Submit Your Questions for Linehan - Lee Debate

FPNA is co-hosting the City Council District 2 Debate this Thursday between Councillor Bill Linehan and Suzanne Lee, and will be submitting 3-5 questions for the candidates.

Please give your feedback and what questions you think the candidates should be asked:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e8e3xatbhn1ol2al/start



Details on the debate:

City Council District 2 Debate

Councillor Bill Linehan and Suzanne Lee

Moderator Peter Kadzis, WGBH

Thursday, October 24, 2013

6:30 – 8:00 pm

(refreshments at 6pm)

Lithuanian Club

368 West Broadway, South Boston

(West Broadway and E Street)

Bill Filed for Convention Center $1B Expansion

The BCEC has filed a bill to do a billion dollar expansion:

http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/10/bill_filed_to_greenlight_1b_convention_center_expansion



While the BCEC claims the economic benefits will at least match the cost, studies suggest that convention business is on the decline and rarely meets projections:

http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2005/01/01cities-sanders

...an examination of the convention business and city and state spending on host venues finds that:

• The overall convention marketplace is declining in a manner that suggests that a recovery or turnaround is unlikely to yield much increased business for any given community, contrary to repeated industry projections. Moreover this decline began prior to the disruptions of 9-11 and is exacerbated by advances in communications technology. Currently, overall attendance at the 200 largest tradeshow events languishes at 1993 levels.
• Nonetheless, localities, sometimes with state assistance, have continued a type of arms race with competing cities to host these events, investing massive amounts of capital in new convention center construction and expansion of existing facilities. Over the past decade alone, public capital spending on convention centers has doubled to $2.4 billion annually, increasing convention space by over 50 percent since 1990. Nationwide, 44 new or expanded convention centers are now in planning or construction.
• Faced with increased competition, many cities spend more money on additional convention amenities, like publicly-financed hotels to serve as convention "headquarters." Another competitive response has been to offer deep discounts to tradeshow groups. Despite dedicated taxes to pay off the public bonds issued to build convention centers, many—including Washington, D.C and St. Louis—operate at a loss.

This analysis should give local leaders pause as they consider calls for ever more public investment into the convention business, while weighing simultaneously where else scarce public funds could be spent to boost the urban economy.

Tonight: Workshop on Future of I-93 Underpass

 Planning Workshop on the Future of the I-93 Underpass
1145 Washington St.,  Suite 2

Oct 3rd, 2013
6-9pm

Join Washington Gateway, Street Plans Collaborative and representatives from the community, city and state for planning enhancements to the I-93 underpass between E. Berkeley and Traveler Streets on October 3rd from 6-9pm at Project Place.

http://gatewaymainstreet.org/942/

Paper Chase Friday: 100 $100 Works on Paper

100 works on paper in all media are installed in the FPAC Gallery

Each piece is available for the special price of $100 plus tax, with proceeds to support the Fort Point Arts Community.

Reception: Friday, September 27th from 5:00-8:00pm

Sales will take place at the Reception, Friday 9/27, beginning  at 5:30pm.

No sales can be made before that time.

The Reception will be staffed until 8:00pm for sales; work will be removed as it is sold. The FPAC Gallery will also be open on Saturday September 28th from noon-4:00pm.

 

The FPAC Gallery is located at 300 Summer Street, on the lower level adjacent to the Channel Cafe

Mayoral Election Tomorrow - LET'S VOTE!

The election is tomorrow.  Fort Point's polling place remains the Condon School, 200 D Street (map).

Politicians do look at how many voters there are in each neighborhood, so the more votes from Fort Point, the better.



Details on the election:
 

Today, the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Boston released plans for tomorrow’s 2013 Preliminary Municipal Election.

The top two vote getters for Mayor, top eight vote getters for City Councilor At-Large and the top two vote getters for District City Council will progress to the final Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

           

The City of Boston has well over the number of ballots to satisfy each of the more than 365,000 registered voters eligible to participate tomorrow. Of the more than 1,500 election officials that will work tomorrow, more than 400 are fluent in second languages. Boston has a total of 255 precincts at more than 150 polling locations, which will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

All precincts will have English/Spanish ballots. English/Chinese and English/Vietnamese ballots will be available in precincts where they are needed. Tomorrow, interpreters will be available to assist voters in Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese dialects), Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean and Russian as well as a number of other languages.

