Friday, April 25, 2014

Downtown Waterfront Public Realm Plan Open for Public Comment

The BRA issued a draft Downtown Waterfront Public Realm and Watersheet Activation Plan for public review and comment. The plan looks at waterfront activation, programming and public amenity concepts for the section of Boston's waterfront extending from Long Wharf to the James Hook Lobster property. The comment deadline is May 2, 2014

The Public Realm and Watersheet Activation plan will assist in the development of a more extensive Municipal Harbor Plan for the Downtown Waterfront, expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The Municipal Harbor Plan will address how new development within the planning area will promote the City's objectives for its waterfront and the goals of the State's public tidelands regulations. A project overview will be given at the Fort Point Neighborhood Association's monthly meeting on April 29, 2014.


The Downtown Waterfront Public Realm and Watersheet Activation Plan plan offers a five-part vision for the waterfront: 
  • A waterfront district accessible to all by bike, transit, foot, and boat.
  • Clearly defined connections to the Greenway, the harbor, Quincy Market, the North End, the Financial District, and the Innovation District.
  • A district and watersheet that are resilient to climate change, designed and built to withstand inundation and storm surges.
  • Four-season destinations and programming that are welcoming to Bostonians and visitors of all ages and support the growing residential community.
  • A district and watersheet that is flexible and can accommodate innovative uses in the future, and supports equally the residential, business, and visitor communities.
Public comments can be submitted by emailing Chris Busch, BRA Senior Waterfront Planner, by May 2, 2014.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

City Councilors File Order to Rezone Entire South Boston Neighborhood

updated 4/25/14: hearing date.

Boston City Council President Bill Linehan and Councilor-At-Large Michael Flaherty file order for a hearing regarding the rezoning of South Boston in response to over development. Height, density, open space and parking issues are creating quality of life issues for South Boston residents. Infrastructure improvements in public transportation and parking lag behind.

The majority of the zoning laws for South Boston date back to 1964. Since then the neighborhood has undergone vast changes in population and demographics.

The pace of development require frequent community meetings, several weekly, burdening the residents of South Boston.

The Boston City Council will hold a hearing on May 22nd at 1 pm in the Iannella Chamber, 5th floor of City Hall to address the rezoning of South Boston. Representatives from the City of Boston, South Boston neighborhood associations and others are invited to attend.

Rezoning Order presented at Boston City Council Meeting.

Thomas Grillo's article, South Boston's two city councilors file measure to rezone the entire neighborhood, published in the Boston Business Journal on April 22, 2014. The Boston Business Journal is conducting a poll "Do you think they are on target?"

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Historic Preservation Month Comes to Fort Point In May

May is National Historic Preservation month. Boston is celebrating the month with a look at the city's buildings and grounds. The Boston Landmarks Commission will be giving tours, talks and promoting other activities throughout the City including a walking tour of the Fort Point Channel Historical District and Fort Point Spring Open Studios. 


Tuesday May 6, 2014 
5:00 to 6:30 PM | WALKING TOUR
A Lofty Renaissance

Reinvestment in Boston’s only intact warehouse district has in recent years transformed the area into a vibrant and pedestrian friendly mixed-use neighborhood. How did an area dedicated to industry become such a desirable neighborhood in which to live and work? This walking tour will look more closely at how new construction, adaptive reuse, and revitalization of open spaces have allowed Fort Point Channel to live on beyond its industrial past – and how the neighborhood’s status as a historic district has supported this change. This tour will be led by City of Boston Preservation Planner Erin Doherty. Following the tour, continue the conversation over a pint at an informal gathering in one of the district’s new establishments, Row 34.



Meeting place confirmed at time of reservation.
Free and open to the public, pre-registration is requested.
Presented by: City of Boston Preservation Planner Erin Doherty
Fort Point Channel Landmark District
Contact Erin Doherty at erin.doherty(at)boston.gov before May 2 to reserve a place.


Friday, May 9 -  Sunday, May 11, 2014
14th Annual Fort Point Spring Open Studios
Fort Point Arts Community


Visit artists’ studios in Fort Point’s historic warehouse buildings during Fort Point's Spring Open Studios Weekend. 

Free and open to the public.

