BRA

The BRA: No longer just for urban planning

adamg — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:54:29 +0000

Longwood skyline to get taller with 17-story Emmanuel dorm

adamg — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:50:29 +0000

Emmanuel College got a green light from the city this week to finish plans for a 17-story dorm on Brookline Avenue and to lease part of its campus to Brigham and Women's for a new research building on Avenue Louis Pasteur.

In a vote earlier this week, the BRA approved the college's "institutional master plan," which calls for replacing the existing four-story Julie Hall with a high rise that will include dorm rooms for 720 students (500 more than the current building) as well as classroom and dining space. The college also wants to build an underground garage, which will allow for the replacement of current parking-lot spaces with landscaping.

The specific building project still needs to go through the BRA's public-hearing process, as does another proposal to add five stories to the college library.

The college also plans to lease part of its campus along Avenue Louis Pasteur to Brigham and Women's, which plans to use the land to build a 360,000-square foot research facility sometime over the next six to eight years. In 2000, the college leased another parcel on the street to Merck.

New Balance project calls for 15-story hotel, track stadium, offices in Brighton

adamg — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:39:16 +0000

The Boston Business Journal details the company's filing with the BRA for its $235-million project.

Anthony's Pier 4 one step closer to disappearing

adamg — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:27:20 +0000

The BRA last night gave final approval to plans for the first of three new developments on the pier, a 383-unit apartment building, the Boston Business Journal reports.

The BRA has more details on the project.

BRA approves 47-story Copley Place tower

adamg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:22:11 +0000

The Herald reports on last night's BRA meeting on a developer's plan to build a tower with 318 condos and new retail space above the existing Neiman Marcus.

Zoning commission goes with scientists over city councilor; approves urban farm zone

adamg — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:20:48 +0000

Longtime urban farmer Sonny Washington supported proposal.

The Boston Zoning Commission this morning unanimously approved a zoning change to turn two vacant city-owned lots in Dorchester into urban farms.

The commission approved a BRA "urban agriculture overlay district" for lots on Glenway and Tucker streets.

Victory Programs' ReVision Urban Farm will create a farm on a vacant city lot at 23-29 Tucker St., while City Growers will build a farm at 131 Glenway St.

Chinatown block demolished for Southeast Expressway in early 1960s to be developed again

adamg — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:32:47 +0000

Parcel 24. Graphic from Asian Community Development Corp.

City and state officials gather Monday morning to announce financial help for a planned development that would restore housing to a block demolished for a support structure for I-93 nearly five decades agao.

Up to $125 million in potential development near Dudley Square

adamg — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:16:25 +0000

The Boston Redevelopment Authority reports it's received four proposals for two vacant parcels near Dudley Square, including a $125-million project that would include 144 apartments as well as commercial and retail space.

The BRA says its staff will review the four proposals, then hold public meetings to discuss them. No dates were announced.

Finally: BRA lets JP be JP

adamg — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 20:50:33 +0000

The Jamaica Plain Gazette gives huzzahs to the BRA for its maps based on the 2010 census, which, among other things, show District E-13 as actually being in JP and Mission Church as actually not being in JP.

BRA approves new recreational facility for Jackson Square

adamg — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:26:02 +0000

The Boston Redevelopment Authority reports it's given its nod to a $16-million facility that will feature a skating rink in the winter and an indoor turf yard the rest of the year.

The Columbus Avenue facility is part of the Jackson Commons project, which also calls for 438 new housing units - 291 designated as "affordable" - and community facilities, along with new retail and office space on 11.2 acres along Columbus Avenue.

Judge tosses state approval of restaurant at the end of Long Wharf

adamg — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:05:11 +0000

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports a Suffolk Superior Court judge has overturned the state's permit for turning the shelter at the end of Long Wharf into a seafood restaurant.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, which has oversight because of the location on the waterfront, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which owns the shelter, want to lease it to restaurant operator Michael Conlon. A group of ten North End residents, however, sued. The next step for DEP and the BRA would be an appeal to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Given how long appeals can take, Conlon might also have to convince the Boston Licensing Board they should continue to let him hold onto a liquor license he isn't actually using.

BRA: New York firm playing No. 6 to City Hall's No. 2 over Faneuil Hall

adamg — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 04:35:20 +0000

The city, which actually owns Faneuil Hall Marketplace, has blocked plans by its current bankrupt manager to sell management rights to a New York firm, the Herald reports. The BRA claims it wants information on how the new operator would actually manage the marketplace and bring back the local stores that once filled it, but that the company refuses to dish.

Negotiations have not gone well:

Proposed Long Wharf restaurant gets 60-day reprieve

adamg — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:29:32 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board voted today to give restaurateur Michael Conlon at least two more months to actually start using the liquor license he was granted in 2007 for a restaurant at the end of Long Wharf that has yet to open.

New BRA director: Boston in better shape than other cities

adamg — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:07 +0000

WBUR interviews Peter Meade.

Two non-profits take crack at reusing Roslindale Square's decaying brick behemoth

lex.galloway — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:13:47 +0000

Two non-profit groups are the latest to take a whack at finding uses for the long dormant, increasingly decaying Roslindale Square substation, which lost its purpose decades ago when trolleys stopped running down Washington Street.