Monday, July 28, 2025

Grow Our Neighborhoods. Not P&G Profits. Act Now. Write Now.


Grow Our Neighborhoods. Not P&G Profits.
P&G is trying to reshape our neighborhoods and not in a good way. 
Their current proposal for rezoning the P&G Gillette site prioritizes oversized towers and dense commercial spaces, with little regard for the people who actually live in Fort Point or our neighbors in St. Vincent's and West Broadway.  

Act now. Write Now. Check out bit.ly/FPNARALLYSTARTER (case sensitive)The comment deadline is Thursday, July 31st! Pro Tip: Add your personal thoughts, your experiences, and why this neighborhood matters to you. Personalized messages make the biggest impact. Please be sure to include your address.

Here’s what we’re fighting for (We need your voices): 

✅ Height limits that respect the existing fabric and conditions of the adjacent neighborhoods, keeping in mind the historic Fort Point Channel Landmark District.  Proposed building heights should be reduced, with maximum heights capped at 180 feet, and buildings along abutting neighborhood streets limited to no more than 100 feet on A Street and 150 feet on West Second Street and Dorchester Ave.

✅ A real mix of uses with a minimum of 40% housing-including onsite affordable home ownership and rental housing, neighborhood-serving retail spaces, 10% for City-managed civic spaces like a library and a community center, and a destination cultural facility or cultural spaces including a boathouse. 

✅ A pedestrian-first street design for A Street and W. 2nd and a street network that ensures safe access to Broadway Station, surrounding transit, and provides a real solution for access to I-90 and I-93, along with a pedestrian bridge over the Channel. 

✅ Flood protection and resiliency infrastructure that safeguards our homes from sea level rise and heavy rain events before P&G exits their 31 acre site.

✅ A meaningful 6+ acre City-owned public waterfront park (privately created and maintained), with the existing Harborwalk and South Bay Harbor trail - all fully protected from sea level rise. 

If you would like to send your email directly, here are the email addresses for our Mayor, Chief of Planning, Congressman Lynch, Senator Collins, Rep. Biele, District 2 City Councilor Ed Flynn, Sarah Peck, City's Planning Department project manager and yours truly, FPNA: michelle.wu@boston.gov, kairos.shen@boston.gov, MA08SLima@mail.house.gov, Nick.Collins@masenate.gov, david.biele@mahouse.gov, ed.flynn@boston.gov, sarah.peck@boston.gov, fpnaboston@gmail.com

Thank you!

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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Last Chance To Ask Questions & Voice Your Opinion On Gillette's 31 Acres

updated 07/22/25 with meeting presentation and video links. 

The Boston Planning Department is holding the final Public Virtual Meeting tonight on the P&G Gillette Redevelopment's proposed rezoning plan of 31 acres, 20 buildings and over 5 million square feet on a contaminated site  

This meeting focuses on the existing neighborhood context, open space, the waterfront and climate resiliency.

P&G Gillette Master (zoning plan)
Monday, July 21, 2025
6pm to 8pm





View last week's Impact Advisory Group meeting presentation on the same topics. Presentations are posted a couple of hours before the meeting. 

Comment deadline is Thursday, July 31st. 

Let's build our future together. #PeopleFirstPlanning 

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Help Shape The Future Of Your Neighborhood July 15th!

updated 07/16/25 with recording. 

 Fort Point Neighborhood Association
St. Vincent's Lower End Neighborhood Association
&
West Broadway Neighborhood Association

 invite you to a
Critical Community Conversation
about a 31 acre redevelopment, P&G Gillette site,
that will impact our neighborhood for the next 20 years!

Tuesday, July 15, 2025
6pm to 8pm
in person at 
Crispr Therapeutics 
105 West 1st Street
View Recording

P&G Gillette Proposed


P&G Gillette Today


We'll be diving into the proposed 31 acre redevelopment plan impacting Fort Point, St Vincent's & West Broadway. Key focus areas include:

  • Heights & Density- 20 buildings with heights soaring up to 320 feet. For comparison, State Street is 150 feet tall and the Cambria Hotel is 140 feet.
  • Transportation & Access: Traffic, public transit, pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and parking for 4,489 cars—a significant increase from the fewer than 1,000 cars accessing the site today.
  • Mix of Land Uses: 66.5% commercial, 30% residential and 3.5% retail uses. No library. No community center. No cultural facility. No commitment to on-site affordable home ownership and rental housing.
  • Public Open Space: A state required 6.5 acre waterfront park
  • Climate Resilience: Long-term flood protection is critical for the neighborhood, No elevation of the Harborwalk and the specifics and timing of resilient measures unknown.