Friday from 4pm - 7pm
Saturday & Sunday from 12 noon - 5pm

Presented by: Fort Point Arts Community


Click here for a complete catalog of events by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Fort Point Neighborhood Monthly Meeting

The Fort Point Neighborhood Association's monthly neighborhood meeting will be held on: 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014. 
6 pm - 8 pm
Factory 63
63 Melcher St (A and Melcher)

6:00 pm General Meeting
with presentations by 
Erin Doherty, Boston Landmarks Commission
Para Jayasinghe, Boston Public Works Department

7:00 pm Featured Guest
Jonathan Greeley, Boston Redevelopment Authority

In January, the Fort Point Neighborhood Association conducted a community survey to determine top neighborhood issues. The monthly meetings address these top neighborhood issues by bringing in industry experts and City and State officials. 

The April meeting will be looking at issues surrounding crosswalks, sidewalks and public safety, bike lane safety and integration, tree replacement and plantings, and the A Street/Summer Street stairway and underpass.Our experts and special guests are: Jonathan Greeley from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Para Jayasinghe from the Boston Public Works Department. 

In advance of Historical Preservation month in May, we are pleased to have Erin Doherty from the Boston Landmarks Commission to talk about the Fort Point Historic District and upcoming local historic preservation events.

All Fort Point residents and businesses are invited to attend.

Traffic and Parking Advisory Seaport World Trade

The Seaport World Trade Center is hosting the U.S. District Court Naturalization Ceremony on Thursday, April 17, 2014. Based on previous ceremonies, this event is expected to bring roughly 7,000 visitors to the area. The ceremony is scheduled to take place from 11AM-4PM, although visitors are expected to arrive as early as 9AM. Local parking facilities surrounding the Seaport WTC may reach capacity.

It is advised that commuters who usually drive to the area consider using transit on Thursday, April 17 or shifting their arrival time if possible.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Urban Art Bar Celebrates Arbor Day

Please join in an
Arbor Day Celebration

benefiting
 South Boston Grows
at 
The Urban Art Bar 
for an enjoyable few hours of sipping, socializing and painting! A staff artist will lead you from blank canvas to a truly unique abstract tree in celebration of Arbor day.  We will have raffles, food and fun with a portion of the proceeds going right to
 South Boston Grows! 
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
Monday, April 28th
6:30pm
Register at:

Monday, April 14, 2014

39 A Street Community Meeting

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) will host a public meeting regarding 39 A Street Boston, MA 02127. Please join the West Broadway Neighborhood Association on:


Tuesday, April 22, 2014
6:30 PM
Mass Bay Credit Union
147 West 4th, 2nd Fl
Boston, MA 02127

39 A Street Boston
East Way Development LLC (the Proponent), seeks to redevelop the approximately 7,364 square foot parcel in the South Boston neighborhood.The 39 A Street Project will exist of the demolition of the existing single story structure and the construction of a new, five story residential building containing 24 residential condominium units and 30 off street parking spaces.

Close of Comment Period: Friday, May 2, 2014

Send comments to Raul Duverge of the BRA at Raul.Duverge@Boston.gov
Project Notification Document

Fort Point Neighborhood Association Celebrates 10th Annual Boston Shines

Mayor Marty Walsh’s Boston Shines event is a neighborhBoston Shines logoood clean-up to celebrate spring and Boston’s neighborhoods.  
Please join the Fort Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA) in this neighborhood event to make Fort Point Shine!
Local businesses meet on:
Friday, May 9th, 2014 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Wormwood Park (Wormwood & A Streets)
Lunch is included for company employees planting tree circles and panel vines. To sponsor and to volunteer, please visit FPNA
Residents meet on:
Sunday, May 18th* 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Wormwood Park (A & Wormwood Sts)
*new date due to heavy rains forecasted for Saturday, May 17th
After Party will take place in Wormwood Park starting at 5 pm.
Food and refreshments are generously donated by Fort Point restaurants and local businesses. The City of Boston will provide rakes, trowels, gardening gloves and a free t-shirt!
If you have any questions, please contact Cam Sawzin at cam.zin(at)verizon.net or Charles Joseph at charlesjos(at)aol.com. 
updated 5.12.14

Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs & Innovators Community Meeting

The Boston City Council Special Committee on Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Innovation wants to hear from small businesses owners on their experiences with the City of Boston permitting and licensing process. 

