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Urban Renewal extension receives Council approval

Mar 25, 2016

Earlier this week, the Boston City Council approved a 6-year extension of 14 expiring urban renewal plan areas by a vote of 10-3. The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) initially requested a 10-year extension, however the agency measures the success of this approval not only in terms of the extension length, but also in the process’ ability to function as relationship-building with the public and with the City Council. Success was achieved on both accounts and the BRA is deeply appreciative of the enormous time and energy spent engaging the agency on this issue.
 
This process began in December 2014 with a City Council briefing. The first public meeting was March 2015, then came a year-long public engagement effort, punctuated by regular community meetings and stakeholder roundtables. This process required a conscientious look at the BRA’s history. A  dedicated website  was created to make urban renewal documents from both past and present publicly available for download, and notably, this process allowed for the BRA to partner with the West End Museum in fall 2015 for an exhibition, setting the stage for Director Brian Golden's historic apology for the demolition of the West End. 
 
While the process is not complete and the BRA must still seek approval from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the City Council’s vote to approve this urban renewal extension represents a significant milestone. Now, it is only fitting to look forward and consider the future of the BRA. 

Please stay tuned for continued updates in the coming weeks.

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