About The Neighborhood This Week and Next

updated 10/29/23: Pumpkin, Paws & Pints postponed due to ☔️

10/18: Conservation Commission Public Meeting at 6pm

10/20: Boston Design Vision - Designing for a Diverse Boston Open House at 4:30pm at City Hall Plaza Civic Pavilion. Learn more about the Boston Design Vision and share your design ideas for how to build a Boston for everyone.

10/21: Boston Design Vision - Designing for a Diverse Boston Open House | Boston Planning & Development Agency from 9am – 1pm at t City Hall Plaza Civic Pavilion. Cancelled due to weather.

10/24:  Boston City Council At-Large Candidate Forum hosted by FPNA, DBNA, LDNA and WDC at 5:30pm at Atlantic Wharf, Fort Point room, 2nd floor of 290 Atlantic Ave.

10/25: 244 -284 A St Chapter 91 comment deadline for consolidated written determination encompassing 8 chapter 91 licenses.

10/26: Public Meeting on Proposed Zoning Amendment for Cannabis Establishments at 6pm. This meeting has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. In the meantime, please feel free to reference last year's previous meeting on this proposed zoning change to understand the process to date. A new date will be announced as soon as possible.

10/26: 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat for children up to 8 years old from 3:15pm - 5pm at 1187 Columbia Rd.

10/27: City Council Committee on Government Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility Hearing on Docket #1538 at 10am. A hearing to discuss and evaluate the Boston Planning and Development Agency's (BPDA) community engagement process with regard to various neighborhood planning initiatives across the city. View docket.

10/28: Boston Children’s Museum’s 4th Annual Spooktacular for infants, toddlers, kids, teens and adults from 5pm to 8pm

10/28: Halloween Howl Open Mic Competition from 7pm-10pm at Aloft, 401-403 D St. 

10/29: Pumpkins, Paws & Pints from 2pm- 4pm at the Pappas Way Recreation Center. Family friendly. Cancelled due to weather.

10/29: Inundation District, a 79 minute film on sea level rise and storms, and the development of the Seaport created by David Abel and Ted Blanco, will be screened at the Brattle at 7pm followed by discussion with the creators. Purchase tickets for virtual viewing.

originally published 10.17.23

Gillette Announces Future of Fort Point Campus

A Message From Gillette To The Neighborhood

As you know, in November 2019, we announced our intent to begin an assessment of our Massachusetts operations to enable a critical transformation for our Gillette business.  The goal of this assessment was to transform our operations to make us stronger and more competitive in the future.  

This morning, we informed our employees about the outcome of this assessment. This decision will bring the single most significant investment that we have ever made in Massachusetts as we transform our operations.  This includes our single largest investment in Boston, our home for over a century, where we will maintain both commercial and technical operations in a city that offers so much in terms of innovation, education and culture. 

We are confident that we have arrived at the right conclusion and optimistic about what the future holds. Our plan has two key components:

 

·       The first is to create an industry-leading Global Headquarters and Technical Innovation Center in South Boston providing a more modern, dynamic and collaborative workspace in the very community where The Gillette Company was established so long ago.   There is no better location for our HQ and Tech Center than in this epicenter of innovation, academia and world class talent. This location will bring tremendous advantage to our commercial, R&D and Engineering teams as we continue our century long heritage of innovation. 

 

·       The second is to move our South Boston manufacturing operations to our 150-acre campus in Andover where we will build a 21st Century production facility that is more sustainable, agile and efficient with some of the best manufacturing equipment and capabilities in the world.   We will also accelerate key capabilities like digital infrastructure, sustainability and our employee experience to ensure a competitive edge ahead.

 

Our focus is very much on our people at this time.  We will ensure that every current South Boston manufacturing employee who wants a role in Andover will have one. We will also offer a wide range of transition support to help any affected employees manage through the location change to ensure they are supported every step of the way.

