity, equity, and inclusion plan, expands year-round public waterfront access, and integrates robust educational, recreational, and environmental programming. The proposed design enhances and expands the harbor walk,
preserves existing water dependent uses, and introduces a mix of accessible indoor and outdoor amenities while demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, coastal resiliency, and responsible construction practices. There were concerns raised through the public process and internal evaluation
regarding the courageous proposal. They include issues related to but not including public access, traffic and parking, the financial man the financial management of the new pier upon completion and its overall financial feas viability. Following designation, we will work with
courageous to address many of these concerns. Though the proposal overall shows strong potential through its thoughtful design approach, experience, consultant team, and demonstrated readiness to collaborate with the city and the community. Even though some concerns were raised about Courageous's
proposal, the amount of support they received from a wide variety of community members and organizations is a critical part of our decision. These organizations range range from schools right in Charles Town to universities across the country, the Charlestown Neighborhood Council and city and state
elected officials, just to name a few. Our shared goal with Courageous is to ensure Pier 5 is redeveloped, constructed, and maintained to a level that meets the moment and becomes a lasting and community oriented asset for the people of the Navyyard in Charles Town and Boston and the many visitors to
this area. Following the above uh mentioned RFP process and evaluation and in community engagement, we are here before you today to recommend that you vote to advance Courageous as the tenatively designated developer of Pier 5. I will let Dave Dorenzo speak next to
give a more detail on the courageous proposal and afterwards we will both stay up here to answer any questions. Thank you members of the board, Secretary Pimus, Director Shentton. Uh thank you for the invitation to share our vision for Pure 5 in Charle Town. We
greatly appreciate the support we've received from the planning department, our elected officials, and the community at large for helping us get to this point. Uh I'm Dave Dorenzo, the executive director of Courageous Sailing. Craig Sailing is a nationally recognized nonprofit with a 38-year
history of getting people from all across Boston out onto the water. Since our founding in 1987, Courageous has enriched the lives of over 25,000 children. We now serve more than 1,000 kids each year, as well as providing harbor access and sailing lessons to
over 2,000 adults. We have a commitment to making the harbor and sailing truly accessible, particularly to those from lowincome and marginalized backgrounds. 60% of our summer students participate for free and approximately the same percentage identify as youth of color.
And courageous youth programs are about far more than sailing. They include year-round academics, swimming lessons, social emotional learning, and support from not just sailing instructors, but from on staff social workers, BPS teachers, and skilled mentors. And for
older kids, workforce development. We provide jobs for about 80 young people and under 21 every year. Uh, next slide, please. Okay, next slide. Um, Pier 4, our current home, has been a
blessing for all those years. It's also come with constraints and hardships that have limited our ability to meet the needs of our kids and the community. Regulatory constraints and aging infrastructure have stood in the way of expansion and improvements of our small aging boat house. We have no indoor
classrooms, no adequate shelter from the elements when storms come through or the sun is beating down, no indoor bathrooms or changing rooms, nowhere for all our kids to gather together out of the heat and eat lunch. The net effect is that as much as we've grown, as much as we've invested in accessibility, we are a
program that is impossible to get into for so many Boston families. Demand for our programs always exceeds our capacity, and we've never been able to eliminate our weight list. Our facilities and our fleet are stretched to the limit. At the crux of our proposal, we can move
on. Next slide is an understanding of a project on Boston's water that that a project on Boston's waterfront that requires the replacement of an aging pier is by nature expensive and so it must serve not just courageous but the
whole city. Yes, for us this project is a path to providing our students with the infrastructure they deserve, being able to serve more kids and eliminating our weight list once and for all. But we see ourselves as one organization among the many that will use Pier 5 for their own programs and activities. As a
trusted and seasoned provider of waterfront access and youth development, we see ourselves as a natural centerpiece of this project to extend recreational and educational use of the harbor to more of the city's residents and organizations. And with that in mind, we imagine bringing Pier 4 and
Pier 5 together, a pairing far greater than the sum of the parts. Pier 4 will continue to be used for fleet maintenance. waterfront access and many core activities complemented and augmented by the new spaces we bring to Pier 5. Together, the peers will be a destination location along the Boston
waterfront. Next slide. The vision is to develop a world-class waterfront community center, one that above all facilitates direct access to, enjoyment of, and activation of our city's precious waterfront for everyone.
With this in mind, the design prioritizes open space, nesting indoor classrooms and gathering spaces under a sloping green roof, fully accessible to the public with magnificent views of the harbor and city skyline. And from there, visitors could walk down
directly to the water's edge to what we're calling a learning lagoon, a floating tide pool and wateride outdoor classroom. And the open space doesn't end there. The pier would remain accessible from beginning to end with spaces for walking, gathering, picnicking, enjoying the view, and indeed swimming. Now,
swimming and basic water safety remain out of reach for far too many of our city's youth, and courageous programs have been helping to address that by partnering with the Charles Town Y and BCF facilities to provide swimming lessons as part of our core programs. We've also watched for decades as many
of Charles Town's young people on the hottest of days of the year jump into the harbor to cool off in not the safest of ways. Let me tell you, a saltwater pool right on Boston Harbor would make swimming safe and accessible to so many more while also celebrating the decades
of work that have gone into making Boston's harbor clean and more than safe for swimming. The majority of these spaces indoor and out would be flexible and are intended to be used by other community groups, schools, research organizations, and others. When we're not using the
classrooms and gathering spaces, we envision that others will be and that almost all of the outdoor space will be accessible to the public. Like other nonprofits with significant facilities, we are anticipating a certain amount of revenue from events to help make ongoing maintenance and operations sustainable.
We're committed to working with the city and community to ensure that these events do not overwhelm available infrastructure, parking, public transportation, etc., and are not disruptive to our neighbors. Next slide, please. The guiding pillars of our proposal
consistent with the requirements of the RFP are public access, recreation, education, and climate resilience. I've spoken to the first three, but the fourth is no less central to the vision. Our aim is for Pier 5 to one day be among the leading examples of Boston's
commitment to addressing climate change. While it cannot by itself protect Charles Town from rising sea levels, it will provide necessary wave protection and serve as a model of resilient construction. Supported by grant funding from Liberty Mutual, we engaged experts in climate
resilience to evaluate and propose an array of 14 resiliency strategies that would be appropriate for the site. From a breakwater to a living seaw wall and floating wetlands to elevating the structure and utilizing flood damage resistant materials to monitoring wave height and ecological habitats, the site
would shine a light on what's possible and would help position Boston ahead of the curve. ready to meet the challenges associated with climate change smartly and headon. Equally important, the project has gained the interest of a coalition of marine science organizations who
together with Courageous want to use what they've been referring to as quote the Boston Science Pier for resiliency research and hands-on education that engages courageous kids in the general public, fostering awareness and stewardship.
Next slide, please. As I mentioned before, one of our accomplishments thus far has been to assemble a world-class working group with experience in urban planning, sustainable design and architecture, real estate development, engineering, permitting, and all it takes to realize
a project at this scale. We are proud to have aligned with and earned the support of this incredible group, which was the engine behind our 202 page proposal and the reason that it's credible, realistic, and achievable. Finally, we know that this is just the
beginning. If we are fortunate enough to receive the tentative designation and move forward to the next phase, we anticipate engaging in deep and ongoing dialogue with the city and community to arrive at a final project design that accomplishes the objectives of the RFP, meets Courageous's needs, and achieves
the best outcome for the community in Charles Town and the city at large. We are eagerly looking forward to those discussions and that process and we are inspired by the once in a-lifetime potential of this project. Thank you once again for your consideration. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank
you for that presentation. >> With that, are there any questions or comments from the board? This is uh a truly magnificent I think evolution of the
courageous programs um over the past quarter century. Um it's ambitious, it's innovative, um it it meets uh a lot of needs. Um I hope that many of the community groups
and uh universities and public schools um that uh could have access to this will see it as an opportunity to expand a lot of their education around uh resilience and sustainability.
Um and uh I commend uh the organization, its board and its staff for um being courageous in um utilizing uh the waterfront uh for the
benefit of both the city and and the region. I think it's a really uh terrific step forward. >> Thank you. Yeah, I'd just like to agree this is something that I think, you know, is uh is a long time coming. Uh really looks
great. Courage just obviously has touched countless lives in the city and beyond. Uh I I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the Learning Lagoon. Uh I've had some occasion to spend some time down in uh in Baltimore at the National Aquarium of Baltimore, which has the floating wetlands projects. Very
similar to I think what you've conceived here. So I'd encourage your team to take a look at that. really really exciting and a great way to um open up open up uh you know the waterfront uh for a really important educational aspect as well. So I think this is a great project and I
wish you uh all the success in the world. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments from the board? >> Seeing and hearing that. >> So just for the record um Chair Rohos recused on on this project. She didn't say it when she left.
>> Okay. Yes. Yes. Uh, Chair Rojos has recreed herself from this uh, item on the agenda. But seeing and hearing no further comments or questions, what's the pleasure of the body? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> Any oppose? Eyes have it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. Item number seven, we have to get >> Diane, if you're still available, you can um Yep. Diane is from Councelor
Pepton's office. Okay. Okay. >> Yes. Good evening, distinguished members of the BPDA board and the team staffing them. Thank you so much for taking me out of order and letting me testify on behalf of District 5 city councelor Enrique Pepen for number 25 on the
agenda. The councelor is stating all good. Okay. The councelor is stating his support for 4259-4267 Washington Street in Roslandale. This project will bring 41 affordable senior housing units right in the heart of
Roslandale Square. The councelor is proud that this development is being proposed by the nonprofit housing leader Benet Briff Housing that just opened another senior housing building in the district at 121 River Street in Hyde Park. BBH is committed to working with the community. They held a number of
additional community meetings with the Butters, including a future one that's being planned for January 15th with transportation engineers. The councelor is confident that BBH will have a transportation mitigation plan and that he asked for the board to enforce the in
the final decision. Beneath is also addressing a butter's concerns with water mitigation as we are in an older city with much needed infrastructure repair. The council requests is the counselor's request is that for sewer and sanitary drainage to be to be used on the Washington Street
storm drain for the excuse me for the sewer and sanitary drainage to be to go to the Washington Street storm drain. And above all else, thank you for your time and consideration and ask for passage of this proposal, the first of the new
squares and streets district. Thank you all again. >> Thank you. Uh, is that it? >> Okay, we're going to move on to item number seven. and request authorization to execute a grant agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for
$500,000 uh Mass Trail grant mass trails grant contract and agreement to support the construction of the Little Mystic Channel Harborwalk extension located in Charletown and to issue an invitation for bids for the construction of the
Little Mystic Channel Harborwalk extension project and to take all related actions. Rebecca, >> thank you. I am before you today to request authorization to accept a grant from the state and to advertise an issue an IFB pursuant to master law 3039M to procure a qualified contractor for the
Little Mystic Harborwalk project in Charletown. This is a new matter before the board and has advanced to the point through collaboration with the Little Mystic Watershed Association who has led extensive community process fundraised for the project and funded the design which was done by HDR with our complete
participation. The project is located on BRA property near the boat ramp on Terminal Street at the back of the parcel leased to Massport known as the Maran Annex and operated by the Autoport through a sub lease. Um the site is currently beyond the bounds of the portion used by the Autoport between the
edge of their site and the Little Mystic Channel. It is inaccessible, unimproved, and overgrown. This project will serve as an extension of the Harborwalk, providing complete access along the entire Little Mystic Channel and allowing safe pedestrian travel from the Charleston Athletic Fields to Chelsea Street without having to pass along
Terminal Street, which is a dangerous truck route without sidewalks. The new pathway will be beautifully landscaped and furnished with seating, shade shelters, and exercise equipment. The work is estimated at around 5.5 million and is funded from the multitude of sources including BPDA capital budget,
the city capital plan, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, private gifts through the through Myra and the Mass DCR mass trails program for which we are requesting authorization to accept $500,000 for this project. The bid package has been prepared by HDR and will be advertised following the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts general requirements under 3039M. The construction contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder after being brought back to the board for approval. Therefore, we are requesting that the secretary be authorized to advertise in an issue an IFB for the project and that the
director be authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the state. Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Uh any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Thanks, Rebecca.
>> Thank you. Item number eight, request authorization to execute a contract with BWA Architecture, Inc. for design services to complete to yeah, to complete the China Trade Center roof replacement project for a contract term of 18 months and a contract amount not
to exceed $300,000 with a 15% contingency. Rebecca, >> thank you. U this board action is to request a request authorization to execute a design contract with BWA architecture for the China trade roof replacement. This matter was last before you at the June 2025 board meeting to
request authorization to solicit proposals for this work. As you'll recall, the roof has passed its useful service life and in need of replacement. This design contract will provide inspection, assessment, and construction bid documents to replace the roof. A request for qualifications was issued on
September 22nd, 2025 um and uh yielded 44 interested parties downloading the RFP. Seven firms submitted proposals in response to the solicitation on August 30th. Of those, BWA was determined to be the most advantageous with strong recommendations
coming from both the Cambridge Housing Authority and the Boston Housing Authority. The total contract is award is for 345,000 which includes a 15% contingency for supplemental investigations and has been appropriately budgeted for in the AY's fiscal year 25 capital budget.
Therefore, we are requesting that the director be authorized to enter into this contract with BWA. I'm happy to answer any questions. Okay. Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board hearing? Say none. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you. Item
number nine, request authorization to execute a contract with Dold Electric Construction Corporation for the electrical repair and maintenance of bar owned properties for a term of three years and two one-year extension term options and for a total contract amount not to exceed $100,000 annual. Chris,
>> thank you, Madam Chair. Members of the board, I'm here to present the results for the procurement process for the electrical repair and maintenance services of multiple BRA owned properties located in the city. The selected vendor will be responsible for all labor, materials, equipment, transportation, supplies, and services necessary for the electrical repair,
maintenance, and/or refurbishment of designated BRA managed or owned properties located in Boston. In response to the IFB issued on September 1st, the BPDA received four bids which were publicly opened on September 25th. After reviewing all the
submissions, Dagel Electrical Construction Corporation was determined to be the most responsive and responsible bidder. The resulting contract will be for an annual amount of $100,000 totaling up to 300,000 for the initial three-year term. If both renewal options are exercised by the BPDA, the total contract value is not expected to
exceed 500,000 over a 5-year period. This contract will be funded through the BPDA's fiscal year 26 operating budget and represents an ongoing operational expense to maintain the safety and accessibility to all bar owned properties throughout the city. >> Thank you. I am happy to answer any questions.
