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BRA seeks to encourage continued growth of South Boston Waterfront

Jan 27, 2016

Agency will work with community to amend South Boston Waterfront Municipal Harbor Plan to facilitate redevelopment of parcels at 150 Seaport Boulevard
 
As towers filled with new housing, offices, and retail space rise around them, two restaurants – The Whiskey Priest and Atlantic Beer Garden – have been mainstays of the now rapidly changing South Boston Waterfront since the late 1990s. But the restaurants, which at one time were among the only active businesses in the Seaport, could soon be closing their doors to make way for a new mixed-use development at 150 Seaport Boulevard.
 
In December, the owners of the property filed a Letter of Intent with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to construct a 22-story, 275,000 square foot building with a mix of residential, retail, and restaurant uses. Cronin Holdings LLC, the project proponent, hopes to build 110 residential units atop two floors of retail and restaurant space, in addition to renovating a section of the Harborwalk in order to improve the connection between Pier 4 and Northern Avenue. Their goal is to enhance public access to the waterfront by creating a vibrant, inviting, and pedestrian-friendly development that complements the dramatic revival that the waterfront has undergone in the last fifteen years.
 
The development team hopes that the design of the building, led by Elkus Manfredi Architects, becomes one of the most compelling aspects of the proposal. The twisting and angular design of the proposed 250-foot building, which resembles billowing sails, was inspired by the maritime history of the area.
 
Before shovels hit the ground, however, the proposal will first have to undergo the BRA’s extensive development review process. And because of its location on the waterfront, the BRA will also work with the community to amend the South Boston Waterfront Municipal Harbor Plan. The amended plan will be developed in conjunction with an advisory committee that will hold public meetings regularly throughout the winter.
 
The first public meeting is scheduled for 6p.m. on Wednesday, February 3 at District Hall, right down the street from the Institute of Contemporary Arts and a short walk from Courthouse Station on the Silver Line.
 
The intent of the planning effort is to facilitate the redevelopment of the parcels at 150 Seaport Boulevard and to update the South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan to reflect the numerous planning initiatives and city policies related to the planning area that have developed since the plan’s original approval in 2000.  While the renewal process is more of an administrative exercise to maintain the effectiveness of the plan, it will allow for the integration of recent transportation planning, open space objectives, urban design priorities, as well as climate adaptation and resiliency.
 
Learn more about the planning initiative and the upcoming public meeting by visiting our online calendar. We hope to see you at District Hall next Wednesday!


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