 

As we undertake this transformation, one thing that won’t change is our work to enhance the community. This includes longstanding partnerships with the United Way of Massachusetts and South Boston Association of Nonprofits along with our bi-annual community grant process which funds the vital work of over 40 area nonprofit organizations each year. 

 

As you might imagine, this business decision will create new possibilities for our campus in the future.  Today, our 31-acre South Boston site is a gated, industrial site filled with empty parking lots.  Tomorrow, it can be so much more.  With the right partnerships and a thoughtful planning process, we can address some of Boston’s critical needs like bringing new jobs and economic opportunity, building more housing, bolstering climate resilience, and establishing an inclusive waterfront public space that connects surrounding neighborhoods to key public transportation hubs. 

 

We believe this is a once-in a lifetime opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for our home and our community– and we are excited to begin this process with the community.  We plan to host an open community meeting in the coming weeks to share perspective on why we have made this business decision, to talk about launching a more formal community process for site redevelopment and to hear any questions and thoughts on residents’ minds. We will keep you posted on the date of this meeting and community members can email us at gillettecommunity.im@pg.com to request meeting notifications.  

2024 Atlantic Wharf Annual Work Plan & Chapter 91 Programming Public Meeting

There will be an in person public meeting on October 17, 2023 at  4pm to present the proposed 2024 Atlantic Wharf Annual Work Plan. During the meeting, Boston Properties (BXP) will present an overview of the future Fort Point Room, which will be relocated in 2024. 

All community members are welcome to attend the meeting and to participate in the review of the 2024 Plan and the discussion of future Chapter 91 event and community programming for the Fort Point Room.

The meeting will take place in the Fort Point Room on the 2nd floor of Atlantic Wharf at 290 Congress St. 

To RSVP, please email marketing@bxp.com.

For more information, view Related posts

originally published 10.10.23

Fort Point Landmarks October 2023 Meeting

updated 10/11/23 with presentations,

 THE FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION

will hold a public hearing on:

Thursday, October 12, 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 963 6282 0363#.You can also submit written comments or questions to FortPointLDC@boston.

I.  DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

APP # 24.0224 FPC  THOMSON PLACE
Applicant: James Gillen
Proposed Work: Continued from the September 14th FPCLDC hearing. Install (5) canopies at office building entries; Add additional catenary lighting to match the existing (removed by applicant) and the addition of building lighting to uplight the building facades. 

APP # 24.0308 FPC   25 THOMSON PLACE 
Applicant: Daniel Brennan
Proposed Work: Install new double-stroke, direct-applied Neon lit wall sign; install new 3' x2' banner flag. Moved to Administrative Review by staff.  

APP # 24.0238 FPC   374 CONGRESS STREET (removed by applicant)
Applicant: Donna Bennett 
Proposed Work: Build a new 6th floor roof deck level with existing penthouse. Roof deck to include custom pergola, bench, lounge and bar-style seating along with lush plantings and greenery.

APP # 24.0266 FPC    47 FARNSWORTH STREET (removed by applicant)
Applicant: Mario Watkins
Proposed Work: Install new roof lighting. 

APP # 24.0349 FPC    15 CHANNEL CENTER STREET
Applicant: Andrea Sonan
Proposed Work: Removal of non-functioning, rusting fire escapes at rear.

II.   ADVISORY REVIEW

APP # 24.0321 FPC     7 CHANNEL CENTER STREET
Applicant: Phil Marcotty  
Proposed Work: Redevelopment of the existing property at 7 Channel Center including the construction of a new 9-story building.

III.  ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

APP # 24.0137 FPC   9 CHANNEL CENTER STREET: Drill (1) hold through rear wall and install pipe and metal grill located next to existing vent.

APP # 24.0287 FPC   15 CHANNEL CENTER STREET: Replace two blue stones to match existing, repoint in kind.

APP # 24.0349 FPC 15 CHANNEL CENTER STREET: Emergency repair at rear to window lintels and masonry wall.