>> Makes sense. Questions or comments from the board? Hearing and saying none. A motion is in order. >> So move second. >> All those in favor? I >> I the eyes have it. A motion passes. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Item number 10 requests authorization to adopt a minor modification to the Washington Park
urban renewal plan regarding parcel R-46 project number Mass R-24 located at 11 through13 Katawa Kataba. That's not right. Street and Roxbury neighborhood. How do you say that?
>> Kataba Kataba >> Hello. >> Hello members of the board. Chair Rohos, Secretary Pleus, Director Shen, before you is a resol resolution asking you to authorize a minor modification to the Washington Park and renewal plan for
so-called parcel R46, also known as 11 to13 Kataba Street in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of this minor modification uh is to clarify the boundaries of the parcel and authorize residential uses on the parcel, enabling the disposition of this site as a site for residential
development under phase three of the Welcome Home Boston program. Planning staff informed the public of this minor modification at a public meeting on Wednesday, December 10th, and there were no questions or concerns. Thank you for your consideration. I'm available for any questions. >> Okay, any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none, a motion
is in order. >> So moved. Second. All those in favor? I >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thanks. >> Item number 11, request authorization to adopt a minor modification to the south end urban renewal plan project number mass R-56 regarding parcel 1A located at
3436 Tmont Street uh aka Castle Square and the South End neighborhood and to enter into a third supplementary land disposition agreement with CT CSTTO Winoner LLC. Next. >> Thank you. Uh before you is a resolution
asking you to authorize a minor modification to the South End urban renewal plan for parcel 1A, also known as 436 Tmont Street or the Castle Square Apartments in the South End neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of this minor modification is to enable institutional uses on parcel 1A when the operator of
the building t intends to lease their ground floor space to the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology to provide vocational training opportunities to residents of the building and members of the community. Currently institutional is not an approved use in the plan. So we seek your approval of this minor modification. So we may add this use. Um
as mentioned there will also be a third supplementary LDA supporting this change. Furthermore, planning staff held a public meeting concerning this matter on Monday, December 8th, and the community did not express any opposition. Thank you for your consideration. I'm here for any questions. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board? Hearing? Seeing none, a
motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I oppose. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Item number 12, uh, report on zoning zoning board of appeals recommendations between April 1st, uh, 2025 and September 31st, 2025.
The Rica. Thank you so much, Madam Chair, members of the board, Dr. Shen, Director Shen, and Secretary Pyus. My name is Thor Kleamsum, and I am a planning assistant on the zoning reform team. This zoning board of appeals by an annual report will be the first item I'll be presenting to the BPDA board.
The planning department wrote, oh, sorry, next slide, please. The planning department wrote 267 recommendations over the time period of April to September 2025. The ZBA issued decisions on 586 cases in 2024,
excluding the nine withdrawn cases, with the total recommendations and decisions by type included in the table before you. The 267 cases during the six-month time period represents about 45% of the previous year's volumes of cases, indicating a slight decrease in volume, which is likely due to a combination of
overall economic conditions, as well as incremental progress on zoning reform. Over the time period, there were also 49 article 80 projects that went to the ZBA. The ZBA issued 36 approvals, 10 deferrals, one denial without prejudice, and one project that was withdrawn
before its hearing. Next slide, please. The planning department and the ZBA had the same recommendation in decisions for 188 cases, which is about a 70 70% agreement rate. This number excludes deferred cases that did not have receive a decision. From this table, the biggest
difference between the planning department's recommendations and the ZBA decisions is that when the planning department recommends denial or denial without prejudice, the ZBA is more likely to defer the project likely at the applicant's request so they can modify it. Next slide, please. Through this table and with the rest of
the 2025 cases, we'll be able to create benchmarks about cases that only receive conditional use permits, cases that receive permits that include a variance permit, and the total number of cases without deferrals for each neighborhood. The top five violations for all the cases were parking or loading insufficiency, F excessiveness, usable
open space insufficiencies, reard insufficiency, and sideyard insufficiency. Next slide, please. For this next section, I will be talking about how the implementation of small-scale residential resoning from plan Madapan has affected the cases going to the ZBA. Plan Matipan was
adopted by this PDA board on May 11th, 2023 with new residential zoning based on the plan adopted by the zoning commission on February 7th, 2024. The new zoning modernizes Matipan's residential zoning, aligns with dimensional regulations to the neighborhood's existing character, and allows the construction of additional
dwelling units, also known as ADUs. Next slide, please. After the resoning, 90% or 20 out of 22 projects between February 2024 to September 2025 of the small-cale residential projects were allowed in Matapan. This number is up 60% prior to
the resoning. The allowed projects include renovations, additions, improvements to handicap accessibility, and seven ADUs permitted as of right. Next slide, please. 43 Goodell Road is a byite project that was submitted on November 3rd, 2024 with
the permit issued on January 30th, 2025. The project is adding a new ADU in the above grade basement of the existing 3-unit home, changing the occupancy of the property from a three-unit family to a 4-unit family. Before the resoning of this project, this would project would have been caught in the design review.
Next project, please. Next slide, please. 9 Richmir Road is an example of a project that still needed to go to the BP to the board of appeal. The proposal was submitted on February 2nd, 2025 with the permit issued on September 4th, 2025. The project proposes a newly
constructed three-unit dwelling with two parking spaces in a bike space. The reason this project went to the ZBA was due to a violation of off- streetet parking and loading requirement that requires three parking spaces for three units and the maneuverability of the tandem driveway serving different different units. This helps indicate
that we need a better understanding of planning and zoning for parking and that we need to continue studying how parking fits into our neighborhood. Next slide, please. Future reports will continue to feature preliminary data for other reasonzoning and modernization efforts as we continue to track our progress towards reducing
the reliance on the zoning board of appeals. Thank you so much for your time and I'm happy to take any questions. >> Okay, thank you. Uh any questions from the board? >> A couple of quick ones. First, thanks. I really really enjoy these. I think it's great to to say these. So, great job. Um, what was the project that was
withdrawn from ZBA before they came through us and then was withdrawn? >> I don't have that information on me currently, but I'm happy to get that to you. >> Just out of curiosity. And then 70% of agreement. That's a C minus where I come from. Not a not a great score. Do you know what it was historically?
>> Um, not historically, but we are hoping to use this data to better align ourselves with the Z. >> Okay. I' I'd be curious for the next presentation. Don't don't rush, but next time we do one of these to sort of do the look look back at the prior year just so we can see if we're doing better or uh or worse. Uh but obviously these
metrics I think are really important and really transparent um for for the citizens of Boston. So appreciate the the work. >> Thank you. >> I just had the same question about where that 70% falls in the trajectory of time. Um, and is there a goal? Like, you
know, where where are we trying to get to with that? >> Um, I think thank you, Tara, for that excellent first presentation. Um, and I'm not going to make her speak to the goal of our work with the ZBA. Um, I'm Kathleen Honor. I'm the deputy director
of zoning. Um, so I think one of the questions on that metric in particular is whether it's our performance or the ZBA's. um and the important role that the ZBA has in weighing many right different factors and criteria in
awarding a case and we are able to really focus on both the zoning and the planning and the urban design issues um of a case. Um part of why we want to report on that is to better understand where there's divergence, right? uh the
board deferring cases that we recommend denial on is not something where there's a lot like that we're not in a agreement there technically but towards the goal of getting better projects that are better aligned with our planning and our urban design goals achieves that outcome. Um, another important component
of this in addition to the data tracking is that we have been working with ISD to do quarterly um, trainings for ZBA members and ZBA staff on key planning issues that sort of consistently show up in our recommendations and that the board of or that at the board of appeal
members uh, request they're like, "Hey, you're giving us a lot of recommendations around parking that we hear push back on. Can we can you tell us more about why?" Um, so I think that is also to the goal of better aligning our recommendations from a planning and
urban design perspective and the board of appeals weighing of that and making their decisions has been another really important move in addition to tracking this data. >> Thank you. >> Great. >> Any other uh questions or comments? Um,
just want to also call out um the uh the success stories of the Manipan uh resoning um initiatives and and seeing how how that um you know has has come to fruition and has been helpful. So um keep up the great work and a fabulous
first presentation. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um okay, no vote on that. That wasformational. Item number 13, request authorization to issue a certificate of completion for the successful completion of the
improvements on parcel SE98A in the South End urban renewal area project number Mass R-56 located at 117 East Berkeley Street pursuant to section 304 of the land disposition agreement buying between the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as a Boston
Planning and Development Agency and you eof reality coincorporated. dated February 6, 2024. Uh this is their certificate of completion. So there's no presentation. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> Uh all those in favor?
>> I opposed. The eyes have it. Um motion passes. Item number 14, request authorization to issue a certificate of completion for the successful completion of the improvements on parcel P-3B1 in the Brunswick King Urban Renewal Area. Project number mass R-168
located at the rear yard of 102 Intervel Terrace pursuant to section 304 of the land disposition agreement buying between the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as the Boston Planning and Development Agency and Hyperion LLC dated June 19th, 2020
certificate of completion. So um straight to the vote. Um a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> Opposed? The eyes have it. chair. >> Thank you. Okay. Uh item number 15, request
authorization to issue a certificate of completion for the successful completion of the Whittier Place Phase 3 project pursuant to section C.4 four of the cooperation agreement by and between the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as a Boston Planning and Development Agency and PO Madison
Associates LLC dated December 26th, 2017 as affected by that certain assignment and assumption of cooperation agreement dated January 23rd, 2023. Uh certificate of completion. So a motion is in order.
>> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I oppose. The eyes have it. Okay, grab grab Kate. Uh item number 16, request authorization to issue a certificate of completion for the first phase of the project of the
South Station Air Rights Project in the Central Business District, South Station Urban Renewal Area, project number Mass R-82C located at the South Station on portions of parcels C-1 and C-3 pursuant to the land disposition agreement by and between the Boston Redevelopment
Authority, Doing Businesses, Boston Planning and Development Agency, and South Station Phase 1 Owner LLC dated March March 21st, 20, 2007 as amended and to issue a certificate of completion for the successful completion of the first phase of the project of the South
Station Air Rights Project located at South Station in accordance with section C3 of the cooperation agreement by and between the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as a Boston Planning and Development Agency and South Station owner 1 LLC dated April 1st, 2008 as amended. Certificate of
completion. So motion is in order. So move second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Item number 17 requests authorization to issue a determination waving further review of the p pursuant to section 88-6
of the zoning code in connection with the third notice of project change submitted to the BPDA on October 27th 2025 by city realy group for the Alustin Square project also known as 8 through 12 Wilton Street 20 Brainry Street one Highgate Street and 10 Highgate Street
allowing for a reduction of parking spaces and the issue of cert certification ification of compliance upon successful completion of the article ADB review process and to take all related actions. Nick, >> thank you and good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Pimeus,
and Director Shen. Uh I'm here before you to present the notice of project change for Alustin Square. Uh Alustin Square, originally approved in 2019 uh in Alustin, contains six buildings uh on or adjacent to Cambridge Street in Alustin. This NPC will eliminate
underground parking and stacked ground floor parking in four of the buildings. No other changes are proposed. There's no presentation for this NPC and the development team is here to answer any questions you might have. Thank you. >> All right. Uh any questions or comments from the board? Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in
order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I oppose. The eyes have it. Thank you. Item number 18, request authorization to enter into an affordable rental housing agreement and restriction in connection with the proposed creation of two IDP units located at 48 Tory Street and to
take all related actions. Andy. >> Uh, thank you, Madam Chair, Director Shen, Secretary Paul Heheimis, and members of the board. I'm Andy Feldman, housing policy manager with the mayor's office of housing. Tonight, I'm here to request your vote on an affordable rental housing agreement and restriction
for the proposed development at 48 Tory Street in Dorchester. The development proposes to proposes to build 14 condo units. And while it didn't trigger article 80 due to its size, it did trigger IDP. Therefore, the vote in front of you tonight will allow the agency to enter into an agreement to
dedicate two units under IDP. Thank you. Happy to answer any questions you may have. >> All right. Any questions from the board? Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order. So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. Yes, I have it. Thanks, Andy. >> Item number 19,
request authorization to terminate the affordable rental housing agreement and restriction by and between the proponent and the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing businesses of Boston Planning and Development Agency dated November 24th, 2024 for the property located at 257
Washington Street and to take all related actions. Stan, >> thank you. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Director Shen, Secretary Paul Heis. My name is Daniel Palano, and I'm the project manager uh for the small project change before you tonight at the property located at 257
Washington Street in Dorchester neighborhood. On January 13, 2024, the BPDA uh board voted to approve a groundup mixeduse development consider consisting of 48 rental units in a four-story building with approximately 49,979 total gross feet square uh with below
ground uh garage and 26 vehicle parking spaces and 70 uh bike parking spaces. On October 31st, 2025, the proponent filed a small project change for the approved project. the proponent pursuant to tax credits uh subsidy funding from the mayor's office of housing and the
executive office of housing and liable communities. Next slide please. Uh the updates to the project include increasing the breath and depth of affordability now 85% income restricted with tiers of 30% 50% and 60% and 80%
AMI adjusting the bedroom mix to include more familysiz units from 18 to 35 units additional 17 units at that increasing affordability from 10 units to 42 rental units and exterior design improvements. I'll now turn it over to my colleague for to discuss the planning context.
Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Dan. Hello, my name is Ford Delveio and I'm the planning reviewer assigned to this project. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, the site of the proposed project is within a quarter mile of the Four Corners/ Geneva Avenue commuter rail station and in the study
area of the Fairmont Indigo Planning Initiative, four corners, Geneva Station area plan adopted by the Bar in 2015, referred to as FIPI plan. The FIPI plan highlights the city-owned vacant parcels in the in the area and specifically identifies 257 Washington Street as a
key development site and opportunity to leverage vacant and underused lots. The FIPI plan encourages development of publicly owned land with new uses based on neighborhood scale and context. The plan acknowledges that zoning relief may be appropriate to effectuate the goal. Next slide, please.