Please join City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu for a community listening session for small businesses on: 

Tuesday, April 22nd
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Mass Bay Credit Union
147 W. 4th St. Boston, MA 02210

Start Making: Fort Point

Join General Assembly, Friends of Fort Point, and WeWork at this bi-monthly event celebrating the movers, shakers and makers of Fort Point. Hear from local entrepreneurs as they share their experiences turning their passion projects into businesses.

On tap for April is Jean Claude Tetreault, Co-Owner and Founder of Trillium Brewing Co.  

He'll share how in one year, his family owned and operated brewery in Fort Point developed a cult following of devoted fans who visit their Congress St. brewery to fill growlers of craft beer made with native ingredients and artisan practices.  Of course, Trillium beer will be sampled. 

Wednesday, April 16th 6:30-8:00 p.m
General Assembly, 51 Melcher St. Boston., MA 02210
RSVP for this free event

General Assembly will also be hosting a Spring Open House on Monday, April 21, 2014 from 6-8:30 pm. More details.

Friday, April 11, 2014

PAX East 2014 Arrives at BCEC Today


The gaming convention and expo, PAX East, will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center through April 13, 2014.
PAX East

Due to the large number of attendees, there will be a need for off-site parking during this event.  Currently, the MCCA Transportation Department plans to use the following lots and garages in order for overflow parking.  At this time we anticipate that at least the first two locations will be needed.

Massport North Jetty off FID Kennedy Avenue
EDIC Garage at the Boston Marine Industrial Park (BMIP) off Drydock Avenue
Channel Street Garage off Richards Street
Necco Street Garage off Necco Street (Sat-Sun only)

Due to the size and nature of the PAX event, the MCCA Transportation Department is working diligently with area stakeholders to free up as much parking space as possible in the area to meet the needs of the attendees. In addition, for this event, new wayfinding maps will be given to attendees sent offsite that will carefully show the locations of the offsite location they are being directed to as well as portable variable message sign placements

For more details on the PAX East 2014 transportation plan visit PAX 2014 TMP

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Art & Music Tonight in Fort Point

The Midway Channel Gallery presents the "Changing Faces of Fort Point," an exhibition running through April 30, 2014"Changing Faces of Fort Point" shows reaction to the decades long redevelopment of a former warehouse district by the artists who live there. The exhibition serves to join the historical context with the contemporary viewpoint by creating a bridge through art. The exhibit illustrates not only the visual changes to the urban landscape, but also the transformation and reincorporation of early industrial materials in new ways.
Changing Faces of Fort Point image by Karen McFeaters
painting by Karen McFeaters



Opening Reception
Thursday, April 10, 2014
 5:00 - 8:00 pm
 with special guests
  Music of Fort Point Theatre Channel
7:30 pm

 




"Music of Fort Point Theatre Channel" 
produced by Mary Driscoll & Nick Thorkelson 
Featuring: Shalaye Camillo, Theresa Chiasson, Kelly Chick, Alissa Cordeiro, Lindsay Eagle, Chris Everett, Paola Ferrer, Maria Hendricks, Robin JaVonne Smith, Nick Thorkelson and Peter Tork, and the music of Brendan Burns, Alyssa Jones, Anton Karas, Nick Thorkelson, and Mark Warhol.

Exhibition visual artists: Mario Avila, Martin Berinstein, Laura Davidson, Dawna Davis, William Frese, Jacob Higginbottom, Eric Levin, Karen McFeaters and Jose Santos. Curator: Liliana Folta.  More details.

The gallery is located within Midway Artist Studios at 15 Channel Center Street Boston, MA 02210.


Big Dig Nostalgia ShowGallery 14 presents "Big Dig Nostalgia" running through April 29, 2014. 
It has been ten years since the Big Dig departed from our neighborhood, and some of us look back with nostalgia to the time when Fort Point was still "owned" by the artists and were stimulated every day by the muscular art of civil engineering as it took place around us. Our building at 249 A Street was literally "touched" by the Big Dig. Some of us are still processing the images and the experience. 

Rebecca Leviss Dwyer, Don Eyles (curator), Anton Grassl, Dan Osterman, Lenore Tenenblatt, Nan Tull, George Vasquez, and Valda Zalkalns. 