APP # 24.0308 FPC 25 THOMSON PLACE: Install new double-stroke, direct-applied Neon lit wall sign; install new 3' x2' banner flag.

IV.  RATIFICATION OF 9/14/23 PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES

V.   STAFF UPDATES

VI.  PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 7:30 PM

FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION

Members: David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, Lynn Smiledge, Vacancy, Vacancy

Alternates: Thomas Rodde, Vacancy

originally published 10.04.23

Fort Point Open Studios This Weekend

Fort Point Open Studios is this weekend! Come explore the art being created behind the doors of our historic waterfront warehouses and meet local artists, craftspeople and performers. Find established artists and discover new emerging talents. Immerse yourself in a captivating array of artwork. Buy original art directly from the people who make it. (There are only 76 shopping days until the holidays.)

Fort Point Open Studios is free and open to public. It takes place:

• Friday, October 13, 2023 from 4pm to 7pm (select studios)
• Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11am to 5pm
• Sunday, October 15, 2023 from 11am to 5pm

Fort Point will be alive with art, music, demonstrations, performances and public art.

Numerous Studios will be open in the neighborhood. 

The Artist Building at 300 Summer

The Muse (formerly Factory 63) at 63 Melcher St.

249 A Street Artists Cooperative including the 249 A Street Open Studios Artists Group Show at The Gallery at 249A

Midway Studios including Midway Open Studios Artists Group Show at the Midway Gallery at 15 Channel Center St

More Galleries

Atlantic Wharf presenting "Unearth" at 290 Congress St.

Assemblage Art Space presents FPAC Members Annual Open Studios Showcase at 70a Sleeper St (across from the Barking Crab at the Envoy Hotel).

Special Events

The Muse (63 Melcher St.) is hosting live music performances and a wine tasting. 

• On Saturday, Thomas Collum (violin, classical) at 2pm, Hua Ye /Jane (host, piano solo, classical) at 3pm and Joanna Lee (flute, classical) at 4pm. 
• On Sunday, Guillermo del Angel (cello, classical) at 2pm, Madeleine Farmer (vocal, pop) at 3pm and Hua Ye /Jane (host, piano solo, classical) at 4pm. 

Midway Studios (15 Channel Center St)

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) is offering family-friendly performances, demonstrations, and a showcase of work by Midway community artists. Programs will take place both indoors (Fort Point Lyric Room #102) and outdoors on BLO's Street Stage. 

Saturday

• Stage performances every half hour from 12pm to 3:30pm (rain date is Sunday) 
• BLO Demonstrations every half hour from 12:3pm to 3pm at Fort Point Lyric Room. 
• Special Guest:  Sharon Montella, Midway Studios’ dancer, choreographer and World Champion Black Belt in the dance-like form of Chinese Kung Fu, will perform her creative choreography at 3pm  
• Hansel & Gretel at 3:30pm for children aged 5 to12 years old.

 Sunday

• Fort Point Lyric Room Performances every half hour from12:30pm to 4pm.

Studio Troika is creating architectural experiences through virtual reality and is using Legos for model making (Saturday and Sunday in room 104).  On Saturday only, there will be an Architectural Wheel of Fortune. Come guess the correct architectural style to win a prize! 

For more details, visit Fort Point Open Studios 2023 or take a sneak peak at the digital Fort Point Open Studios program . 

Fort Point Open Studios is accessible by public transit from South Station, West Broadway  and the Silver line Courthouse station. Free parking is available at the Channelside lot (244 A Street). Open Studios parking passes can be found in the Open Studios program, which are available at any of the artist buildings or the information booth located at 241 A Street (Barlow’s Restaurant patio).

For over forty years, the the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) and the artists of Fort Point have welcomed visitors into their live-work studios annually to share the arts, industry, and creative culture of this unique community. To learn more about the history of artists in the neighborhood and the history of Fort Point, read A Short History of Fort Point by Don Eyles including Fort Point: A Brief History by the Seaport Alliance for Neighborhood Design.

