In 2008 the BRA submitted for State approval an amendment to the East Boston Municipal Harbor Plan (MHP) to advance the community’s vision for their waterfront and facilitate the redevelopment of three underutilized properties along the East Boston waterfront: 6-26 New Street, 102-148 Border Street (Boston East) and 125 Summer Street.
The plan was developed through numerous public meetings involving the property owners, area residents, business owners, harbor advocates and a MHP Advisory Committee to formalize project building heights, setbacks, uses and measures to activate the waterfront, consistent with the objectives of the East Boston MHP and State Waterways Regulations (Chapter 91) standards.
The final State approved plan provides for needed mixed use development projects at New Street and Boston East including residential uses, retail and restaurants. The projects will also function to open previously closed sections of the waterfront to the public with new reaches of HARBORWALK and open space plazas that will provide sweeping views of the inner-harbor, Charlestown and North End waterfronts. The MHP also facilitates the rehabilitation of the shore-side infrastructure at these properties with the removal of dilapidated timber pile fields, the reconstruction of granite seawalls and bulkheads, as well as the establishment of a new water taxi stop and marina at New Street, and a kayak launch at Boston East. Both projects must also accommodate anticipated waterfront industrial uses associated with a Designated Port Area adjacent to the properties.