The project site is an assembly of publicly and privately owned land and has been designated with respect for the neighborhood context. Although the proposed project requires dimensional zoning relief, the proposed fourth story is significantly stepped back from the front minimizing the visual impact of the proposed massing as envisioned by
the FIPI plan. The proposed project will deliver market rate h and incomerestricted housing with ground flooror activation that fits into the existing neighborhood. The proposed project includes a rear yard that exceeds the minimum dimension and in one rear corner but not the other. Although the rear setback does not comply with
zoning, the rear condition is unique given the irregular rear lot line which is not perpendicular to the side lot lines will provide usable open space for the residents. Thank you and I'll now turn over to our urban designer Marco to talk more about the design of the project. >> Hi, I'm Marco Sanchez, landscape
architect with the planning department. The project site is an assembly. No, here we go. This proposal sets the building back to accommodate Boston Complete Streets guidelines and establish a pedestrianoriented frontage along Washington Street.
Both the residential lobby and groundf flooror community space are accessed directly from this elevation, reinforcing an active public realm. The natural grade change from the street to the rear amenity terrace enables parking to be discreet discreetly tucked
beneath the massing. Three existing street trees are preserved while an obsolete curb cut is removed and a new 10-ft curb cut introduced to support site circulation. Uh, next slide, please.
The primary elevation will be subdivided into two main volumes maintaining the scale of the buildings nearby. The more dominant volume features a brick facade with large glazed openings at all levels. The side and rear facades
feature horizontal fiber cement plank siding from the foundation to the floor on the fourth level. The top floor will be clad in vertically oriented fiber cement panels. At the front elevation, the primary facade steps back at the fourth floor to
mitigate the height of the building and make space for a shared lounge and roof deck. Next, uh I'll turn over back to Dan. >> Thank you, Marco. Uh just real quick, uh a public meeting was held for this uh
project was conducted December 1st, 2025 as part of the article 80 modernization. We introduced a new meeting structure where we had interactive polls and QR codes to help us improve our community engagement. Thank you. Uh this concludes the presentation. Turn over to the development team if you have any questions. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Um any questions or comments from the board? >> All right. Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. All those in favor? >> I >> oppose. The eyes have it. Um, thank you very much. >> Item number 20, request authorization to
issue a cert certification of approval pursuant to article 80 small project review of the zoning code for the proposed development located at 1028 through 1032 Dorchester Avenue and to enter into a community benefits agreement and to take all related
actions. Tyler. >> Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Pimis, and Director Shen. My name is Tyler Ross. I'm a senior project manager in the development review department. The proposal before you is a 10 is 1028 to 1032 Dorchester A in article 80 small
project located in the Dorchester neighborhood. On July 16, 2025, the developer filed a small project review application for the project. The planning department hosted two public meetings on July 15, 2025 and November 5th, 2025 which were well attended and
advertised in the local newspaper. Next slide, please. The proposed project consists of the construction of a four-story 22 unit building with over 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and 12 vehicle parking spaces. The project will provide
four uh inclusionary zoning units at various sizes at all all at 60% AMI along with 30 bike parking spaces for the project. I will now turn it over to my colleague Ford to continue the presentation. Thank you for that. Uh once again, my
name is Ford Delvecio. Uh this time I am not the planning reviewer assigned this project. I am covering for that planner, Yaire Shapiro. Um so thank you. And next slide, please. Um the site is currently a surface parking lot and is inconsistent with the predominant Dorchester Avenue character
of active ground floor uses uh with residential above above that's common in the area. It's located within the walkshed of Savin Hill and the JFK Redline uh stations. There is direct bus service on route number 18 directly adjacent to the property and there are no recent planning or zone zoning
initiatives in the area. Uh the proposed four-story multif family dwelling with active ground flooror uses is contextually appropriate appropriate in both its use form and function. Thank uh next slide please. Uh this project is located in the Dorchester neighborhood zoning district,
the 3FD2000 subd district, which is uh idealized for triple deckers, uh which this project is not. It reflects a uh disconnect between the zoning that's currently in place and the actual built form of the neighborhood around it. Um zoner relief is required for the forbidden use, minimal uh the minimum
parking, and sixdimensional violations. All violations result from regulations on this portion of Dorchester AB that are better suited to the residential fabric that are located uh a couple blocks away from the street itself. Uh over the course of review, the driveway was relocated from Dorchester Avenue to Belelffort Street. Uh this helps keep
the side street's residential character while maintain the commercial entrance to the neighboring business on doab. Thank you and I will now turn over to my colleague Seth to continue the present continue the presentation. >> Thank you Ford. Good evening. My name is Seth Risman, deputy director of design review and I'll be speaking to the
design review of this project. Staff worked with the proponent on multiple fronts, including making sure the project will activate this stretch of Dorchester A with continuous ground floor retail and with the residential entrance located around the corner on Belelffort
Street. The sidewalks on both Belelfford Street and Dorchester A will be significantly improved with the planting of up to six new street trees in well-sized tree pits. Additionally, all curb ramps will be reconstructed for ADA compliance. The proponent committed to deping and landscaping the buffer
between this building and the adjacent Murphy Funeral Home at 1020 Dorchester A. The side and rear yards contain a variety of social seating opportunities for residents of all abilities as well as visitor bike parking spaces. And apologies, please. Next slide.
The proponent will continue to refine the interior bike parking room to bring it into greater compliance with city's bike parking guidelines. Next slide, please. The building itself creates a strong street wall along Dorchester Avenue. We think the scale of the building is
appropriately broken down into multiple way in multiple ways. Vertically, a three-part facade is created with a recessed ground floor, a second and third floor articulated mostly in brick and a respectfully set back fourthstory and metal panel. A strong cornice at the third floor, as well as the metering of
bays across the length of the building provides contextual articulation and scalar nods to the triple deckers that define this part of Doorchester while reinforcing a mixeduse identity along this primary corner corridor. I will now turn it back to Tyler. Thank you.
Next slide, please. Finally, the project will provide retail space fronting Doorchester AB along with a solar ready roof and large sidewalks, new street trees, and bike parking. This concludes our presentation for this item and the development team is available to answer any questions you may have. Thank
you. >> Thank you. Questions or comments from the board. >> Right. Hearing and saying none. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Thanks, Tyler. >> Thank you.
>> Thanks. Item number 21, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article ad small project review of the zoning code for the proposed construction of 48 residential rental units including 43 inclusionary
zoning units, 17 car parking spaces, 48 bicycle parking spaces located at 282 through 294 Hyde Park Avenue, and to enter into community benefits agreements and to take all related actions. Camille. >> Thank you, Madame Chair, and good
evening members of the board, Secretary Polyimus and Director Shen. My name is Camille Platiccasta, senior project manager in the development review division here before you. It's an article 80 small project located at 294 High Park Avenue in Jamaica Plane. The project held a public meeting on October
22nd of 2025 after filing their small project review application on September 16th of 2025. The project team also hosted a meeting at the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association earlier this month in December of 2025. Um, next slide, please.
The project contains 48 residential rental units with 43 of the total units being income restricted and the other five at market rate. There's a mix of studios, ones, twos, and three-bedroom units. The project will also include a roughly 2200 square foot recreational use at the ground floor for tenants to
use at their leisure. The project team is also proposing 17 parking spaces as well as bike parking as part of the proposal as well. The proposed project is part of our ongoing streamlining affordable housing effort in which the plan department works in very close
coordination with mayor's office of housing on the review of our projects. Um I will now hand it over to my colleague Andrew Plum in planning to go over zoning context. Thank you. Thank you, Camille. My name is Andrew Plum. I'm the planner assigned to this
project. Next, oh, thank you. Um, the proposed project is located in on Hide Park Avenue, a key transportation corridor between Jamaica Plane and Hyde Park and can be seen on the slide highlighted in red. It's located on the number 32 and 33 bus
lines and is within 3/4 of a mile of the Forest Hills station. There is also a blue bike station at the intersection of Hide Park A and the North Born Road um to the south of the site. The built environment on Hide Park Avenue is a mix of multif family residential buildings,
triple deckers, and a small commercial note at the Eldridge Street intersection. The primary building typology on the side streets in the neighborhood are two and a half to threetory residences with small planted yards and many mature trees. Next slide,
please. The proposed project is located within the Jamaica Plane neighborhood zoning district's 3F5000 subdist. The site immediately abuts a multif family residential subdist and is adjacent to a local commercial subdist in terms of
built form and as a transportation route. High Park Avenue is best understood as a cohesive linear corridor in a manner inconsistent with the linear quality of High Park Avenue. The corridor zoning is staggered between five different subd districts that are more reflective of adjacent areas than
the corridor itself. As a result, while the proposed project is consistent with the context of High Park Avenue, it is twice as tall and more dense than dimen than the dimensions allowed by its underlying underlying three family zoning. Staff recommends zoning relief
due to its consistency with the built character and the zoning context of the Hide Park Avenue corridor. The proposed dimensions consider how shallow the lot is and the smaller scale residential uses to the rear. Additional considerations for density above the zoning requirement include the existing
neighborhood fabric and proximity to major transit opportunities. I will now turn it over to my colleague Nick from Urban Design. Thank you. >> Thank you, Andrew. My name is Nick Gilpin and I'm the urban designer too for this project. The building is set back to align with Boston Complete
Streets guidelines and enhance the Washington Street pedestrian realm. Two existing street trees will be preserved and a new street tree will be planted to replace a dead tree, strengthening the corridor's canopy. At the rear, additional setbacks protect mature trees on adjacent parcels. The program
includes off- streetet parking for 17 vehicles, while the ground floor incorporates successful useful resident amenities like secure bicycle storage and a resident accessible co-working space. Next slide, please. This is a six-story all- residential
building with a design that aims to match both what exists and what is envisioned for the adjacent properties along Hyde Park. A the lower five stories um directly front the street with the top level being set back from the front and rear edge. Staff encouraged this setback to reduce height
off the street and behind Wuset A venue properties. The color and materials of the building reflect this consideration with a distinct look for the upper levels, allowing the four stories to be in line with the scale and texture of the existing building surrounding it. I'll now turn it to John Del to talk more about sustainable development.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Nick. I'm John Del, senior architect for sustainable development. 294 Hide Park A is the first of three projects before the board today to be permitted under Boston's updated article 37 green building and net zero carbon
zoning. Our first in the nation zoning requires new buildings to minimize and mitigate all carbon emissions from building operations. This project is net zero compliant, proposes a very efficient all-electric building, installing solar PV, and using renewable
electricity to achieve net zero carbon operation. City staff have been hard at work on the implementation of article 37 updates and have been assisting project teams to identify best practices, technical res assistance, and incentives, including significant mass
save and state resources. Even as projects face unprecedented challenges is nationally and locally, our developers, architects, engineers, and builders continue to innovate and deliver on Boston's carbon neutral goals. Each of these project teams
weren't recognition for their leadership and expertise. I have to note that their genius in part is in avoiding extraordinary measures. These are beautiful buildings employing common practices that will deliver affordable housing and net zerocarbon performance.
Finally, thank you all for your support and leadership in authorizing the zoning update and furthering Boston's carbon neutral goals. Mel, back to you. >> Thank you, John. If you can go to the next slide and maybe the one after.
Thank you very much. This concludes our presentation. We also have members of ARC and the development team here to answer any questions. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board. >> Well, I' I'd be remiss if I didn't note um that this is the first of three uh projects we'll be voting on tonight that
is net zero carbon compliance. Something that this board proudly uh voted under the leadership of Mayor Woo. Um, and I'm I'm, you know, I'll take a point of personal privilege to talk about work with with John Delzel and many others on the first Berto with Mayor Manino and the second Berto with Mayor Walsh. And
to see this uh come to fruition is just uh is just remarkable. Um, this isn't all luxury condos, is it? either. It's all affordable units and it shows that we're going to make sure that uh we don't just have net zero compliant buildings for the top bidder or those
that can uh we need to make sure that we we do this uh and we we confound that conventional wisdom that you can either be resilient or affordable. Um you can't be both and this is proof positive that you most certainly can be both. So this a great project and proud to support it. Thank you.
>> Just also appreciating the level of affordability you guys have achieved. Thank you. And sorry, just I said all affordable. It's obviously 43 income restricted, five market rate, but pretty darn close. Thanks. >> Additional questions or comments?
Hearing and seeing none. A motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you very much. Good luck. Item number 22, request authorization to terminate a an affordable housing
agreement previously entered into between the proponent and the BRA on June 20th, 2023 in connection with the proposed project and to enter into an affordable housing contribution agreement in connection with the 3478
through 3484 Washington Street building aka one Gartland Street and to take all related actions. Andy. >> Uh thank you, Madam Chair. Director Shen, Secretary Pearl Heis, and members of the board. I'm Andy Feldman, housing policy manager with the mayor's office of housing. Tonight, I'm here to request
your vote on an affordable housing creation agreement for the development at 37 3478 3484 Washington Street, also known as the Doyles project in Jamaica Plane. Uh, this development is building 29 condo units, previously proposed to provide six IDP units. Uh the
development now proposes to provide four IDP units to make a payment in lie of the fifth IDP unit and to return the funding provided to support the sixth IDP unit. We received a letter support I'll note uh in support of this proposal from both councelor Weber and representative Montano. Uh therefore the
vote in front of you tonight will allow the agency to terminate the housing agreement and enter into an agreement to receive payment in lie of one unit under the policy. Thank you. Happy to answer any questions that you may have. questions or comments from the board? >> Um, not a question. Just want to know why I I support this. Um, obviously
whenever we terminate an affordable housing agreement, we should do so uh under uh extreme uh uh or extreme uh rare extremely rare rarely should we uh do this. Uh this is this is one exception that I think that this board should make. This is the Doyles project.
The uh local developer who lives in Jamaica Plane has been working extraordinarily well with the neighbors for five plus years. Actually, probably going on six years now, I think. when the restaurant originally closed, it's going to return this restaurant to the neighborhood and uh it's one of the it's been a a good project and a good
process. It's just been slowed down and there have been some external issues like a worldwide pandemic that have been uh very impactful. So, I will be supporting this. >> Yeah, I would just add to that. Um, I mean, I never want to vote for less affordability, but um, I think in this
case it also affirms that having Mo doing the analysis on this type of uh, proposal put forward. I mean, I just think I think think it affirms that that was a good move and I appreciate that uh you guys are looking at this because I
uh I think it's great to have the additional set of eyes on a proposal like this that changes the the degree of affordability. >> Thank you. >> Additional questions or comments? All right. Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second.
>> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it. Um motion passes. Thank you. Item number 23, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80 of the zoning code for the proposed construction of 40 residential
home ownership units including seven inclusionary zoning units, 34 car 34 car parking spaces and 42 bicycle parking spaces located at 110 Wales Street and to enter into a community benefits agreement and to take all related actions. Ebony. >> Thank you. Good evening and thank you
madam chair, members of the board, madam secretary and director shen. My name is Ebony D. Roza and I'm a senior project manager in the development review department. The proposal before you is 110 whale street in article 80 small project located in the Madapan neighborhood. The small project review
application was filed on June 30th, 2025. The planning department held a public meeting on July 21st, 2025, which was appropriately advertised and the comment period concluded on July 30th. Since the conclusion of the comment period, the proponent has continued
their community engagement efforts by meeting with local community groups. Next slide, please. Thank you. The project is seeking approval for the construction of a five-story building. The building will contain 40 home ownership units, including seven inclusionary zoning
units, ranging from studios to three bedrooms. Of the seven units, four units will be made available for households with incomes no greater than 80% AMI, and three units will be made available for households with incomes no greater than 100% AMI. The project will also
consist of 34 interior parking spaces, 12,500 square ft of shared outdoor open space, 40 secure bike parking spaces, and eight short-term bike parking spaces. The proponent has committed to making sidewalk improvements, installing
new street trees, and contributing $11,000 to the Boston Transportation Department for the bike share program. At this time, I am happy to turn it over to Jason McDonald from the planning team to discuss the planning context for the project. Thank you.
>> Hello board. How's it going? Um my name is Jason planner with the planning review team. Uh we can go to the next slide please. Uh so yeah this is um located in Madapan right nearby the Harambe Park. Over to the left is the Boys and Girls Club the
Blue Hills Boys boys and girls club specifically. Um and along Talba Avenue um further down uh to the plan south uh southoutheast sorry um there would be the Talbot Avenue Fairmont line stop uh
commuter rail station and along the street runs uh the 22 bus going either to Ashmont or uh the Rugles direction. Um and mostly as you can see it's just uh triple deckers typical Boston housing. me go to the next slide.
Um as said this is located in uh Madapan. Um this was not changed with the uh new plan Matipan. Um no zoning was changed into this area. So uh with this there is a large amount of um zoning relief that this project is
seeking mainly due to dimensional sizing and including the use of multif family. Um however in the area it is mostly three family and a couple multif family buildings around even at that far corner seen there in the um uh the drawing that
uh I made that demonstrates the kind of massing contextual uh relation to everything. Um and with that we've uh after work and some recommendations we've seen that the project uh fits in line with our best uh practices uh in
just massing and size uh setbacks including even following modal setback along the front and uh even parking standards which is uh highly uh the typical recommendation from BTD. Um, so after uh after that I actually pass over
to my colleague Eric from Urban Design. >> Thank you, Jason. I'm Eric Boatright, senior architect and the primary urban design reviewer for the project. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, the length of the building runs east west along Browning Avenue um with the primary entrance facing Whale Street on
the left. Whale Street end of the building features the lobby, indoor bike storage area, and a common area with direct access to shared open space and an outdoor play area um in the northeast corn northwest corner of the site. Uh moving away from the corner, um Browning
Avenue rises roughly 10 feet in elevation, placing most of the on-site parking below grade. The driveway to access parking is near the middle of the building. Um, on both frontages, the building is set back from the street along the same approximate line as its neighboring buildings and new street
trees will be provided complying with Boston's complete street guidelines. Next slide. Uh, articulation of the massing both along um Wales and Browning uh mitigate the scale of the building by mimicking the dimensions and rhythm of the
neighboring buildings. Uh the main volumes of the building will be a tan brick with projecting fiber cement uh facade accents and the top floor will be uh clad in a standing seam metal panel. Uh the stepback top floor provides space for two generous uh common outdoor areas
and um common areas and uh uh deck space um for the top floor units. The lower floor units um on the east end of the building will have balconies um adding to the visual interest and uh
connectivity with the street. Um Ebony, >> thank you Eric. Um that concludes our presentation for this evening. We do have uh Cheryl Tagayas and Kirk Phillips from the project team available to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you. >> Uh questions or comments from the board?
I just want to say I really appreciate the um the design and the the landscaping and the outdoor play area. Um we have so many kids in our neighborhood and I just I can see that really being yeah just very utilized and um just appreciate that for for my
neighborhood. So uh if there are no other questions or comments motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. Uh the eyes have it. Thank you very much. Good luck. And we're right at 5:30. So we are going to take a brief five minute break before we start
the public hearing. And yeah, be right back. Hello. Um, we're now going to move on to the public hearing portion of the meeting. This is a public hearing before the Boston Redevelopment Authority doing business as a Boston Planning and Development Agency being held in
conformance with sections 3-1A and article ADC of the Boston Zoning Code to consider the proposed second amendment to the amendment amendment and restated master plan for the plan development area number 51 Hood Park, Charles Town, and companion zoning map
amendment and approve the proposed development plan for 15 Super Test Drive within in planned development area number 51 and the proposed development plan for 25 super test drive with planned development area number 51. This hearing was duly advertised on November
26, 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 the members of the agency. Thereafter, anyone who wishes to testify about this proposed project will be afforded an opportunity and we are
taking support and opposition at the same time. If you're planning to testify via Zoom, please take time now to verify that your computer microphone is active and click 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. Your webcam will not be active. If you are planning to testify in person in the boardroom,
please line up behind the podium after the presentation is 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. BPA staff will indicate when 30 seconds remain and at that time, please kindly conclude your remarks so that the
hearing may continue and others may be heard. Finally, the proponents are given are allowed a period of 5 to 10 minutes for rebuttal if they desire. The open public meeting law requires that we ask if anyone in the audience uh if there's anyone in the audience who's recording
this meeting um to please identify yourself now. Okay, seeing none and uh Dylan please begin the presentation. >> Thank you and good evening madam chair, members of the board uh director Shen and Secretary Paul Heis. My name is Dylan Norris and I'm a project manager
in the development review division of the planning department. We are here before you this evening to discuss the proposed second amendment to the amended and restated master plan for plan development area number 51 Hood Park and the associated PDA development plans for 25 Super Test and 15 Super Test Street
as well as to consider for approval the 15 Super Test small project review application proposed within PDA number 51. PDA number 51 or Hood Park consists of a 20 acre site located between Rutherford Avenue and the Interstate Route 93 highway in Charletown. Hood
Park is subject of an existing master plan for planned development area number 51 and is currently occupied by approximately 1,600 or 65,000 square ft of existing and permitted structures. The master plan amendment proposes to increase the
previously proposed 15 Super Test Street project from the originally approved 12,000 square ft of retail structure to approximately a 49,000 square ft mixeduse project including a 24,000 ft grocery store and
approximately 32 residential rental units. The amendment also proposes to increase the gross floor area of the 25 Super Test Street project from the previously approved 128,000 square ft to a GFA or gross floor area of
approximately 224,400 square ft as well as adding multif family residential housing as an allowed use to the hotel previously described in the master plan. Uh these changes uh will require an adjustment to the F. The additional F area will increase the
master plan F value from 20 2.0 to 2.2. Additionally, the 15 Super Test Street development plan and associated article 80 small project review application proposed the construction of a three-story approximately 49,000 ft
building not exceeding a height of 57 ft for approximately 24,000 square ft of ground floor retail space fronting on Rutherford Avenue and Super Test Street with approximately 32 residential units on the upper two floors to be used primarily for incomerestricted housing
with six market rate units. There is also an underground parking facility and a parking structure that will be shared with the the future 25 Super Test Street project. The 25 Super Test Street development plan will propose the construction of an 18story building with
a maximum height of 235 ft. The gross floor area of the project will be approximately 224,400 ft for hotel, residential, and accessory uses with approximately 150 subgrade parking spaces. The 25 Super Test Street
project will also result in an off-site affordable housing creation project per the requirements of article 79 of the zoning code based on 20% of the proposed 87,000 usable square feet of residential area. The housing creation will result
in the construction of approximately 26 incomerestricted units which will consist of studio one, two, and three and four bedroom units to be developed within the 15 Super Test Street project. On June 23rd, 2025, the proponent filed
two letters of intent with the planning department for the 15 Super Test Street project as well as the 25 Super Test Street project uh development plan. the master plan amendment, the 25 Super Test Street plan development area development plan, the 15 Super Test Street plan development area development plan, and
the 15 Super Test Small Project Review application or SP were filed with the planning department on June 27th, 2025, which initiated a public comment period concluding on August 21st, 2025. The planning department hosted three IAG
meetings on July 29th, September 15th, and December 1st, and three public meetings on August 7th, September 16th, and December 1st. These meetings were held virtually via Zoom and advertised in the local neighborhood uh newspapers, as well as posted to the planning
department's calendar, and an email notification was sent to all subscribers of the planning department's Charletown neighborhood update list. At this point, I would like to hand it off to my colleague, Michelle Yei, to present the planning context for the project. followed by a presentation by the proponent team. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Dylan. Good evening. My name is Michelle Le and I am the planner assigned to this project. The master plan area is located in the Charlestown neighborhood zoning district in a mixeduse zoning subdist. It is also subject to two zoning overlays. The coastal flood resilience overlay district or seafod and the planned
development area or PDA number 51 Hood Park. The sites of the proposed projects at 15 and 25 Super Test Street are currently used as surface parking lots. Next slide, please. The master plan area also falls within the study area plan Charles Town, which
was approved by the BPDA board in September 2023 and codified into zoning in October 2023. Plan Charle Town was an analysis of neighborhood needs and included recommendations to improve access to service, new zoning for the existing industrial parts of the neighborhood, and urban design
guidelines to govern future development. While PDA number 51 was last amended in 2020 before the release of plan Charles Town, the PRO's amendment to the master plan aligns with the updated zoning parameters for use, dimensions, and density requirements. The plan also highlighted a need for
mixed income housing with active ground floor uses with the priority for commercial spaces that include grocery stores and food and breish establishments which the proposed projects will bring. Additionally, the proposed project will create hood green and open space that will be no less than
one continuous acre that was envisioned in the master plan PDA and was reinforced in plan Charlestown. The bland public realm and street safes improvements on Rutherford Avenue and Super Test Street will also accommodate the city's redesign of Rutherford Avenue. Additionally, the proposed
project will bring will build a segment of the landscape bike and pedestrian multi-use path that was also envisioned in the master plan PDA and is also a key component of the Charles Town Green Loop that was proposed in plans Charles Town Plan Charles Town, sorry. Together, these elements will create a safer and
more welcoming pedestrian and cycling experience around the master plan area. Thank you. And now I'll turn it over to the development team to present the project in more detail. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Paulus,
Director Kerosen. My name is Mark Rosenshine with Trademark Partners here to present the uh Hood Park project. I'm joined by David Manfred from Elkus Man Freddy, our architect, and Paula Dero with Pierce Atwood. Um there are uh three components to this project. It is a little complex because we're shuffling
some pieces around. I know there's been a lot of dialogue, so there's a lot of information. I speak quickly, but I'll try and get through it and both be hopefully helpful and and then we can have questions as we need. Next slide, please. So, you guys are familiar with Hood Park. We've been here a number of times. We've done a number of projects
west side of Rutherford Avenue on the industrial edge of the Charlestown neighborhood between 93 North and Rutherford Avenue. Next slide, please. As as mentioned already by the planner plan Charlestown, we are located in an eligible PDA area. The PDA has been amended uh previously and was updated in
2019. Next slide, please. Charleston went through after Hood Park. Uh and I like to think in some ways in response to Hood Park's process went through plan Charles Town. Everything in the plan uh for Hood Park is consistent with Plan Charletown, including the things that are in front of you today.
That was an important component that the planning staff wanted to make sure right off the bat. Are you compl consistent with Bland Charleston? And we are. Next slide, please. This is the master plan diagrammatically. Obviously, there's a lot of text that go with it as you're familiar with. We started on the left side of the page with the Harvey. And we've been working essentially
clockwise. A mix of residential, commercial, lab, the space that we're talking about. Next slide, please. Is on the north edge of campus in the empty lot parking lot on the right side. And this was a program area that quite frankly was supposed to be phase four. One of the reasons it was pushed to the
end of the process was there was concern on the community's part when we did the master plan about the seven years of horizontal construction to rebuild Rutherford Avenue to redo Sullivan Square. And given Hood Green and some of those uses, the feeling was maybe that wants to happen after Rutherford and Sullivan have been redone. Perhaps we
were optimistic about how quickly that would happen. Um, and in this case, as a result of an opportunity to bring a grosser to the community, which was the number one priority during the plan, Charles Town in terms of service, we advanced phase 4, which includes Hood Green and and this retail space, because
there's an opportunity to bring a groceryer and and so underlying all of this conversation. That's why we started this process. Then we looked at the opportunity to increase substantially the amount of housing at Hood Park. We've been very successful at the Harvey. There's obviously a tremendous demand both in the city of Boston and in
Charletown for housing. This project adds 125,000 square feet of residential density that is not part of the original master plan, including the affordable units that I'll talk about in a moment. Next slide, please. So, we we refer to it sort of, you know,
north block. There are three pieces. The tower at 25 Super Test, which was originally in the master plan as a 128,000 foot hotel only tower. Hood Green, which is the contiguous one acre of open space, and then a 12,000 square foot really a building that was intended
as a buffer between Rutherford Avenue and Hood Green. What you're looking at here is the updated diagram, which shows that we have reduced the hotel component from 128,000 ft to just over 100,000 square ft and added 120,000 square feet
of residential to 25 super test. The pink and yellow diagram you see there represents the the break, right? It's now half residential, half hotel, where before it was 100% hotel. In the front side of the of the campus in the lower right hand corner, what was 12,000 ft of
retail is now 25,000 ft for the grosser, which is really an urban sort of that's a target for the size you want. And then two levels on top of that of 25,000 square feet of affordable IDP and and market rate housing, which I'll get into in more detail. Next slide, please.