For more information about tomorrow’s election, please visit cityofboston.gov/elections.

Mayoral Debate Tonight 8pm - Watch Online

Tonight's mayoral candidates debate will be streamed by the Herald.  Click this link to watch:

http://bostonherald.com/herald_radio/2013/09/boston_mayoral_debate


It starts at 8pm.  All 12 current candidates to be Boston's next Mayor will be participating:

• Felix G. Arroyo, city councillor
• John Barros, former Boston School Committee member
• Charles Clemons, former Boston Police officer and co-owner of TOUCH 106.1FM
• Daniel F. Conley, Suffolk County District Attorney
• John R. Connolly, city councillor
• Robert Consalvo, city councillor
• Charlotte Golar Richie, former State Representative
• Michael P. Ross, city councillor
• Bill Walczak, community organizer
• Marty Walsh, State Representative
• David James Wyatt, candidate for city council in 2007
• Charles Yancey, city councillor

Connolly and Walsh were the front-runners in the last poll with 12% and 11% of likely voters.

"Rising Tide" Tues at Made In Fort Point

The Boston Harbor Association

presentation of

“The Rising Tide”

With Follow Up Question / Answer Period

Tuesday September 10th

6:30 to 8:00 PM

@

Made in Fort Point

30 Channel Center Street

Convention Center - Back Bay Rail Link

Globe columnist Shirley Leung (@leung) reports that the state has "set aside tens of millions of dollars" to create a rail link between the BCEC and Back Bay station, using dormant rail lines that run along the haul road, along the MBTA rail facility off Dot Ave, and out to Back Bay Station.  It hopes the service will be operation within two years.

 

The service would use Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) cars, similar to this one:

 The article is here (requires Boston Globe account):

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/09/05/state-begin-innovative-rail-service-between-seaport-district-and-back-bay/oHUinYj30lzOV6KNCQUMEJ/story.html

Live/Work Units Available in 300 Summer

The Artist Building at 300 Summer (limited equity building, prices lower than market) is seeking visual artists to add their contact info to the Applicant Pool if interested in purchasing a space in our 47-unit cooperative. Units come up for sale once or twice a year. 

To sign up, use the Prospective Applicant page on the 300summer.org website. In place of sending images and resume on a CD as website instructs, you may submit your website address instead.

A live/work space is presently available. On Sept 13, we will email the details of the live/work space that will be available.

Mario Batali Puts Fort Point Plans on Hold

Chef Mario Batali posted the following disappointing news to his blog.  As covered previously, he had been planning a restaurant at 320 Summer St. 

Update on Babbo Boston

B&B Hospitality Group is saddened to announce that the project called Babbo Pizzeria and Enoteca originally slated for a fourth quarter open date in the exciting Fort Point district in Boston will not come to fruition. We will continue to look for the perfect location to serve the exciting and vibrant Boston community.

Planet Southie Meeting, 8/22

Why aren't our families' needs for green spaces, trees, gardens, safety and other essentials more valued in planning? Who's benefiting? Certainly not Southie families.

Let's talk about it at the August Planet Southie Monthly Meeting!


When: Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Where: The Distillery Building, 516 E 2nd Street, South Boston


http://planetsouthie.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-22-meeting-focus-on-green-space.html

BRA Community Mtg for 156 Room Hotel, 8/20

BRA Community Meeting for:

6 West Broadway -
South Boston Boutique Hotel

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013
6:30 PM
50 West Broadway Apartments, South Boston
Project Proponent: 6 West Broadway
Project Description: The proponent, Pappas Enterprise Inc., filed a
Project Notification Form on Friday, August 02, 2013. The proposed
new development will involve the construction of a 156 room (87,000
gross square foot) hotel which will include a ground level full service
restaurant and bar, coffee shop, fitness center, meeting rooms,
conference rooms, screening room, 2nd level terrace, rooftop bar, and
exterior pool deck/outdoor lounge to be located at the intersection of
Broadway and Dorchester Avenue.

Close of Comment Period: Friday, September 6, 2013