This is your opportunity to voice your opinionsshare your ideas, and connect with neighbors.

Your input will help ensure this redevelopment reflects the needs of both our growing and existing communities.


Let’s build our future—together

originally published 07.09.25

Monday, July 14, 2025

Mass Ready Act to Strengthen Infrastructure and Prepare for Disasters. Hearing July 15th.

updated 07/14/25 to included Designated Port Areas.

On June 24, 2025, Governor Maura Healey introduced the Mass Ready Act, a bill that proposes nearly $3 billion in bond authorizations to strengthen infrastructure and protect Massachusetts communities against increasing extreme weather events.

This legislation focuses on crucial infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads, dams, and bridges, and establishes a Resilient Revolving Fund for these types of projects. The bill invests in farming and coastal economies and provides communities with resources to reduce flood and heat risk. Finally, the Mass Ready Act emphasizes the protection of water and nature by ensuring safe drinking water, restoring our waterways and preserving vital habitats for wildlife. The bill also includes authorizations to implement ResilientCoasts recommendations, invest in parks, trails, beaches, and historic sites, improve transportation infrastructure, and manage solid waste and decrease pollution.  The bill simplifies the environmental permitting process for priority housing and urgent infrastructure needs, including municipal culvert replacements and other natural restoration projects in the following ways:
  • Allowing priority housing and culvert replacements and salt marsh restoration projects to receive a Chapter 91 license (Sections 21-31) in just 60 days without triggering Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review
  • Cutting duplicative administrative appeals for wetlands regulations, allowing local appeals for these project categories to go straight to the superior court  (Sections 48-51)
  • Adding climate resilience as a goal of the Wetlands Protection Act, simplifying permitting for natural restoration projects;  (Sections 48-51)
  • Removing the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) requirement for priority housing and natural restoration projects, allowing for completion of MEPA review within 30 days rather than up to one year (Sections 12 and 73)
  • State Designated Port  Area Development Commission to identify industry-specific opportunities and needs, assess existing infrastructure with capacity and resources and make growth recommendations. The 21 member commission chaired by Secretary of Economic Development and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs is to include 3 community group representing the north shore, Boston Harbor and south coast regions (section 67)
The legislation also requires disclosures of flood risk and past damages during home sales and lease signings so renters and homebuyers can make informed decisions and avoid costly damages down the road. Finally, it equips the Board of Building Regulations and Standards to advance climate resilience and housing production through the state building code.  Read full press release.

On July 15th, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will hold a hybrid hearing on the Mass Ready Act at 1pm. Persons seeking to provide oral testimony, whether in person or remotely, should pre-register by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025, using this online form.

originally published 07.08.25

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Community Preservation Act Information Session For District 2 Only

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn will be hosting a virtual Community Preservation Act (CPA) Information Session for District 2 on:

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
6:00-7:30 PM 
via Zoom

 

The CPA grant fund goes towards supporting affordable housing, open space, recreation, and historic preservation projects. This session is an opportunity to explore how residents can use CPA funds and learn how to preserve or create impactful projects in their communities. Since enacted as Massachusetts state law, the grant fund has raised over $2.5 billion dollars and has supported many important projects across the city.

Please note the deadline to submit an eligibility determination form is Friday, August 29, 2025 at 5pm to be considered for the 2026 funding round. The Eligibility Determination Form is not a final application. Candidates deemed eligible will be invited to submit an application for their proposed projects. With project ideas, please contact CPA Director Thadine Brown and copy Councilor Flynn's office.

Wednesday, July 02, 2025

31 Acres. 3 Neighborhoods.1 Community Conversation.

FPNA, St. Vincent's Lower End Neighborhood Association and West Broadway Neighborhood Association are coming together to host one community conversation about the P&G Gillette Redevelopment on:

 Tuesday, July 15, 2025
6pm to 8pm
in person at 
Crispr Therapeutics
105 West 1st Street

Let's talk about:

  • 31 acres
  • Building Heights & Density: 20 buildings with heights up to 320 feet
  • Site Access, Traffic Congestion, Public Transportation, and Parking: No improvements to traffic on A Street, mayor changes to Foundry & Greenbaum Streets, parking for 4,489 cars and insufficient access to Broadway and South Station MBTA stations
  • Land Use: 66.5% commercial, 30% residential and 3.5% retail uses. 
  • Park Space and Coastal Resiliency: 6.5 acre waterfront park & timing of flood protection for the neighborhood

We’d love to see you there!