You can see the organization here. The other two components that are worth noting, we build Super Test Street and Stack Street and we are also providing the 15 to 20 foot wide multi-use path that is the loop that was referenced earlier by the planning department and provides pedestrian and bicycle connectivity along the northern edge of
our entire campus. Next slide please. You can see them here the three diagrams just to orient 25 super test could green 15 super test the multi-use path and and what's important here and the reason I put this up 15 super test is what we hope to start construction on next year
we want to get the grosser and that affordable component done first hood green the multi-use path and super test are being built with 25 super test so it's a two-phase project the reason we're bringing all three of them to you concurrently is because we need the zoning that allows the resial in 25
super test because that's what generates the IDP obligation that we're using at 15. So without 25 I don't have an obligation to do 15. We need them to go together. So that's why the three of them. Next slide please. Just a a component that again plan
Charlestown all within the heights allowed. You can see we're not none of these are the tallest towers that will be there consistent with the plan and the urban street wall at the frontage. Next slide please. Um and resiliency. We are in an area and Hood Park to date has been raising grade three and four feet every time we do a
project as we go across campus. The areas that are shaded in sort of tan there are all the spaces that we have already brought up to that 270 BSE elevation. This is the current model. If you go to the next slide, this will be what we will be doing as part of these projects. We'll be raising Hood Green up
to that elevation 25 and and 15 super tests. So we we continue the process, but what this is meant to illustrate is there is a little complexity because we have an existing building 570 Rutherford that's down low. We can't finish the process at Hood until we demolish that and build the new building. That will be a subsequent phase. Next slide.
Ultimately, the resiliency model completes the raising of hood grade to an elevation that will prevent flood waters from coming through the cliff at Main Street and TRS and wrapping around the backside of the neighborhood. So an important component of the resiliency discussion. Next slide. I'm going to ask David to walk us through the design and then I'll come
back and do PDA and and modifications. Chair Roas, members of the board, Secretary Wilheis, Director Shen, good evening. I won't talk as fast as Mark did. Um, I can't even try. But I'm going to walk you through the building first
15 super test from the lowest level to the three levels above grade. And on the lowest level you can see parking. That parking is committed to the grocery store as well as to the residential above. In the kind of lower right hand corner, you can see the core that will
take the grocery store customers uh up to uh the grocery store uh with both with mechanical uh vertical circulation uh as well as stair because they're bringing their groceries down. The yellow box is the core for the residential above uh and it will go up
to floors uh two and three. And you can see where that ramp is uh that uh on the kind of upper uh left hand corner and that's the ramp down to parking. That will be the 15 super test footprint. Uh
and then eventually uh we will grow uh to plan north here. Next, please. At the ground floor, you can see the ground floor is is basically all grocery store. There's uh uh that same core in the lower right hand corner for the grocery store guest. Uh the yellow represents
the residential core with its own entrance quite deliberately separated as much as possible uh for just for for uh identity for the two different entities. You can see the uh enclosed loading docks and then the ramp down and that
ramp down will serve the parking that I just showed you and eventually it'll it'll uh serve the parking uh plan north. You can also see in this drawing uh our relationship to Rutherford Avenue with the idea that we have a grade change to accommodate for resiliency.
We'll create some outdoor space uh terrace space because the grocery store will have u ready to serve food uh that that will become dining space out on the street. Next, please. And then our typical residential floors
are really very simple. uh uh and you'll see this in massing in just a moment. So while the ground floor that kind of serrated edge responds in one way to the street uh the the uh the geometry of the two residential for floor floors
responds in in a different way parallel to to Rutherford. Uh and you can see the roof uh and photovoltaics on that roof. Go to the next. So the building um the building really has two component parts that ground
floor that is the grocery store and it's very important to to create identity for that grocery store. Um and we've separated the massing horizontally meaning the grocery store comes out creates terraces on the second floor of the building. The residential plan is
really quite simple u but the material pallet is consistent from first level to second and third level. It is brick uh and stucco uh and that brick and stucco is at the base of the grocery store and then reappears on the corners of uh the
residential floors above. There's a almost a um we think a um a reference to uh commercial markets here. Uh, and we want that to be a subtle reference, but we want it to clearly be
publicly accessible space almost of a civic character the way uh a food hall would have uh in uh in the past. Uh but obviously with with very modern detailing. If you go to the next please. And now this is a view now. That's
Rutherford on the right. You can see the the edge of the grocery store. We we bring the arches all the way around although they will be opaque at that point. Uh and then you can see the very simple uh brick frame building above.
And next uh there's a whole lot of little words in here. The thing all I really want to point out here is that um we've been working with offshoots, our landscape architect. That's the the terrace that you see bottom bottom of the right up
against Rutherford Avenue. You see basically the sidewalk, a planting zone that reflects the change in elevation from the existing grades on Rutherford to our elevated resilient grade. There's ramp handicapped accessibility as well as the stairs, but the terrace is really
meant to be a dining terrace, uh a meeting terrace, a kind of community terrace, um on the on on the uh really the north side of the building, but planned south. Uh and then you can see that the access to below grade parking
into our loading docks. Go to the next please. So part two uh of this story is 25 super test and 25 super test is the building uh on the other side of Hood Green and as Mark described uh with hotel at the
base and and residential above and very conceptual drawings here but massing at 18 stories in the 215 ft to the rooftop and then uh the mechanical spaces uh above that. And uh we're at very early
uh phases, but I did want to show you a just a little bit of plan. So you can see that um as the hood green evolves, uh we wanted to have a real relationship with the ground floor of this building. So if you go to the next
uh first, I'll start at the bottom. I'll work my way up. So that same ramp that brought you down to the grocery uh and the parking on 15 will bring you down to the purple area uh which is uh parking for the hotel and the and the residential. So all in and out will come
out of that where you see those double red arrows. You go to the next only thing I really want to point out here and this is the ground floor. Um it accommodates two two different users, the guests of the hotel uh and the
residents in the apartments above. Uh but we've treated this in a way where we can activate three sides of the building. Um and you you Mark sort of mentioned it. Um, uh, Stack Street will
move, uh, once the building to the north, uh, Tom's actually actually not to the north, but to the south southwest, um, is removed. Stack Street will be aligned. If you're paying real close attention to those early site plans, Stack Street currently has two
stack two uh, kinks in it. Uh, it will be eventually will be aligned. We're designing this building so that it can accommodate the current alignment of stack and the future alignment of stack. And so there'll be an entrance on that corner in the upper left. There'll be an
entrance uh directly um uh to the to the southwest. And I'm almost done. And you can see just typically the the layout for the hotel. We're in a very early stage and you're looking at hotel
modules. um that will um uh will be put together in different ways to create suites and and uh uh double doubles and and uh and king rooms. If you go to the next the typical uh residential floor
above uh and again we see this u very much connected to Hood Green, very much connected all the way out to to uh Rutherford Avenue. Uh, and I think a lot of we gave you just a hint of the exterior of the building. Um, we've got
some very exciting ideas about that building. >> Next, >> so very quickly because I know I'm running out of time. One, we will be as part of the next process with the hotel designing Hood Green. We've already acknowledged and started to work with the planning staff relationship to the
green loop. Uh, next slide. Offshoots has already looked at programmatically how to make that work. We know the community has asked for the maximum number of trees that can possibly be established as part of the urban policy and and urban forest. And so we will work on that. Next slide. Next slide. I'm going to run through
some of these quickly because I the one thing I do want to do um is speak to the modifications because this is what we're actually asking for. So we are increasing the area of 15 super tests from the previous 12,000 up to 49,000. We are asking for a change of use to include grosser and residential and
parking where before it was only retail. We are asking for the height to go from 42 to 57 ft excuse me 42 feet as the zoning height and 57 with the mechanical. Um we are asking at 25 to go from that 128,000 hotel only up to 224,000 which is a mix of hotel and
residential. Um adding that residential component the height was 215 because the zoning changed with plan Charleston. It used to be you measure to the zoning height. Now you have to give the total. So language-wise, we just need to identify the total. Um and then last but not least, I want to speak to uh I know
there was a comment earlier from the counselor. I am anticipating um some comments from the community about bedroom count. We had originally proposed 18 units of affordable two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and fourbedroom program at 15 Super Test aspiring for the maximum number of
affordable bedrooms because Charles Town needs them. As we went through the process, we were challenged economically. We were challenged by not being able to identify additional IDP dollars coming in to support that. We have worked really closely and really hard with Mo, the planning staff, our design team. And one of the comments
that came significantly out of the August meeting was a request from Charleston for more units. The answer was 18 isn't enough. We need more than that. So, we also looked at it and we increased from 18 to 26. Part of the way you do that while staying in the same envelope is you have to reduce bedrooms.
And so what we did as part of this in in acknowledging the goal of increasing the number of multi-bedroom units as part of this process, we have added a sentence which I wouldn't normally read to you, but I'm going to. The proponent shall be required to maximize the number of affordable multi-bedroom family units
within the project design to the greatest degree feasible and shall provide between 18 and 26 affordable units with a mix of studio 1, 2, 3, and fourbedroom units. We have built into this language our obligation to work to maximize the number of units. If we end
up at 18, they're all multif family units. If folks feel like it's more important that we get more of them, we could end up at 26. So, we tried to build in some guard rails and some guidance to respond to the community's desire, but at the same time be able to move the project forward in a way that keeps us on track for the grosser.
That's really what's driving the schedule. We have an obligation there to try and get there. I'll be happy to take questions. There's a bunch of other information. I want to respect everybody's time. I'm sure we can discuss. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, as this is a public hearing, we're going to be taking public testimony first. So, if you would like
to testify in person, we ask that you please step up to the podium, announce your name, affiliation, and the position on the proposed project and uh when you're called to speak and oh, okay. And then and then afterwards, we will
take the Zoom um uh the Zoom comments as well. And if you're on Zoom and would like to testify, uh please raise your virtual hand and uh we'll call on you. Um so we'll first take uh in person. Thank you. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board,
Madame Secretary, Director Shen. My name is Minor Perez and I'm the executive director for the carpenter labors management program. I'm here in behalf of thousands of union carpenters that live and work throughout the city of Boston and dozens of general contractors
and subcontractors that have been building Boston responsibly for many years. We're in strong support of this project. We think it's great for the for the city. Uh I also like to give a quick shout out to the uh office of the mayor
Wool for allowing the community to be part of the process. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, do we have anyone else in the room that would like to testify? >> I'm going to move to Zoom comments. >> Cool. >> Phil Carr, you can unmute yourself.
>> Hello. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> At first, I'd like to uh just thank uh our city councelor uh Cla Zabata for advocating for Charlestown families. Uh my name is Phil Carr and I'm a resident of Charlestown and member of the Charlestown neighbor council. Uh the CNC
has submitted a letter on its stance regarding 15 Superest Street and though I am not currently speaking in my capacity on the council, my testim testimony will echo its stance. I I object solely to the recent unit configurations changes to 15 Super Test Street and believe that the unit
configuration must be changed to more align with the proposal that was made in August, specifically with its inclusion of four affordable threebedrooms and four affordable fourbs. This type of housing is desperately needed in Charlestown as data from the BPDA revealed that child's housing stock of
this type is below the Boston average. And though Child has a high share of children a 0 to9, sadly many many families leave due to both affordability and limited stock of familysized housing. The need for familysized housing was adopted into Plan Child and is also part of Boston's housing
strategy. Uh during the December 1st community meeting, residents were told that the drastic reduction in the family units was due to a policy issue. However, the child community was not given the opportunity to lobby our policy makers. The policy blamed was
also in place when the August August proposal was made. So it should have should not have come as a surprise to the development team. It has recently been brought to my attention that there may be some wiggle room with unit configurations moving forward. by the board member. How the board memo reads
and shall provide between 18 and 20 affordable units with a mix of studio onebedroom, two-bedroom, threebedroom, and fourbedroom units. It is my opinion that the grocery store and zoning height be approved with condition that the unit configuration not be approved until the child community has given ample time to
lobby our policy makers and the search of funding be exhausted whether it be received by a change in policy government funding from one of Massachusetts wealthiest families the can family who owns a park will there will be no other three or four bedrooms in the multitude of development on that property thank you
>> thank you Dan Jeffy you can unmute yourself. >> I have to second those uh comments. Uh we really need to have a good dialogue on the bedroom count. We're going to be in a situation very quickly running out
of bedrooms, not unit count. That is the key here. The city core has done a terrific job of converting uh office buildings into residential spaces, onebedroom and studios to the to the
hilt. We need multi-bedroom units here, lots of them. This has to change and we need to have a dialogue to really analyze with the city of what is going to be plausible and possible. So,
please I I I want this project to go forward. Mark has made some good uh things here, but the the unit count and the bedroom count have to be more viable. Thank you. >> Thank you, Peter Simonelli, you can unmute
yourself. >> Hello. Uh as someone who works in Hood Park and is regularly dealing with Charles Town residents, um I just wanted to go on record that I fully support this plan. um as it fills a significant public need. To me, it's clear the
planners have generally incorporated community feedback um both at public meetings and at a grassroots level and they continue to do so. I think Hood Park's a vibrant and accessible place that's a real asset to the neighborhood and this will only continue that legacy. Thank you. >> Thank you, Nancy Johnson. You can unmute
yourself. >> Um hello, my name is Nancy Johnson. Um, I'm the chair of the Charleston Neighborhood Council's development committee and uh we did send uh uh send in a letter today which uh Phil Carr uh referenced. Um and I just want to make
clear uh we are very appreciative of the efforts of both uh the project proponents and the BPDA on working to address um I think two critical needs in Charles Town. one is another grocery store and the other being more family uh
sized units. Um I think the we are objecting to the revised configuration when we saw it in August with the 18 units. They were all two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and fourbedroom units. Um, and I understand that that was based
on some anticipation that uh some of the linkage money or some other uh um some other uh affordable housing monies might be made available to support it. Unfortunately, in the four months that uh the BPDA, the mayor's office of
housing and the proponent have been talking, they never came back to the community. So, we did not get an opportunity to try to lobby the city um the policy makers um or our elected officials uh to find more creative ways, including maybe a one one-time exemption
to the city's policy on how to use linkage. Um, we really do believe that the city is um kind of poised to miss a one-time opportunity to create a cluster of familysiz two, three, and fourbedroom affordable housing units at 15 uh super
test uh from the August proposal and that uh this opportunity should not opportunity should not be missed if it could be supported by some exception to the city's funding policies. We understand the city's under pressure to bring as many affordable units online as quickly as possible. Um, and since Super
Test is kind of being pushed forward quickly, uh, related to the grocery store, there is a temptation to sort of take, uh, that uh, the new December proposal, which is basically all onebedroom and studios, and run with it.
