Tuesday, February 28, 2023

2/28 FPNA Neighborhood Gathering Now Virtual with City Council President, Bus Rapid Transit, Landmarks, Tishman & More

 Virtual Fort Point Seaport Neighborhood Gathering


Tuesday, February 28, 2023
6 pm to 8 pm

ZOOM ONLY

featuring

Our C-6 Community Officers

District 2 Update
City Council President Ed Flynn

Summer Street Bus Rapid Transit Pilot
Matthew Moran, Boston Transportation Dept. Transit Team Director

&
A Pitch for Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commissioners 
Steve Hollinger, Fort Point Landmark Study Committee Member & Resident

introducing 
232 A Street
Justin Miller, Tishman Speyer

with
Neighborhood Updates & Questions

Upcoming Happenings

Wednesday, February 22: Virtual Abutters Meeting for Savr Restaurant at 6pm. The Savr Restaurant is requesting an all alcohol license for their proposed location at 150 Seaport Blvd. 

Thursday March 2nd: Cypher St./ E St. Public Safety Improvements Community Meeting in person at 6pm at 105 W 1st St.

Thursday, March 9th: Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission Meeting at 6pm. Interested in learning more about the historic district or becoming a Commissioner? Check out this meeting.

Tuesday, March 14: Life Sciences Building Design Guidelines Public Meeting at 6pm. A meeting for anyone who lives or will be living next door to one of the over 25 Life Sciences lab buildings in Fort Point and the Seaport. This is a repeat of the March 1st meeting that was rescheduled to February 28th. 

 

Help us build a better neighborhood together. Contact FPNA today!

originally published 02.21.23

Monday, February 27, 2023

Massport Hosts In-Person Cypher St./E St. Community Meeting

 

Massport will be hosting an in-person Cypher St./ E St. Community Meeting this Thursday, March 2nd at 6pm at:

CRISP Thereaputics
Community Room (lobby level)
105 West First Street

The meeting will present the project's public safety improvements for all transportation modes, pedestrian access and a new connection to E Street.  Please email community@massport.com for more information. 

Monday, February 20, 2023

Land Deal Near BCEC Generating Backlash

The State House News Service reported on February 16, 2023 the the land deal near the BCEC is generatng backlash. 

Collins, Councilors Protest In Letter To Convention Center Authority

Sam Drysdale 2/16/23 5:53 PM


FEB. 16, 2023.....City officials and a state senator representing South Boston raised concerns Thursday that the independent convention center authority may be planning under "false pretenses" to develop land taken by eminent domain for mixed use rather than convention-related purposes.

Sen. Nick Collins, Boston City Council President Ed Flynn and City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty sent a letter to state and city officials on Wednesday in opposition to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's plan to lease for 99 years three parcels of land on the South Boston waterfront for what they say is not its intended purpose.

After a meeting of the MCCA board on Thursday, a spokesperson for state Administration and Finance Secretary Matt Gorzkowicz also expressed concerns about the process of soliciting development proposals.

The mostly unbuilt 6.2 acres of asphalt along D and E streets across the street from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center were taken by eminent domain in 2012 and 2013 to expand the convention center industry in the area.

After owning the properties for over a decade, the MCCA opened a 30-day bidding period for the land on the week of Thanksgiving, resulting in only two bidders, according to the letter.

One development proposal filed by the Boston Global Investors firm would build three mixed-use commercial buildings that would include ground floor retail, a grocery store, a green roof for public gathering and urban agriculture, parking spaces and over 40,000 square feet of public open space.

Cronin Development's proposal also includes three mixed-use buildings on the three land parcels. They propose a gallery focused on Black and brown artists, a performance and lecture space, life sciences labs, an open market area with food vendors, full service grocery store and a parking garage.

Both proposals also include 50,000 square feet of office space for the MCCA.

In the request the MCCA sent out on Nov. 21 to solicit proposals and start the 30-day bidding process, the authority said it was seeking development that "activates the D Street neighborhood through office, commercial, industrial and/or similar uses," delivers the 50,000 square feet of office space for the authority, fulfills BCEC's parking needs and includes space dedicated to "community-based uses."

When asked about the best use of the land for future development, authority spokesperson Philip Crohan referred to the "key elements and features we have identified as necessary."

Collins said the development proposals didn't fit the listed purpose for the land taking in the 2012 and 2013 orders of taking, which say the properties should be used for "the expansion, operation, and promotion of convention and exhibition centers" or other facilities "necessary to provide services or accommodations to the public in connection" to the convention market.

"These assets were taken by eminent domain for a particular purpose that is not being executed with an open-ended bid offering," Collins, Flynn and Flaherty wrote to Administration and Finance Secretary Gorzkowicz and Boston's Chief Financial Officer Ashley Groffenberger, who sit on the board. "This has given rise to the concern about the MCCA land banking under false pretenses."

Collins said he believed the properties were intended for, and should still be used for, mid-priced hotels to make BCEC more competitive for mid-priced conventions, rather than just luxury events.

"In addition to making Massachusetts more competitive in the meeting and conventions business by offering different price points, [hotels] would also deliver high-quality, blue collar jobs for a diverse array of area residents," the South Boston Democrat said.

The MCCA's request for proposal also says they expect the lease price per year would be "at least" $5 per square foot, which at 6.2 acres, is $1.35 million. In 2012 and 2013 the MCCA paid roughly $51 million for the land, Crohan said. The lease agreement is for a term of 99 years.

"We have heard from previous owners who would like their property returned if the aforementioned public purpose is no longer the driver for the need to own this land," Collins, Flaherty and Flynn wrote.

