The BPDA’s property inventory, which is managed by the Planning Department, consists of land parcels ranging from small, unbuildable parcels best suited for use by abutters, to larger parcels and sites consisting of contiguous land parcels that are suitable for residential, mixed-use or commercial development. The Planning Department’s Real Estate Division conducts strategic property dispositions with the goal of maximizing public benefit generated from public land. We are also committed to working with the community to activate underutilized property within the BPDA portfolio.
Property Disposition Process
These property dispositions are conducted through an open, transparent, community-driven process. We follow Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 30B as the guideline for our property sale process. Per Chapter 30B, we dispose of a parcel of land in one of the following ways:
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Issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). The development guidelines of our RFPs are deeply informed by community feedback, including the uses of the site, circulation, and community benefits. All RFPs for public land include criteria to promote diversity and inclusion, fostering a more inclusive workforce throughout the City of Boston.
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Transfer the parcel to another government agency. For example, we may transfer land to the Parks and Recreation Department to preserve land as open space, or transfer land to the Mayor's Office of Housing to develop neighborhood infill housing.
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Directly designate unbuildable parcels with values of $35,000 and below to abutters.
In very rare cases where there is only one qualified bidder, the BPDA may depart from 30B and directly designate a parcel valued over $35,000. In these cases, Planning Department staff prioritizes community feedback and will conduct a community process.
Interested parties are encouraged to contact the Real Estate Division to inquire about specific parcels.
All of our RFPs for the disposition of our property are posted on our procurement webpage and also advertised publicly across Boston.
Property Inventory
Use the BPDA Owned Land application to view a map of BPDA-owned property managed by the Planning Department and generate a report of property data.
Property Activation
The BPDA owns and manages a number of unique assets across the City of Boston, including open space and underutilized properties.Through creative activation, a portion of these spaces can be used for local placemaking and opportunities for Boston’s artists and entrepreneurs.
Community members interested in using BPDA-owned facilities should complete the BPDA Facility Interest Form, providing information on the proposed activation at least 30 days prior to use. If the proposed usage spans a period longer than one month, we require at least 60 days notice prior to use to assess the utilization and seek necessary approvals.