Illuminate the Harbor With Fireworks & Music This Thursday Night

On the evening of Thursday, August 28,2025 at 8:30pm fireworks will illuminate the Harbor. The13th annual event is hosted by Boston Harbor Now in partnership with MeetBoston. 

It will be a special evening of free, outdoor enjoyment for people of all ages, to celebrate all the waterfront has to offer!

• Live Music & Activities: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
• Fireworks Display: Begins at dusk (approximately 8:30 PM)

Viewing areas will be available at locations across the Boston Inner Harbor Harborwalk in South Boston, East Boston, Charlestown, and North End. Our closest viewing location is Fan Pier Park and Moakley Bridge.

And before the fireworks, enjoy the last free Harborwalk Sounds concert at the ICA Harborwalk from 6pm to 8:30pm with Ness DeJean, an emerging pop singer-songwriter with a voice that channels soul, passion, and raw emotion. A quick reminder that the ICA is free on Thursday nights from 5pm to 8pm. 

About The Neighborhood This Week

updated 8/20/25 with Artists For Humanity's Big Summer Show on August 21st. 

There are a lot of options for things to do this evening. On August 20th, Channelside/Related Beal is in front of ConCom for the proposed floating dock installation. This coming Sunday is a free concert. Details are below:

8/19: Boston Civic Design Commission Subcommittee Meeting(s) at 5pm. P&G Gillette Rezoning Master Plan is on the Agenda A at 6pm.

8/19: 370-401 D Street PDA Amendment Public Meeting at 6pm. The Project Site consists of approximately 5.6 total acres of land owned by MCCA for a new fifteen (15) story. In addition, the Proponent seeks to modify the existing layout of the Element Hotel by increasing layout efficiency, resulting in up to an additional 20 keys within the existing volume and area of the structure. This modification will result in an amendment to the original PDA phase, increasing the maximum key count to up to 530 rooms within the Aloft and Element Hotels, up from the originally approved 510 rooms

8/19: Updating the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District | Public Meeting at 6pm to present  proposed updates for the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District (GCOD). These updates consolidate and simplify the existing zoning text for GCOD, and remove some regulatory barriers for ‘Substantial Rehabilitation projects.’ 

8/19: SUPilates by SUP YO Adventures at 6:30pm at the Fort Point Pier. Parking is available at Channelside. Related programs also at Fort Point Pier include SUPYoga and paddleboarding. 

8/20: Conservation Commission (ConCom) Public Meeting at 6pm. 

Item #7: Notice of Intent for DEP File No. 006-2063 and BOS File No. 2025-028 from Epsilon Associates, Inc., on behalf of Channelside Acquisitions, LLC, for the proposed installation of a pile supported ramp and a pile anchored floating dock in the Fort Point Channel at 244-284 A Street, South Boston Waterfront, MA  (LUO, LSCSF, Coastal Bank, 100ft Buffer to Coastal Bank, 25ft Waterfront Area).

8/21: Artists For Humanity's Big Summer Show from 4pm to 7pm at AFH EpiCenter, 100 West 2nd. St. Join AFH teens showcasing their work from the summer session at the biggest art and design sale of the year!

8/24: FPAC Harbor Harmonies Concert: Swinging in the Summertime, a Hot Club Gypsy Jazz Concert, from 3pm to 4pm at the Fort Point Room at Atlantic Wharf, 280 Congress Street. Get your free ticket. 

originally published 08.19.25

Happenings Starting Today: Climate Funding & Landmarks, Grand Openings, Art Openings & More

updated 8/19/25: P&G Gillette Master Plan is at BCDC 8/19 at 6pm.

Here are a few of the events going on about and around the neighborhood.

8/14: City Council Committee On Environmental Justice, Resiliency, And Parks Hearing On Dockets #1258, #1345, And #1347 | Boston.gov,a hearing regarding various environmental-related grants including 1.7m for a resilient Moakley Park, ($644,458.00) to grow an accessible, inclusive, and resilient urban forest. $75,000.00) to fund the work climate resilience communities have done to date and support communities with new methods, tools, and resources for building climate resilience, at 2pm. Public is welcome to give comments.

8/14: Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission Public Meeting at 6pm:  268 Summer Street, 51 Sleeper Street, 311 Summer Street and 35 Thomson Place.

  

8/16:  Grand Opening of ANH55— where timeless style meets purpose and every stitch tells a story- from 1pm to 3pm at The Artist Building at 300 Summer Street.  Come celebrate fashion with heart, excellent craftsmanship, and a mission to empower women artisans around the world. RSVP TO anh@anh55.com

8/16: Two openings tonight: Prismatique!, a group exhibition expressing a full celebration of color in the Midway Gallery and Works In Progress by Parvaaz Godara in the Art Tunnel from 7pm to 9pm at Midway Artist Studios,15 Channel Center St.

8/19: Boston Civic Design Commission Subcommittee Meeting(s) at 5pm. P&G Gillette Rezoning Master Plan is on the Agenda A at 6pm.