Opening Night:  Thursday, April 10, 2014 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
Gallery 14 is located at 249 A Street Boston, MA 02210

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Gather Hosts Welcome Wednesdays #3 at District Hall

Gather hosts their third Welcome Wednesdays with special guests, Caught in Southie on Wednesday, April 9th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at District Hall. District Hall is located at 75 Northern Ave Boston, MA 02210.  

The free event will feature a pop-up shopping event highlighting some of South Boston's most popular retailers! Shops include Pretty Reckless, KuDeTa, Covet, Closet Connection and HabitSalon De Cheveux will be hosting a Beauty Bar featuring buns, braids & spring make-up. A raffle will be held to benefit the families of Lt Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy. The first 200 guests will receive a Caught in Southie tote bag filled with special gifts. 

Food will be served courtesy of GatherBeer and wine will be available from Brew, with samples from The Traveler Beer CompanyGrand Ten Distilling will be creating craft cocktails to sample.

Register via Eventbrite.

338 Congress at Fort Point Channel Landmarks District Commission

338 Congress is on the Fort Point Channel Landmarks District Commission agenda for this Thursday April 10, 2014 at 7:15pm in Room 709 of Boston City Hall.  This will be a public hearing for support of Redgate Real Estate Advisors' (the developer) request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project.  There will be a formal request by the Commission for people to speak in favor of or against the project design of the residential condo building and its appropriateness to the neighborhood. 

The project came before the community in December 2013 and received approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) in January 2014.  338 Project Notification documentation is available at the BRA website.

338 Congress Residential Condo Rendering
Redgate Real Estate Advisors is asking for support from Fort Point neighbors for their more modern design in historic Fort Point. For those who cannot make the meeting, you may email Erin Doherty beforehand at Erin.Doherty(at)boston.gov with a copy to Lisa Serafin of Redgarte Real Estate Advisors at Lisa.Serafin(at)redgate-re.com. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Serafin.

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission April Public Meeting

The public is welcome to attend the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission meeting on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 5:30 pm at Boston City Hall, Room 709. After 5:30 p.m., enter and exit City Hall at the Dock Square entrance on Congress Street (across from Faneuil Hall). 

Subject of the hearing will be applications for Certificates of Design Approval on the agenda below, review of architectural violations and such business as may come before the commission, in accordance with Ch. 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended.

I. 5:30 PM DESIGN REVIEW HEARING 

5:30 PM 
Application 13.1117 FPC 345 Congress Street (continued review) 
Applicant: Pastoral Restaurant (tenant): Install entry marquee and signage
5:45 PM 
Application 13.680 327-337 Summer Street (continued review) 
Applicant: Synergy Investments, LLC (owner): Revisions to previously approved rehabilitation 

6:00 PM 
Application 14.942 FPC 51 Melcher Street 
Applicant: Synergy Investments (owner): Repair pedestrian bridge connecting 51 Melcher St and 281 Summer St 

6:15 PM 
Application 14.493 FPC 369 Congress Street 
Applicant: Channel Trust (owner): Install metal and simulated stone cladding system 

6:45 PM 
Application 14.946 FPC 368 Congress Street [Marriott Residence Inn] 
Applicant: Norwich Partners (owner): Install lighting and signage 

7:15 PM 
Application 14.945 FPC 338 Congress Street 
Applicant: Redgate Capital Partners (developer): Construct 6-story mixed use building on vacant lot 

II. 7:45 PM VIOLATIONS HEARING 

III. 8:00 PM ADVISORY REVIEW 

1-2 Seaport Boulevard 
Charles Reid, MS Boston Block H, LLC (owner): Proposed construction of two buildings on vacant parcel at northern terminus of 
Farnsworth and Sleeper Streets. 

IV. Administrative Review/Approval: In order to expedite the review process, the commission has delegated the approval of certain work items, such as those involving ordinary maintenance and repair, restoration or replacement, or which otherwise have a minimal impact on a building’s appearance, to the staff pending ratification at its monthly public hearing. Having been identified as meeting these eligibility criteria and all relevant guidelines, the following applications will be approved at this hearing: 

Application 14.714 FPC 383 Congress: Install patio 
Application 14.825 FPC 51 Melcher: Install signage 
Application 14.878 FPC 374 Congress: Replace entry bay; install transom sign 

PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 8:15 PM 

FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION 
David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, John Karoff, Yanni Tsipis, Michele Yeeles 
Alternate: B.K. Boley