Future of Open Space & Ground Floor Spaces At 244 -284 A Street

updated 10/6/23 with some additional follow up information provided by the applicant to MassDEP.

Related Beal is seeking a Chapter 91 Consolidated Written Determination for ground floor facilities of public accommodation (FPA) at 244‐284 A Street, to authorize:

• approximately 6.46‐acres of the mixed‐use development which includes three (3) residential/commercial/R&D Office buildings
• associated underground parking structure
• internal roadways
• open space/public parks, a waterfront overlook and dock 
• improvements to the existing Harborwalk 

in and on filled and flowed tidelands of the Fort Point Channel. Additionally, the Applicant seeks an extended license term pursuant to 310 CMR 9.15(b). The proposed project has been determined to be Nonwater‐Dependent.  

There will be two opportunities for the public to participate plus providing written public comments:

• MassDEP Public Hearing: October 2, 2023 at 2:00 pm  
• MassDEP Public Information Session: October 2, 2023 at 6:00 pm. 
• View Presentation
• View Additional Hearing Follow Up Information

Public Comments Deadline: October 25, 2023 to Susan You 

Project plans and documents for the Waterways application are on file for public viewing electronically at: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/PublicApp/ (enter 23‐WW16‐0001‐APP in the Search Page in the field for Record ID). If you need assistance, please contact susan.you@mass.gov or if you do not have access to email, please leave a message at(617) 292‐5929 for alternative options.

originally published 10.04.23

Future of Trees on A Street & Binford Street Public Hearing

updated 10/05/23 with tree hearing presentation.

Related Beal is requesting to remove 28 public shade trees in the 244 - 284 A Street project development site. The City of Boston's Park & Recreation Department will be holding a public hearing on:

Thursday, October 5, 2023

11am

via zoom

View presentation

Participate via phone: 646-558-8656

Webinar id: 891 0490 9851

The requested removal of the 28 trees encompass the following trees on the city sidewalks:

• 5 Sweetgum trees, 6 Oak tress and 6 Elm trees on Binford Street
• 11 Honey Locust trees on A Street 

Click on image to enlarge

Public comments, questions or objections to the removal of the trees must be submitted in writing prior to or during the hearing to the Tree Warden to parks@boston.gov with South Boston Tree Hearing in the subject line. 

A final decision will be rendered within two weeks of the hearing. 

For more information contact the Tree Warden at 617-635-7275.

originally posted 09.26.23

FPNA Fall Gathering Features Streets, Fort Point Open Studios & A New Neighborhood Association

09/29/23 updated with Summer Street Bus Pilot and Cypher St presentations. 

FPNA cordially invites you  to join us at our Fall Neighborhood Gathering on:

Tuesday, September 26, 2023
6pm
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue


featuring

Boston Police Community Service Officers

Summer Street Bus Pilot Update
Matt Moran, Boston Transportation Dept. Transit Team Director

View Presentation

Cypher Street Construction Update
Ileen Gladstone
Community Licensed Site Professional, GEI Consultants, Inc.

View Presentation

44th Annual Fort Point Open Studios
October 13-15, 2023
Duane Lucia, Fort Point Arts Community
 

and introducing the

Seaport Neighborhood Association

plus

Other Neighborhood News
232 A Street Development, A Street Improvements & More

originally published 9.21.23

About The Harbor & Channel This Week

September 25: Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park Transportation Advisory Committee Biannual Meeting at 1pm. 

September 26: Squares + Streets Chat With a Planner - South Boston from 8am to 10am at JFK/UMass MBTA Station.  

September 26: FPNA Fort Point Seaport Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm at District Hall. 

September 27: Boston Harbor Now Harbor Use Public Forum: South Boston Marine MultiPort at 8:30am. 

September 28: EMS Seaport 34 Drydock Ave MEPA Notice of Project Change comment deadline. This deadline will be extended to allow for a supplemental filing. New date tbd

September 29: Boston City Hall On The Go Truck at Seaport Common from 1pm to 2pm. 