8/19: 370-401 D Street PDA Amendment Public Meeting at 6pm. The Project Site consists of approximately 5.6 total acres of land owned by MCCA for a new fifteen (15) story. In addition, the Proponent seeks to modify the existing layout of the Element Hotel by increasing layout efficiency, resulting in up to an additional 20 keys within the existing volume and area of the structure. This modification will result in an amendment to the original PDA phase, increasing the maximum key count to up to 530 rooms within the Aloft and Element Hotels, up from the originally approved 510 rooms

8/19: Updating the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District | Public Meeting at 6pm to present  proposed updates for the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District (GCOD). These updates consolidate and simplify the existing zoning text for GCOD, and remove some regulatory barriers for ‘Substantial Rehabilitation projects.’ 

8/19: SUPilates by SUP YO Adventures at 6:30pm at the Fort Point Pier. Parking is available at Channelside. Related programs also at Fort Point Pier include SUPYoga and paddleboarding. 

8/24: FPAC Harbor Harmonies Concert: Swinging in the Summertime, a Hot Club Gypsy Jazz Concert, from 3pm to 4pm at the Fort Point Room at Atlantic Wharf, 280 Congress Street. Get your free ticket. 

WATER TRANSPORTATON IN THE NEWS (Water access to our waterfront)  

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Over $2.3 Million to Expand Waterfront Ferry and Water Transportation on Boston Harbor  | Mass.gov 

2025.08.12 Mayor Wu and the City of Boston Celebrate New Commuter Ferry Connecting North Station to | Bostonplans.org

originally published 08,14,25

Fort Point Landmarks August 2025 Meeting

THE FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION
will hold a public hearing on:
Thursday, August 14, 2025  
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 941 7604 6618 #. You may also submit written comments or questions to FortPointLDC@boston.

I.  DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

APP # 26.0042 FPC 268 SUMMER STREET 
Proposed Work: Install new metal panel signage “portal” at existing facade entry with matching metal cladding at existing archways, exterior sconces and recessed lighting.

II.  ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW/APPROVAL

APP # 25.1055 FPC 51 SLEEPER STREET: Emergency repair approval for in kind masonry repairs including repointing, removal and replacement in kind of spauld brick, spot was where repointing has taken place.

APP # 26.0016 FPC 311 SUMMER STREET: Emergency repair approval for damaged concrete at the corner entrance of the building and slope will be corrected for accessibility. Will be repaired in kind with removal of the existing concrete in a manner that will avoid a patched look for a unified appearance. Automatic door opener installation will be included on a separate design review application.

APP # 26.0054 FPC 35 THOMSON PLACE: New sign installed through the mortar joints.

III.  RATIFICATION OF 7/10/2025 Hearing Minutes

IV.  STAFF UPDATES

V.  PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 7:15 PM

Members: David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, Thomas Rodde, Vacancy, Vacancy Alternates: Vacancy, Raber Umphenour

Free Neighborhood Happenings This Week

updated 08/08/25 to include The Distillery Gallery's opening reception August 9th. 

8/5: National Night Out starting at 3:30pm to 6pm at Moakley Park (450 Old Colony Ave.)basketball courts near the football field. Meet Mayor Michelle Wu, Police Commissioner Michael Cox, BPD Command Staff and your neighbors! Free food, face painting, music and entertainment!

8/7: Spoke Art presents From the Monastery, a group exhibition of new works. Opening reception is from 6pm to 8pm at 844 Summer Street. Show runs through August 30, 2025.

8/9: The American City Coalition (TACC) will be hosting Un Día de Kayak (Joy of Kayaking), transporting our Dorchester and Roxbury neighbors to the Fort Point Channel from 10am to 2pm. Please welcome them to our neighborhood. There will be festivities on and along the Fort Point Channel from the Fort Point Pier (dock) to the Children's Museum to Fan Pier. 

8/9: Get a first look at Bodies of Work, a group exhibition showcasing the work of current and former staff members at Maquette Fine Art Services, from  6-9pm at The Distillery Gallery, 516 E 2nd St.

8/10: Castle Island: Oasis of Peace, Beauty, and Joy, captures a magical place where people of all ethnicities and religious traditions can enjoy themselves as seen through the lens of photographer Sylvia Stagg-Guiliano. Opening reception is from 4pm to 6pm at the Gallery at 249A, 249 A Street. Show runs through September 4, 2025. 

originally published 08.05.25

Fan Expo This Weekend

Fan Expo Boston will take place at the Menino Convention and Exhibition Center (formerly the BCEC) from Friday, August 8 through Sunday, August 10. It will be a pop culture celebration focusing on Sci-Fi, Horror, Comics, Gaming, and Anime. 

We will be welcoming up to 36,000 daily attendees to Fort Point and the South Boston Waterfront. Expect increased area activity, traffic, and limited parking during the event.

The Seaport TMA highly recommends that people traveling through the district utilize public and alternative transportation modes throughout the day of this event. Cyclists can reference their live map of bike parking and Bluebikes stations locations. MBTA Silver Line service may see busier than normal ridership levels, and area garages may also be busier. If you are driving in and out of the neighborhood, please allow additional time for your commute.

For more information on the traffic and parking plan for Fan Expo, view the MCEC’s Transportation Management Plan. Please note the Channel Center garage, the Channelside parking lot and the Necco St. Garage will all be used for overflow parking. There will also be digital signs and police details to help move traffic.

View a complete overview of daily events and attendees this month at the Seaport TMA South Boston Waterfront Calendar of Events.

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!

Related Posts

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 Presentation. View Video.

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 

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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 opinions, share 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

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

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

Register

 

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.

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!