Lewis Wharf and Other North End BRA Projects
Larger projects in the North End are managed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. This page overviews the status of all of these BRA projects and provides an overview of the BRA "Article 80" process which offers our residents a very limited form of public input to the projects.
Under Article 80, the BRA is required to assemble a citizen Impact Advisory Group (IAG) for each project which reaches the Proposal phase. The IAG is appointed by the Mayor's office, our district and at-large City Councilors, our State Rep, and our State Senator. Although the IAG may meet several times during the Proposal phase, the BRA is actually under no obligation to act on anything the IAG or the community says. This contrasts starkly to the normal North End neighborhood process, where NEWRA members actually vote on each project and NEWRA's letter has actual standing with the City and in the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing. The IAG process, more of a broadcast mechanism for the dissemination of development information from the BRA, needs to be reformed to include true listening and a resident voting process. We are hopeful that these needed Article 80 reforms will happen soon at the BRA.
The following diagram outlines the Article 80 process and the associated milestones:
Under Article 80, the BRA is required to assemble a citizen Impact Advisory Group (IAG) for each project which reaches the Proposal phase. The IAG is appointed by the Mayor's office, our district and at-large City Councilors, our State Rep, and our State Senator. Although the IAG may meet several times during the Proposal phase, the BRA is actually under no obligation to act on anything the IAG or the community says. This contrasts starkly to the normal North End neighborhood process, where NEWRA members actually vote on each project and NEWRA's letter has actual standing with the City and in the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing. The IAG process, more of a broadcast mechanism for the dissemination of development information from the BRA, needs to be reformed to include true listening and a resident voting process. We are hopeful that these needed Article 80 reforms will happen soon at the BRA.
The following diagram outlines the Article 80 process and the associated milestones:
Below please find useful documents on the various BRA projects in and around the North End.
The most visible project in the North End is the proposed Lewis Wharf Hotel, which is still in the Proposal stage of the BRA's Article 80 process. An IAG has been formed, a preliminary proposal has been made, and the PDF has been filed, as well as an ENF (Environmental Notification Form). No preliminary or draft Environmental Impact Report has been submitted or circulated yet. Lewis Wharf is in the Downtown Waterfront / Faneuil Hall Urban Renewal Zone.
The most visible project in the North End is the proposed Lewis Wharf Hotel, which is still in the Proposal stage of the BRA's Article 80 process. An IAG has been formed, a preliminary proposal has been made, and the PDF has been filed, as well as an ENF (Environmental Notification Form). No preliminary or draft Environmental Impact Report has been submitted or circulated yet. Lewis Wharf is in the Downtown Waterfront / Faneuil Hall Urban Renewal Zone.
Parcel 9, or the Haymarket Hotel project, is also in the Proposal stage of the BRA's Article 80 process. This project started with a Mass DOT bid on use of the Big Dig parcel (all such parcels are owned by Mass DOT). The project was passed to the BRA for project management in 2014, and an IAG was formed at that point. A PDA (or Planned Development Area, allowing for quick zoning changes) has been formed around this project, even though the North End had previously been assured that no PDA would be created for this project. Technically, Parcel 9 is not in the North End but it is in City Council District 1, our/Sal LaMattina's district. Parcel 9 is NOT in an Urban Renewal Zone.
The high-rise project proposed for 88 North Washington Street is a so-called "skinny" hotel, a medium-size hotel build on a very narrow footprint. This project is just entering the Proposal phase. Although this project is across North Washington Street and therefore technically outside the North End, the largest residential body it will affect is in the North End, so we will follow this project closely. This project is NOT in an Urban Renewal Zone.
The BRA has already Approved plans to demolish part of the Government Center Garage and replace it with a number of buildings, some of them quite tall. Although the GC Garage project is "Approved" by the BRA, there are still a number of state and federal approvals outstanding, including important environmental approvals associated with the demolition of a garage likely built with a high concentration of toxic PCB's. Additionally, NEWRA has a long-standing concern, not addressed by the BRA or the state, that the currently-over-capacity Haymarket Station will not be expanded during the project. Rather, access to the station will become more limited, the busway will be reduced in size by 40%, several bus berths will be pushed into an already over-congested Surface Road, and insufficient accommodations are being made during the construction phase to accommodate the thousands of daily commuters who frequent this station. This project is in the Government Center Urban Renewal Zone.
The Boston Garden Project proposes a large mixed use project on and in front of the footprint of the TD Boston Garden. Although this project is already Under Construction, ongoing changes to the plans are having serious effects on the configuration of the entrances to the MBTA station, as well as the follow-through on the city's commitment to locate a supermarket on the site. The Boston Garden project is in the North Station Urban Renewal Zone.