But they're really, we really do think that they're going to miss the long-term advantage of um securing affordable housing for Boston residents across the city. It's needed and we're just really not going to find a lot of developers who are going to be willing to try to do
these larger scale units, especially as the city continues to approve highrises, which just don't support um units bigger than one uh studios, one bedrooms, and a few twobedrooms. So, thank you. Um there are more complete comments in our
letter. Um but we really would appreciate a little more notice next time so that the community can weigh in and so that we can really exercise our article 80 community process by having the advantage of not only offering comments but having an opportunity to
sort of influence the policy as well. Thank you. >> Thank you Dave Vtori. You can unmute yourself. >> Hi. Can everyone hear me? Yeah. >> Um, my name is David Vtori. I work at Hood Park and spend a lot of time in Charles Town and the neighboring communities. I think that the project,
as noted, will be huge for the community and for the neighboring communities and will fill some critical needs. Um, certainly the grocery store, some affordable housing, and um, a hotel on site. So, I'm in full support of this project. Thank you.
>> Thank you, PJ Garrett. You can unmute yourself. PJ, you look like you're unmuted, but we can't hear anything. I'm going to move on to John Carlo. Natali PJ, if you can figure out what's
going on with your microphone, I'll come back to you. How's it going? My name is John Carlo Natali. I uh work at Hood Park and I'm a lifelong resident of the North End. I'm in full support of this project, adding a grocery store in such a close
proximity uh to where I live and in the affordable housing piece is fantastic. I think going from full hotel to half hotel, half affordable housing is fantastic for the neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhood. So, I fully
support this project. Great job, Mark. >> Thank you. PJ, do you want to try and unmute yourself again? >> Hi, can you hear me now? >> Yes, I can hear you now. >> Hi, I'm PJ Garrett. As someone who works in Hood Park and lives in the neighboring community in the north end,
I think uh Mark and the development team have done a great job in listening to the community's needs, especially in the ger along with the residential units, the hotel, and the affordable housing. I'm in full support of this. Uh, thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anybody else on Zoom
who would like to testify on this item? >> Please raise your virtual hand. Is there anybody in the boardroom who would like to testify? >> Madam Chair, this concludes the public hearing. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Um, so now we
move on to um board members. Uh any questions or comments from the board? >> I'll I'll kick things off, Madam Chair. Um so among my great loves are urban planning and grocery stores. So I appreciate the opportunity to get to discuss both tonight. Um it's obviously
on the somewhat smaller size but in scale with many Boston grocery stores. Uh can you share which grocery store you've been in contact with? >> Unfortunately, I cannot. What we need is to get the zoning in place so I can then legally finish my non-disclosure agreement and identify the grocery.
thought there might be an NDA, but could it is an estab it is safe to say it's an established >> We'll recognize the name. >> Okay, we'll recognize the name. >> Well said. You I think you've peaked a lot of interest uh in this room and um yeah, it's just I mean those are so important. We need to be doing
everything we can to bring more grocery stores to as many neighborhoods as humanly possible. So, I'm excited to see that. Um I'm going to support this, but I wanted just to take a moment to um elevate some of the comments from neighbors. You know, often in these meetings, opposition doesn't always come from the best place. It can be just be
seen as something to oppose for the sake of opposing. And I'm not saying there was opposition with some of the comments, but the point that was raised, I think, is worth underscoring is that when we talk about affordability, um, advocating for more multi-room units is paramount to make sure that
families can have an opportunity to grow roots in in this city. So, um, appreciate your willingness to continue to work with the community and I would just ask that going forward that, uh, anyways there's opportunities to, uh, grow those numbers or change the configuration, I think, uh, would go a long way and I appreciate the residents
of Charles Town for highlighting that. Um, but I will be supporting this. Thank you. >> If I may, just to to address one thing that I heard and and to that I want to be very clear. The project that we have proposed of the 26 units, there is a fourbedroom, there is a three-bedroom, there are seven twobs. We were at 28%
multifamily bedrooms. We will continue to your point to work to try and increase that number. That's why we put the language in for 18 to 26. But I just wanted to note it is not all studios and ones. We are including threebedroom, fourbedroom, and two-bedroom units as part of the mix. We'll work hard to do better. >> Appreciate that.
>> Uh yes, through the chair. Um from the renderings, that's a Wegman's. I'm telling you, it's definitely a Wegman's. But um with the the size of um this project um I would I would ask I would have to ask you um have you selected a general contractor? You talking to any
general contractors this project? >> We have not at this point identified a specific general contractor. Uh we haven't gotten that far yet. Honestly, we really um there's a two-part process here, right? So there's a affordable residential which will have a developer that is somebody that does that. The
grosser will be a tenant fit out. So, I want to also identify the grosser will have the right to choose their contractor to do what boils down to half of this building. Um, but we have not yet at this time had that conversation. I will point out that Hood Park is obligated as part of our commitment in the master plan. Everything that Hood
Park builds must be built union. We've worked with Lee Kennedy on our campus. It wouldn't surprise me, but I just I want to acknowledge we haven't made a selection yet, but we are continuing with our commitment to do everything that Hood Park builds gets built as union. >> Yes. Uh, responsible contractors. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Additional. >> Yeah, just um I guess echoing some of uh Matt's comments. I mean, there's many elements of this that I that I fully support. Um Mark, you kind of implied that the
change in UNI unit mix was a response to the community's interest in having more units, but I'm also hearing that it was really a financial issue. Uh so what what is it like and and what would what would allow
you to move forward with more multi-bedroom units? >> So this is going to get complicated quickly, but it it's really a couple of things. Um we did get a significant number of comments both in live meeting at the IG in community meetings and in writing that said you're not doing enough units. We have a desperate need
for a quantity of units. You should really look at that. That's rattling around in the back of our head. At the same time, we have an obligation to 15,000 square feet coming out of our 20% usable square foot of the tower. This is a 22,000 square foot building based on
the footprint. We were short, right? Hood Park is not obligated to build 22,000 square feet for the IDP, only 15. What we had hoped would there would be additional IDP dollars from other market rate projects that could be applied to the to the development and therefore help with the financing to allow us to
build all three and four and two bedrooms, those are hard to build. They're very expensive and and so >> when we found out that there were no other available IDP dollars and we needed to look at more units and we were trying to do the math with the with the folks at Mo on how to do the financing
and the funding, more units equals more subsidy from folks like Mass Works and other places. The more units you do, the more dollars you get into the project. And so trying to balance a we need more units both because the community asked for it and for the financing. trying to manage the 22,000 square feet, we
reduced the number of units, excuse me, we reduced the bed count and increase significantly the number of units. We went from 18 total to 32. It changes the metric. We have the ability to go back down from the 26 affordable units to 18 units by taking a
studio and a one that are next to each other, turn it into a two-bedroom. And so that's really the conversation. and and unfortunately there wasn't a lot of time to talk about this in the community to provide what what you asked for which was the dialogue. Um but it's why we put language in here which I think is
unusual for you guys to see ranges and targets of affordable units as opposed to an absolute you shall provide. We did that to build in some level of of ability to communicate with the community, with Mo, with the planning staff, with the board, with the counselor that there is an opportunity
to continue dialoguing and increase the number of bedrooms, understanding that we can't do 26 all two bedrooms. We could do 18 and and so it's going to be a more or more bedrooms. >> That's a complicated metric. Those of you that work in this area know that we're up for that challenge, but it's
going to take a little time. And unfortunately the grosser timeline says we don't have time and so we need to get into the design process move the grosser forward because let's be honest that's really the engine that drives this entire project and then work with our design team to get to the right number of units in the merics
>> and are those and may then maybe this is a question for Andy or BPDA but um do we do we think that there may be other resources within the timeline needed to accomplish that shift in units.
>> So, the the challenge and and this is the reference, you'll see it in the neighborhood council letter, right? Linkage dollars. The city leverages those with state dollars. You go through the affordable housing tax credit process, right? It's it's a two-year process. >> Um I don't believe that there are additional funds that will be able to be
available in the time frame that we are working on to do it that way. What we did was we increased our usable square foot from 15,000 to 17,400. Hood Park did that to increase the amount that we're paying for. not because we're obligated to, but to try and help manage
the finance piece. Um, it's actually the case that from a construction point of view, if you think about it, it's not more expensive to build a two-bedroom because you only have one kitchen and a certain number of bathrooms. The issue is the total square footage. And so, that's really what we need to work on is being costefficient with that overall
square footage and just try and ek out one more bedroom here and one more bedroom there as part of the design process. So I don't think it's a function of new or unidentified as of today resources. It's a time a function of taking the time to really grind on
getting every dollar to do everything we can and make as many bedrooms as possible. >> Thank you. You probably just answered this question at length, but I'm curious as to
um what your concise bottom line is as to why you're uh making these changes. What what what's the caption under the photo here? >> The economics of doing affordable housing on top of a grosser require us
to bring as many dollars to the table as we can. And you can bring more dollars to the table if you have more units, not more bedrooms. That's the short version of it. 26 units brings more subsidy than 18 regardless of the bed count.
>> Okay. >> Can I just add one point? Sorry, Mark. No. Deon Quirk, Deputy Chief, just for record, I think something that might be just getting lost here is that the inclusionary development policy does not the developer needs to deliver its own units. It cannot seek subsidy for the units. We're happy to provide subsidy
over and on top of the units that are required of the development and should that money become available we are absolutely going to work with Mark to provide more uh funding. I think there was an assumption made earlier in the process that that funding would be available. That funding is not currently available. So we want to build the
project that that the private developer can fully subsidize on their own without public dollars and if public dollars become available we will help build more. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh, additional questions or comments? >> Okay. Hearing Hearing Hearing Hearing Hearing Hearing Hearing Heing and seeing
none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Um, motion passes. Uh, congratulations and good luck. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um,
help me out here. Where were we? >> 24. >> 24. All right. Item number 24, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article E, small project review of the zoning code for the proposed renovation
and conversion of a business space located at 100 Magazine Street and to enter into a community benefits agreement and to take all related actions. Nick, >> thank you and good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Pis, and Director Shen. Uh, I'm here before you
to present the 100 Magazine Street project, an expansion of Suffach Construction's campus located in the New Market neighborhood. This is a small project seeking a vote to issue a cert certificate of approval. Suffach Construction filed a small project review application on October 31st and
the planning department hosted one meeting. The comment period closed on November 30th. Next slide, please. This proposed project seeks to renovate the existing existing structure located at 100 magazine Street to provide modern office space and assembly space for
Suffach Construction. In addition to the renovation of the building, SUFFK will be planting a significant number of new trees to expand the tree canopy in the neighborhood above and beyond what is required by planned new market and improve the public realm around the site. I'll now turn to Jason McDonald to take you through the site review and
planning context for the project. >> Thank you. Thank you Nick. Um Jason McDonald again uh planner assigned to this project. Um so first looking at the site context this is located in New Market uh mostly
of industrial uh use u manufacturing and uh some dist distribution. Um they have uh suffer has a large site with uh numerous buildings on there. Uh you can kind of see still in this image the existing building where the parking lot
is being proposed and the adjustments to the site which is at the far bottom left corner of the highlighted site. Uh the and of course like across the street from that is the new Roxberry Prep High School uh recently completed. Transportation wise this is mostly
narrow uh industrial roads. There is m not not much tree uh street trees well not much trees in general in this entire area as we'll see in the following map. Uh there's a narrow sidewalks multiple curb cups all around uh and uh there is
an existing fence line around uh the site that is there. Next slide please. So uh as uh this project is in new market and is within the new boundaries of the plan new market passed in 2024.
So because of that luckily we have zoning and guidelines that are very recent to uh help understand and observe this project. Um Suffach as well was part of the advisory group for uh plan new market. So this is fully recognized
of all the implications of the plan to here. Um because of we are supportive of suffix work and what they do inside of new market. Most of this conversation became around the public realm and uh the parking with that we see we can
observe that the zoning kind of is all good minus uh there is questions of the uh fence height. uh while fence height became a regulation within the uh plan new market and the proposed fence is
about 8 ft when the required maximum height is 6 ft. Uh we are recommending relief for this um as uh they've expressed uh we've had conversation with them and expressed uh their uh needs to
the area. Um we do not recommend however uh relief if the opacity passes 50% which is also part of the zoning uh guiding fence design. Um and with this we would recommend that uh or we are asking for design review approval uh
upon after the after today's hearing. I'll pass off now to our colleague from urban design Seth. Thank you. >> Thank you Jason Seth Ryman. uh deputy director for design review and I'll be talking to the uh design review of the
project. Staff worked with the proponent on many fronts including enhancing the public realm and increasing tree canopy. The project will improve and widen the sidewalk on magazine and Kembell streets to comply with complete street guidelines and support plan new market
goals. The ex three existing curb cuts on Kembell Street will be removed and three new ADA compliant curb ramps will be constructed. Approximately 48 new trees will be planted across the site, including at the back of sidewalk, the partial perimeter, and within the
parking areas wherever appropriate, consistent with Plan New Market. This will increase the site's tree canopy by more than 1,000%, supporting Plan New Market's goal for a 15% neighborhoodwide increase. Additionally, high-quality outdoor amenity spaces and dedicated
walkable routes with all weather canopies will be created for the site's occupants. The proponent has also committed to implementing green infrastructure where feasible. Next slide, please. The design creates a contemporary reinterpretation of the area's
industrial vernacular by recladding the building with an new brick veneer, corrugated metal panels, and large scale windows. Additionally, new canopies will be installed to reinforce entrances and wayfinding. The adaptive reuse of this warehouse building embodies several core
goals of Plan New Market. It adapts an industrial building to fit the needs of a 21st century economy and supports the city's carbon neutrality and zerowaste goals. And now I will turn it back to Nick. Thank you. >> Thank you, Seth. Um throughout this
process uh the planning uh review team has implemented several parts of our new review process utilizing the development review worksheet to collect feedback for the project and issue a consolidated feedback memo ensuring a quick and predictable review. Uh next slide
please. Um as we have mentioned earlier this project will provide a significant increase in tree canopy for the neighborhood. uh increase bike parking on site and improve public realm conditions around the project site. This concludes our presentation from the team and Suffach Construction is available to
answer any questions you might have. Thank you. >> Thank you. Questions or comments from the board, >> Madam Chair? I just wanted to thank uh our friends at SUFFK, a great Boston business, who've done so much. This is a great project. 50 trees or nearly 50 new
trees uh is is quite an impressive feat uh new market and it's going to it's going to really uh make a difference. So, uh, congratulations and, uh, looking forward to, uh, seeing the ribbon cutting. >> Additional questions or comments? Um, I
just wanted to call out the, um, uh, the timelines and the, um, the article 80 modernization and the alignment with, um, with the plan new market as, uh, just being, uh, an example of how things are are coming
together. and um you know just happy to see that happening. So um and yay trees. Okay. So if there are no further questions uh motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> Right. All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank
you. Good luck. Um, item number 25, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80, small project review of the zoning code for the proposed construction of 41 fully affordable residential rental
units for seniors located at 4259 through 4627 Washington Street and to take all related actions. Camille. Thank you and good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Paul Heis, and Director Shen. My name is Camille Platic Costa, a senior project manager within the development review
division here presenting the article 80 small project located at 4259 through 4267 Washington Street in Roslandale proposed by Benith which is before you today. The project is also the first to be proposed and up for approval by this board under the new squares and street
zoning in Roslandale. One public meeting was held virtually on October 20th of 2025. was very well attended after the project filed its small project review application on September 17th, 2025. Next slide, please.