The three South Boston politicians urged the MCCA's board of directors to stop the "unusual and uncompetitive process so that the community and taxpayers can be sure that their assets are handled with integrity."

The authority board met Thursday to discuss the bids, but members quickly retreated into an executive session. The session was closed to the public under the basis that open discussion of the land rental "could have a detrimental effect on the Authority's bargaining and negotiation position."

Shortly after the public meeting was closed for the board to speak privately, Flynn tweeted, "Another example of @MassConvention's lack of transparency: their board meetings are neither in person nor public. Anyone from the public trying to log in to the meeting right now where a 99-year public land lease is being discussed has been shut out. Time for change! #bospoli."

Crohan said the authority could not release any details of what was discussed in the executive session.

"The purpose of this function is to avoid any influence or detrimental effect to ongoing or future purchases, exchanges, or leases of property that an open meeting may inflict," Crohan said. "Because of the very definition and purpose of an executive session, I cannot comment on matters discussed by the committee members after their decision to enter into this portion of the meeting."

Late Thursday, a Gorzkowicz spokesman reflected the secretary's concerns.

"The secretary, as a member of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority board, has expressed concerns to Executive Director Gibbons about the process used in the issuance of the RFP for development of parcels adjacent to the convention center in South Boston, which resulted in just two bidders. He looks forward to hearing more from the director and his fellow board members about potential paths forward," Gorzkowicz spokesman Matt Murphy said in a statement to the News Service.

Collins was also frustrated by the Thursday meeting, pointing out that the meeting was held over Microsoft Teams, which he said is less accessible than Zoom.

"Not everyone has access to Teams, they should probably be live-streaming it on their website," he said. "Hybrid is fine but things need to be open to the public."

Collins newly chairs the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, which oversees matters concerning competitive bidding on public contracts as well as open meeting law concerns. He received the appointment on Wednesday.

"Based off of what's going on with the convention center, there's clearly a need for reform, and the committee will be looking at that this session," Collins said.

He also filed a bill (SD 2406) that would require any state or quasi-state agency that takes private property by eminent domain and does not use it for its intended purpose to return the land back to the original owner at the cost at which it was taken.

Nine of the 13 members of the MCCA board are appointed by and "serve at the pleasure of the governor," and two members are appointed by the mayor of Boston. The two other members are Gorzkowicz and Groffenberger, or a designee for Boston's CFO.

A spokesperson for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu did not reveal the mayor's feelings on the matter.

"The Mayor is committed to working with city and state elected officials and community stakeholders to determine the best path forward," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Monday, February 06, 2023

Fan Pier Parcel H at BCDC Tuesday Night

The Boston Civic Design Commission (BCDC) will be holding their monthly meeting

Tuesday, February 07
5pm
via phone by calling 669-254-5252 and entering meeting ID: 160 368 5044

BCDC meetings discuss the public realm impacts of major projects currently being reviewed by the BPDA. Commission meetings are open to the public. To view a project presentation to the Commission, please visit the project's timeline through the related project link on this page.

The agenda is as follows (times may be approximate and agenda is subject to change):

5:00 PM – 5:05 PM Call to Order
Approval of the January 2, 2023 Monthly Meeting Minutes 
Approval of January 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2023 Design Committee Minutes 

5:05 PM – 5:10 PM Presentation of BCDC evolution
5:10 PM – 5:20 PM Presentation of the 2022 BCDC Annual Report

Report from Review Committee
Summary report on projects followed by vote to review later in the meeting
5:20 PM – 5:25 PM 155 North Beacon Street, Brighton
                                 Fan Pier Parcel H, South Boston Waterfront

Report from Design Committee (20 minutes each)
Votes
5:25 PM – 5:45 PM 3390 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain
5:45 PM -  6:05 PM Olmsted Village, Mattapan
Presentation to the Commission (25 minutes each)

Informational presentation preceded by a short introduction from Boston Planning & Development Agency staff
6:05 PM – 6:30 PM 155 North Beacon Street, Brighton: New life science complex

6:30 PM – 6:55 PM Fan Pier Parcel H, South Boston Waterfront
Parcel H within the Fan Pier Planned Development Area (PDA 54) is a residential building with ground and second floor facilities of public accommodation including civic/cultural space.
Fan Pier Parcel H


6:55 PM – 7:00 PM Staff Update on BPDA Design Vision

All are welcome to attend

Fort Point Landmarks February 2023 Meeting

updated 02/06/23 with presentations.  

THE FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION
will hold a public hearing on:

Thursday, February 9, 2023
6:00 PM
This hearing will be held virtually and NOT in person. 
You can participate in this hearing by going to the Zoom meeting link or by
calling  929-436-2866 and entering meeting id 992 8653 0419#.You can also submit written comments or questions to FortPointLDC@boston.

I.  DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

APP # 23.0569 FPC 36 THOMSON PLACE
Applicant: Nate Turner
Proposed Work: Revise placard signage size and location. 

APP # 23.0571 FPC 25 THOMSON PLACE
Applicant: Nate Turner
Proposed Work: Install (2) louvers.

APP # 23.0568 FPC 12 FARNSWORTH STREET
Applicant: Phil Marcotty
Proposed Work:  Replacement of property's roofing; new head house to enclose previously approved rooftop level ductwork; replacement of skylights over two existing head houses.

II. RATIFICATION OF 1/12/2022 PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES

III.   STAFF UPDATES

IV.  Projected Adjournment 8pm

FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION
David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, John Karoff, Lynn Smiledge, Vacancy
Alternates: Thomas Rodde, Vacancy

originally published 01.31.23