September 29:  232 A Street, a single-building 455,050 sf life sciences development including Binford Park along the Fort Point Channel, BPDA project notification form comment deadline.

This Week and Next Week In The Neighborhood

updated 9/21 with South Boston Street Fest rescheduled to October 7th  

Please scroll down for happenings the week of September 11th.

September 5: 232 A Street Impact Advisory Group Public Meeting at 6pm The Proposed Project will construct a single-building 455,050 gsf lab/office/R&D development located at 232 A Street on the G8 parcel of 100 Acres Planned Development Area plus a waterfront park on the adjacent G7 parcel along Fort Point Channel. The public is welcome to attend and listen. Register 

September 5: The developer filed a combined Project Notification Form (Article 80) and Environmental Notification Form (MEPA); therefore, both City & State review processes are occurring around the same time with the MEPA comment deadline currently scheduled for  now extended to September 19th. Comments may be sent to Nick Perry.

September 6: CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE HEARING AT 10AM ON DOCKET #1043 to discuss increasing emergency services in tandem with population growth. For details for on providing written or verbal testimony (comments), click here.

September 6: Conservation Commission Public Meeting at 6pm. South and East Jetty (3 Dolphin Way) is on the agenda.

September 9: Insight Global: Be The Light hosted by WS Development will prepare you for your dream job. The event is from 9am-4pm at 88 Seaport Blvd. 

September 9: "State of Emergency, State of the Earth" art opening reception (4:30pm to 6:30pm) and runway show at 7pm at Midway Artist Studios. More details.

September 9: A Potter and A Painter- Creative Collaboration opening reception from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at FPAC's Assemblage at the Envoy Hotel, 70 Sleeper St

Cypher E Street Construction Meeting & ConCom Tonight

Massport is hosting a Cypher & E Streets Improvement Project Construction Meeting on:

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

6pm

Crispr Therapeutics

105 West First St

The meeting will discuss hours of operation, project and delivery schedule, truck and detour routes and environmental controls. Check out the new Cypher & E Street Project website

___________________________________________________________

The Boston Conservation Commission (ConCom) is meeting tonight:

September 20, 2023

6:00 pm

Zoom

Dial-in audio: 929-205-6099

Meeting ID: 686 458 2044#

View Full Agenda

Neighborhood Agenda Items

Notice of Intent for DEP File No. 006-XXXX and Boston File No. 2023-XXX from Childs Engineering on behalf of the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum for the proposed welding of additional steel pipe pile sections to the top of the existing steel guide piles as well as temporarily installing a barge alongside the existing facilities located at 306 Congress Street, Downtown Boston, MA (LUO).

Request for a Certificate of Compliance for DEP File No. 006-1806 from the Massachusetts Port Authority for the reconstruction of the container yard landward of Berths 11 and 12 at the Conley Container Terminal, located at 20 Farragut Road, South Boston, MA.

Final Free Household Hazardous Waste, Paper Shredding, Textiles & Electronics Drop-off of 2023

Boston residents can safely dispose of hazardous waste, shred unwanted documents, get rid of textiles and clothing, and recycle electronics for free. You will need to shop proof of residency.

September 23, 2023

• 

  8:30AM - 12:00PM
• 

  PUBLIC WORKS DISTRICT 1 YARD (D1)
  400 FRONTAGE ROAD

  BOSTON, MA 02118
• 
  

• 
  
• Latex and acrylic paint are NOT hazardous. Just let the paint dry out in the can and put it out on your trash day.
• Paper shredding is offered at all of events. Maximum amount is up to 10 copy paper size boxes or containers of your personal documents.
• All clothing and textiles, including pants, coats, hats, and suits. As long as it’s dry and not moldy, we want it. But, there are certain items excluded.
• You can also recycle electronics at this event. We don't take commercial material from businesses. Learn more about what electronics you can — and can't — recycle.