The project will create 41 units for seniors and older adults aged 55 plus, all of which will be affordable to households earning at or below 60% of area median income. All units will contain one bedroom and one bathroom. The proposed project will include a resident multi-purpose room, fitness
center, bike storage, management offices, shared laundry, a roof deck, and beneath resident service coordination. The ground floor will feature approximately 4250 square ft of commercial space. The proposed project is part of our ongoing streamlining
affordable housing effort in which the plan department works in close coordination with the mayor's office of housing on review of projects. The project is subject to the updated article 37 zoning and is net zero carbon compliant, will plan for renewable energy and is an all efficient electric building. Staff assisted the proposed
project with best practices and pre-file guidance. I will now turn over to my colleagues in the zoning compliance team. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Jane Park and I'm the zoning planner for this project. 4259 Washington Street is located in the
S4 active squares zoning district adopted through the Rosendale Squares and Streets resoning on June 2nd, 2025. We're really excited about this project because it's the first article 80 project filed under the new Rosendale Squares and Street zoning and many
seniors in this community will benefit from this development. The proposal would redevelop a portion of the parking lot serving 33 Corinth Street where the thrift store currently operates. This site is in a compact commercial corridor within a 5-minute
walk of Adams Park, a grocery store, and diverse neighborhood services and restaurants. This project introduces affordable senior housing in a transitrich location, aligning with Squares and Streets goals for incremental growth in Rosenddale Village.
Washington Street is a major corridor with continuous retail activity, high bus ridership, 10 MBTA bus routes in including several slated for frequency upgrades and close access to the commuter rail and blue bike stations. Given this transit access, the project
includes no vehicular parking and once again provides 21 long-term and 10 short-term bicycle spaces. Next slide, please. As I mentioned earlier, this is the first article 80 project filed under the new Rosendale squares and street zoning.
It complies with all use and dimensional requirements and does not require any zoning relief which has saved us a lot of time. The district requires ground floor active use and the proposal includes approximately 4,250 square ft to accommodate the relocated thrift
store. The project will additionally be passive house certified and meet net zero carbon emission requirements. I will now hand it over to my urban design colleague to further discuss further elements of this project's design. >> Good evening. My name is Marco Sanchez and I'm a landscape architect with the
planning department. This proposal sets the building back to widen the Washington street frontage, delivering a Boston complete streets compliant sidewalk while preserving the existing tree canopy. The residential entry is envisioned as a landscape
forcourt activated with movable furniture and anchored by an entryway awning to support informal gathering and leisure. A groundf flooror retail space anticipated to host a thrift shop further animates the public realm. Consistent with planning department
guidance, the design emphasizes a resident entry that is active and welcoming while maintaining a continuous engaging street wall through the adjoining storefront. Next slide, please. The project presents itself as five
stories along Washington Street with a six-story stepped back from the main facade. This allows for a private roof terrace for the senior residents. The proposed ground floor use includes a relocated thrift shop of Boston which activates the ground floor with a
recessed residential area entry off the open space. Materials include four stories of brick at the main facade along Washington Street to create a datim in keeping with the surrounding context and fiber cement panels at the top floors and rear elevation. Staff
will continue to work with the proponent regarding the proposed materials and ensuring that the tone and color of the materials are in keeping with the historic context of Rosenddale Square. >> Thank you, Marco. Um, this concludes our presentation for this evening. Chris
James with Benabith Housing, the development partner, is here to answer any questions. Um, as are we. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Questions or comments from the board? Well, Madam Chair, um I don't make it a secret that every meeting I have a
favorite project to vote on. Uh you you are much more King Solomon and making sure that you don't show favorites, but net zero carbon, 100% affordable, and senior housing. I mean, this is the trifecta. This is a great project. This is, you know, I know this area well. It's close to where I grew up. A I look
forward to welcoming uh seniors into this neighborhood. It's literally steps away from a grocery store and a bank and a pharmacy. It's just such a great location. Um, and it's going to be really really exciting and it's the first under uh plan Rosendale and it's uh this is this is going to be
absolutely great for the neighborhood. So, thank you to Benith for uh wonderful work across the board and I cannot wait to see this uh building go up. It's it's going to be great. It's going to be great for the city. >> Agree. Additional questions or comments? Um, I
also want to just to shout out the design team and uh the the thoughtful kind of activation with the movable furniture and um you know complete streets and really just taking all of that into consideration and making sure we're creating a you know a community
that um you know that our seniors uh deserve and will be using. So um I just appreciate that. >> Uh and if there are no other questions or comments, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I opposed. The eyes
have it. Uh motion passes. Thank you. Great project. >> All right. Item number 26, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80, small project review of the zoning code for the proposed construction of 38 fully affordable residential rental
units for seniors located at 151 Lennox Street and to take all related actions. Camille. >> Thank you again and good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary Polyus, and Director Shen. My name again is Camille Platiccasta, senior project manager in development review, presenting this article 80E small
project at 151 Lennux Street in Roxbury, proposed by the tenants development corporation, which is before you today. One public meeting was held virtually on September 29th of 2025 after the project filed its small project review application on September 8th of 2025.
Um, next slide, please. Sorry. Thank you. The proposed project will provide 38 senior rental apartments, a mix of studio and one-bedroom units, all income restricted at or below 60% of the area median income. This proposed project is the product of a request for proposals for
the project site, which is owned by the BPDA. The proponent was tenatively designated to be the redeveloper at the June 2018 BPDA board meeting, and this designation has been extended since, most recently on July 17th of 2025. Given the proponents continued work on
the project, the proposed project is part of our ongoing streamlining affordable housing effort in which the plan department works in very close coordination with the mayor's office of housing on review of projects. The project is also sub subject to the updated article 37 zoning and is met zero carbon compliant. It is an all
efficient electric building and staff assisted the proposed project with best practices. I will now hand it over to my colleague for to go over the zoning compliance. Thank you. Thank you, Camille. Uh, once again, my name is Ford Delvecio and I am the planning reviewer assigned to this
project. Uh, the property at 151 Lennox Street is an approximately 4,692 foot vacant parcel known as parcel 22A. Uh, this BPDA owned parcel is currently licensed in the nearby People's Baptist Church for use as parking, though historically has been occupied by both residential commercial uses. Uh, this
lot is situated adjacent to a recently redeveloped privately owned residential building at 889 to 892 Traymont Street, formerly Estelle's nightclub to the north. Uh, the Lenn Lennox Street to the south and the incomerestricted Candom Street Apartments to the rear. The mixed income housing development Douglas Plaza
is located directly across Traymont Street. The site falls within the study area of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan adopted in 2015. The master plan encourages the development of publicly owned land with new uses that respect neighborhood scale and context acknowledging that zoning re relief may be appropriate to achieve this goal.
Next slide please. The proposed 84 foot height aligns with the scale of existing nearby structures mediating the transition between the taller buildings immediately across Traymont Street, new mid-rise developments further west and the smaller scale residential fabric of adjacent neighborhoods. Height and massing have been carefully considered
to create a balanced relationship with surrounding buildings and positively contribute to the urban fabric. This proposed project directly addresses the critical shortage of affordable senior housing in Boston in a manner consistent with city policies for use of vacant public land and creation of income restricted housing. Thank you and I will now turn it over to my colleague Seth to
present on the design features. Thank you Ford. Seth Risman again from urban design staff worked with a proponent on many fronts including improvements to the design of the building in the public realm. The sidewalks will be reconstructed to meet accessible minimum widths. The project
received permission through a chapter 87 tree hearing to remove two existing street trees that were inhibiting sidewalk access. In their place, the project will result in a net increase of tree canopy with up to five new street trees. Further coordination post board between the proponent and multiple city
departments will be conducted to resolve utility drainage and curb configurations for the new plantings. Residential units will front Lennox Street with the building's entrance and community room located on Tremont. Next slide, please. We think the scale of the building is
appropriately broken down in multiple ways. A base middle top articulation provides scale at the pedestrian level with a storefront system. A strong urban street wall rendered in brick is created for the body of the building and a contemporary reinterpretation of a mansard at the top of the building is
articulated in metal panel. A decorative brick pattern ties into the datam of the neighboring buildings. Bay bays along Lennox Street clad in metal panel break up the length of the facade. I will now turn it back to Camille. Thank you. >> Thank you, Seth. This concludes our
presentation for this evening. Again, members of the Tenants Development Corporation are here to answer any questions along with myself and my team. Thanks so much. >> Thank you. All right, questions or comments from the board. >> Just let the record reflect that this was a very close second for my favorite project. Uh given the fact it's three
fewer units than Rosundale is why they got the edge. But again, home run, this is terrific. Affordable, senior, net zero. Uh and it's a beautiful looking building to boot. So, thank you. >> Yeah, I like this project a lot. And I just want to also shout out uh kudos on
the city side to uh the zoning changes and the affordable housing uh permitting policies that have allowed these projects to accelerate through through the process. I it's really fun to see that actually happening.
>> Yeah, agree. And I would um commend the proponents for the transformative work that you're doing along Tremont Street and in Lower Roxbury. It's really a nice addition. >> Cheers. >> All right. Well, if there are no further
questions or comments, a motion is in order. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Uh thank you very much. Good luck. We're excited. Okay. Item number 27. request authorization to issue a scoping
determination waving further review pursuant to article 80B large project review of the zoning code for the proposed change of use for the property located at four Alger Street and to take all related actions. Nick, >> good evening again and thank you Madam Chair, members of the board, Secretary
Pis and Director Shen. I'm here before you this evening to present the project at Fort Alger located in South Boston. for Algeria as an existing building within the recently approved core on the dot master PDA currently used as an industrial warehouse. The core on the
dot master plan allows for active reuse of buildings within later phases of the master plan as long as the uses are consistent with the master plan. The proposed project contemplates the change of use of forger from industrial to active entertainment, a use that is
allowed under the master plan. No other changes are proposed. This change of use will allow the conversion and reuse of the existing warehouse as an active community use, including indoor soccer, paddle ball or tennis, and rock climbing facilities. The project is also committed to floodproofing the entries
of the building and to achieving lead operations and maintenance certifiability. Michelle Y will now take you through planning context before the development team takes you through the project. >> Thank you, Nick. Um, my name is Michelle Lee and I am the planner assigned to this project. The proposed project of
four Alger Street is located in an industrial zoning district and is subject to two zoning overlays. The Costa Quad Resilience Overlay District or SeafROD in Plan Development Area or PDA number 144 core on the dot. PDA number 144 core on the dot was approved
by the Boston Zoning Commission in October 2023. This PDA master plan was based on the use and dimensional recommendations of plan South Boston Dorchester Avenue or plan. Which was approved by the BPDA board in December 2016. Because the proposed replacement
building will not be developed until phase four of the master plan, adaptive reuse of the existing buildings while other buildings within the development are constructed is encouraged. The proposed use is consistent with both the PDA master plan and the recommendations of plan. which encourages active ground
floor uses along Dorchester Avenue. Additionally, to meet CER compliance, they'll be using deployables at the door. Thank you. And I now turn it over to development team to present the project in more detail. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Director Shen, Secretary Pis
on the opposite end of complexity. So, good evening. Thank you. um on the dot 20 acres of master plan that we worked with you and and the planning staff for a number of years for core investments. Next slide, please. It was a four-phase project um in phase 4
existing warehouses and we contemplated and talked about the fact that we were going to need to be able to reuse those and adapt those buildings while we were building out the new construction pieces over a number of years. Next slide, please. For Elder Street, existing warehouse um that will be eventually several multif family and commercial
buildings. Next slide, please. Um, but in the meantime, soccer, pickle ball, rock climbing, we have had a tremendous success there. If you've been down on Broadway, the the activation that's happening outside of the space has been great. We know the community loves it. It's a really great way to take it at
former industrial area and activate it and use it in the interim while we're doing the new construction. We're excited about this project. Again, soccer and pickle ball, it's hard to get less simple and more simple than that. >> Thank you. >> Okay, >> there's a couple. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah,
>> renderings. >> Yeah. >> Um, exterior rendering of the existing building. And one more slide probably. >> Exterior rendering of the building. No changes to the exterior of the building. No changes to the square footage. It's really just a tenant interior fit out. But because we're in a PDA and it is more than 50,000 square feet, we need to
ask your permission. >> Thank you. >> And that that's it, right? >> Okay. All right. Questions or comments from the board? >> All right. Hearing and seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion
passes. Thank you very much. >> Okay. Item number 28, request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80 small project review of the zoning code for the proposed creation of 24 residential rental units including five inclusionary zoning units located at one Longfellow
Place and to take all related actions. Dylan. >> Hi. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Director Shen, and Secretary Paul Hemis. My name is Dylan Norris and I'm the project manager with the development review division. We're going to do things a little bit out of order. We're actually taking two presentations
at once. I'll explain why in a second. Um I'm here before you to present an applicant of Mayor Woo's downtown office to residential conversion program as well as two proposed article 80 small projects located at 1 and 10 Emerson Place as well as one Longfellow Place in
the West End neighborhood of Boston. Um, so on March 4th, 2025, the BPDA received two small project review applications from the proponent Equity Residential for the 1 in 10 Emerson Place conversion as well as the one long fellow place conversion before you today. The BPDA
hosted a joint virtual public meeting for both projects on April 24th, 2025, which was well attended and wellreceived. The public meeting was advertised in local newspapers and a notice was posted on the BPDA's calendar as well as sent to the downtown neighborhood distribution list. The
initial 30-day comment period for these projects filings ended on April 4th. Uh so first to cover the 1 and 10 Emerson conversions, the 1 to 10 Emerson conversion project, and you can actually go to the next slide, uh contemplates the adaptive reuse of
three floors of underutilized office space across two existing high-rise residential office towers located at 1 and 10 Emerson Place in the West End neighborhood of Boston. This conversion will result in a net increase of residential rental square footage by approximately 18,360,
resulting in 33 new residential rental units consisting of a mix of studios and one-bedroom units. This project will also exceed the inclusionary zoning requirements with six income restricted studio units. You can go to the next slide for an alternate view of where the
conversions are contemplated. And next slide. So we're now we're also going to cover uh one long fellow at towers two and five. This conversion project contemplates the adaptive reuse of two floors of underutilized office
space uh across two existing highrises. You can go to the next slide. This second conversion will result in approximately 11,800 square feet of new residential rental square footage which will result in 24
uh additional residential rental units which is a again consisting of a mix of studios and one-bedroom units. This project will also be exclu exceeding inclusionary zoning requirements with five incomerestricted rental units comprising of two one-bedroom units and
three studio units. Um and you can go to the next slide for another alternate view of the proposion in yellow there or sorry purple. Um thank you and that actually concludes my presentation. The proponent team from Equity Residential is available to answer any questions you may have but uh happy to take them
myself as well. Thank you. >> Questions or comments from the board? >> Just I just want to confirm. So these are just a couple floors. These are already residential buildings. >> Uh they are already half tenant. Some of the floors are office, medical offices
as well as residential on the upper stories. So, cleaning it up, taking a couple of the uh floors that are existing under uh developed offices that don't have current tenants. Yeah. >> Converting them to residential. >> I think it's great. >> It's the first time we've seen that. Um
that's cool. Anyway, um any other questions or comments? Hearings. Oh, wait. Do I have to do I have to take two votes, right? Okay. So, first we're going to take the one that I actually read. So this is for one long fellow please. Um so uh a motion is in order for the one long fellow please.
>> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. >> Okay. Item number 29 request authorization to issue certification of approval. >> That's what I'm reading right now. >> I'm reading the I'm going to read one
and 10. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. request authorization to issue a certification of approval pursuant to article 80, small project review of the zoning code for the proposed creation of 33 residential rental units including including six inclusionary zoning units located at 1 and 10 Emerson Place and to
adopt a minor modification to the West End to the West End land assembly and redevelopment project number Mass 2-3 with respect to parcel 1A and to take all related actions. So we heard the presentation a motion is in order. So moved. >> Second.
>> All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, okay. Skipping to item number 31. Um, request authorization to extend the downtown office to residential conversion incentive pilot
program and related procedures until December 31st, 2026. John. >> Uh, good evening. Thank you, Chair Roas, members of the board, Chief Shen, Secretary Poheimis. Uh my name is John While and I'm head of office to residential conversions uh at the
planning department. I'd like to spend a few minutes going through a brief presentation updating the board on the success to date of the Boston downtown conversion tax payment pilot program. Next slide, please. The success of the program is a true group effort due to the high level of coordination collaboration between both
within the planning department and across city departments and their staff. And I really want to emphasize this point that it although I stand before you this evening, this is truly a group effort and it's one that should be recognized. As we stand here today in December 2025, we have now achieved over
1500 units of new housing in the program and over 1.2 million square feet of office space converted in only two years since its launch in October 12th, 2023. Next slide, please. The challenges remain in the class B and class C office markets both in Boston
and other cities nationwide. As a result, there is a continued need for the office to residential conversion program today. Next slide, please. As I shared with the board before, the goal of the program is to proactively incentivize the conversion of older office buildings into new residential rental properties in Boston,
simultaneously reducing the supply of underutilized office space and creating muchneeded housing, including affordable options, resulting in a win-win for the city. The pilot program is meant to be a catalyst and proof of concept of office to residential conversion, but not the solution to the whole problem. Next
slide, please. As you know, key elements of the program include a 75% average tax abatement over 29 years and expedited article 80 process and streamlined permitting to save time and money. Projects have to uh meet certain set requirements as well.
They need to meet IZ requirements as well as they must comply with the stretch code green energy standards and the program is intended for adaptive reuse only creating multif family rental housing. Next slide please. To date, the program has received 22
applications to convert 27 buildings, creating 1,517 units of new housing with 284 affordable units on site. And this includes 259 income restricted units at 60% AMI and 25 unit for voucher holders. From those
applications, over 700 units have already been approved by this board. Next slide, please. As I mentioned before, the tangible impact the program has achieved so far is a result of a group effort and the collaboration not only between the planning department but across multiple
city departments including inspectional services, fire, mayor's office of housing, PIC, the assessor's department, just to name a few. The key has really been a shared sense of success which has been creating housing. Next slide please.
The program prototyped and proved out a new expedited permitting and approval process that cut article 80 times from around 18 months down to under six months. Our inter agency joint review meeting which is the gold donut in the center here is really where much of that collaboration takes place between the
various agencies as you can see listed on the slide. Next slide please. This expedited timeline is accomplished by projectby project weekly tracking of key dates and deliverables. So you can see there's a lot of data and a lot of uh you know diligent processing that
goes on beyond to keep this on track in such a fast process. Next slide please. Uh the current program was scheduled to sunset on June 30th 2024 and was then extended through December 31st 2025. As you can see from the list before you the
size unit counts as well as neighborhood distributions. And we've come a long way. We started with 281 Franklin Street which is 15 units. and you know 11,000 square feet and our most recent applicant is 294 Washington Street which is 253 units and 185,000 square ft and
located downtown. Next slide please. So the importance of extending this program by an additional 12 months through December 2026 is to continue to directly support owners developers of older underutilized office buildings and
converting to new residential units as the need remains in the market today in Boston. We are very excited by the opportunity to continue reinvisioning and revitalizing Boston, especially downtown. Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any questions. >> Okay, thank you. Questions or comments
from the board? No, please. >> This this appears to be emerging as a very successful initiative. Um, is there a plan for publicizing uh the uh
volume of uh conversion that is taking place at this point? >> Absolutely. >> It's a big deal. Yeah, we've been working closely with our comm's team and Lacy Rose in particular just to get this especially after this evening's proceedings to get the message out about
what we've achieved in terms of the numbers and the the amount of success downtown. So, we're very proud of it. >> Yeah, I I wanted to echo Dr. Lansmark. I mean, this is a great success. I think other cities are trying it. I don't know that they're having quite the success that we are and obviously there are some
challenges. Not every building can be converted but seems that we are doing very well. So my question is this why extend it for a year why not extend it beyond that >> because we feel that one year is sort of the sweet spot in terms of time. Uh we found that if you give too much time
with an extension then folks are bound to sit on their hands and sort of wait and see what happens in the market where having a firm deadline something like 12 months out provides folks a target to work within and a need to act in an expedited fashion. But we equally as
much considered six months. However, the feedback from the development community was if you wanted to do something larger scale such as a high-rise, you needed more than 6 months to gain sight control over the project. So, we feel that 12 months is the correct period. >> All right. Well, that convinced me we'll do 12 months and and I hope to have the
same conversation a year from now. >> As do I. Thank you. and through the chair. I definitely echo my colleagues and I'm looking at the Albany Street project and it's making me think, you know, it was more focused on downtown Boston in the beginning, but I can see
it might catch on, you know, on the outskirts as well, you know, office spaces and, you know, being creative with the two long fellow place and the Emerson place fulfilling um spaces to convert. I think it's just it's a good idea and I think a lot of people are catching on.
I think that's a very important point you're making, which is that I think uh we continue to sort of uh how should I put it? Advocate that folks all across the city in whatever neighborhood, as long as you're receiving a city of Boston tax assessing bill, then you're eligible for this program. And we would love to see offices converted in every
neighborhood. >> Yeah. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. And I'm just blown away by the 3,000 new residents downtown and what kind of impact um that has for uh for
the downtown economy and um yeah, just the downtown area. I'm um again blown away uh with the success of this and um yeah, really do hope that there are there is great um uh
uh publicity around this. you know, I can see some case studies. Like I just think this is really um just really remarkable. Um so all right. Um if there are no other comments or questions, uh motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? I
>> opposed. Uh the eyes have it. Motion passes. Thank you so much. Keep up the great work. >> Thank you very much. >> All right. Item number 32. Uh personnel Mike. >> Uh thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Madam Secretary, and Director Shen. Uh we have just one item for your
consideration on the BRA agenda with the exact details uh included in your board memos. We have one status change in the administrative division Terresa Bohemis as interim chief procurement officer. And that's all. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh questions or comments from the board? Hearing seeing none, a motion is in order. >> So moved. Second. >> Okay. Uh all those in favor? I opposed. Uh the eyes have it. Motion passes. Congratulations, Teresa. >> On that >> condolence.
>> Item number 33, contractual payments. I need a motion to pay our bills. >> I would move that we pay our bills. >> I will second that movement. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Please pay the bills. And finally, director's update. Director Shen, the floor is yours.
>> Good evening, members of the board. Um, I want to start my uh report by uh taking up uh Dr. landmark uh uh suggestion to celebrate the extension of our office to residential conversion program which you approved uh just
approved. The program which originally launched more than two years ago in October of 2023 has already dece uh received 22 applications to create a total of 1,517 units of housing of which 284 of them
are incomerestricted across they're actually spread across 27 buildings and have converted more than 1.2 million square feet of office space to residential space. Four of these projects um uh totaling 236 units are
actually currently under construction and the and the first one of these buildings to apply um to the program at 281 Franklin Street in downtown has already been fully occupied. Um uh the target for this extension this coming
year is to actually add another thousand units of housing in these converted offices. Um another a series of another important um uh action that you took tonight was to designate uh development
partners for two important projects on public land. The first is Marcus Partners um to redevelop parcel M in the Raymond LF Flynn Marine Park. The project will deliver and uh deliver a new manufacturing and research and
development hub for a marine technology company. Um the second is at Pier 5 in Charlestown Navyyard which will be redeveloped by Courageous Sailing. Uh the the proposed project will uh red
demolish the uh dilapidated pier and replace it with a new structure and public space that includes a roof terrace, a harbor pool, a floating dock, an ecological learning lagoon, and also
a um be the center of a public venue. The new building itself will include classrooms, office spaces, concessions, and other public benefits. The public the proposed project will increase yearround public access to the Charlestown waterfront. Um, in terms of
development projects, uh, the board approved nine new projects uh, totaling 320,000 square foot um, that would represents $182.4 million worth of investment. The the majority of the
approvals are um in residential units um provide delivering 278 new units of which 61% of them 170 of these units will be incomerestricted. Um uh when constructed these projects
will put almost 300 trades people to work. Um the projects once completed will actually have about 160 permanent jobs and also uh have 150 indirect jobs in other parts of the economy.
Um as uh uh as Matt noted that three of tonight's nine projects to approve were the were off the free projects to be permitted under the updated article 37 and green building and net zero carbon zoning. Um the projects are 294
Hide Park Avenue in Jamaica Plane, 151 Lennox Street in Roxbury, 2000 2459 Washington Street in Roslingale. Um uh all all these all three projects are affordable housing projects and all
three use common design strategies to minimize energy use including airtight and wellinssulated ex exterior enclosures and efficient or electric heat pump equipment for heating and cooling and and and as well as hot water. Um these projects demonstrate
that the mayor's um uh leadership both in moving us closer to our carbon neutral 2050 goal and proving that we can build next generation buildings not just for the luxury market but also for affordable and workforce housing. Um all
these these three projects by the way um uh are completely fossil fuel-f free and when operated with renewable electricity will achieve net zero carbon operations. Um another important note is that all
three projects went through an incredibly speedy review. um they were uh all filed uh for small project uh review in September and uh of course approved it within 3 months. Um I
also want to highlight um today's uh board uh today the board approved four certificates of completions that have all delivered real tangible benefits to the community. I want to highlight the completion of the first phase of the South Station air rights projects 30
years in the making. Um it uh delivered uh $5 million to support affordable housing. The project also increased the South Station bus terminal capacity by over 50%. Uh perhaps the most important
and impactful uh contribution is that this project finally delivered an enclosed pedestrian concourse connecting the bus terminal to the south station headhouse and train platforms. Um since this is the last board meeting of the
2025, I want to end by just uh providing a summary of the the projects that the board approved this year. Um uh the board approved 59 new projects uh that totaled 6 million square feet
representing about $4.8 billion worth of investment. Um most of these projects again were residential projects uh totaling 4,043 new residential units of which 1,282
of them will be incomerestricted. Um, when these projects go under construction, they'll put over 6,000 trades people to work. And when completed, these projects will uh house about 3,400 permanent jobs and then
generating indirectly 3,000 over 3,000 indirect jobs in the rest of the economy. I hope that like you I observed um a progress this year. Uh in particular, I want to highlight progress in the zoning reform uh yielding a
reduction in ZBA cases that you saw presented to you tonight. Another important um uh visible improvement has been the um article 80 and permitting reform reducing the time of review for many of these projects. So with that, I
want to close uh 2025. Wish all of you happy holidays and see you in the new year. Thank you. Thank you. >> Uh all right. I need a motion to adjourn this meeting. >> So moved. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I.
>> Uh opposed. The eyes have it. U meeting adjourned. Thank you every Thank you everyone. We'll see you next year. >> Thank you.