BRA launches transit-oriented
planning efforts in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and South Boston
Focused studies will engage
residents with goal of preserving, enhancing, and growing neighborhood assets
BOSTON – This month the Boston
Redevelopment Authority (BRA) will formally begin comprehensive planning
studies of two transit-oriented corridors, one spanning Washington Street and
Columbus Avenue in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury and the other along Dorchester
Avenue in South Boston. In a December speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce, Mayor Martin J. Walsh highlighted the need to create a holistic plan
for these areas, both of which are experiencing market pressures to transform
former industrial or underutilized sites into vibrant mixed-use developments
that can better meet neighborhood needs.
The BRA will work with
community members and elected officials, as well as planning, design, and
economic development professionals over the course of the next year to create
detailed plans that include recommendations for updating zoning in each area so
that it is consistent with current redevelopment goals. Given their proximity
to major public transit nodes, the Washington Street and Dorchester Avenue
corridors are seen as prime locations to support new middle-income housing,
which is a priority for Mayor Walsh’s administration.
“It’s clear that developers
have taken a serious interest in both of these areas, and we should use that as
an opportunity to put together a comprehensive vision to guide development in
the future,” said Mayor Walsh. “We have an undeniable need for more affordable
housing in the City of Boston. We know these areas have the potential to
accommodate new housing, but we want to work with residents to see what else we
can do to strengthen their neighborhoods.”
“Transit-oriented developments
are growing in popularity because they provide conveniences that aren’t
possible when one has to rely on a car to get around,” BRA Director Brian
Golden observed. “We’ll use the Orange Line in JP and Roxbury and the Red Line
in South Boston to our advantage as we study the untapped potential of these
areas. Great things already exist in both places. The question now is, how can
we all work together to preserve, enhance, and grow those unique assets?”
The Jamaica
Plain and Roxbury corridor study will
focus on a stretch that spans Washington Street and Columbus Avenue, running
between the MBTA’s Forest Hills and Jackson Square stations on the Orange Line.
Amory Street will form the western boundary of the study area. The planning
effort will look strategically at the uses, public realm improvements, and
scale of development that are best suited to the corridor. It will determine
the compatibility of different uses, including housing, commercial, light
industrial, and open space, while also surveying the impacts of traffic on
walkability and other mobility considerations.
The recent wave of mixed-use
residential projects along Washington Street will be of particular focus, as
the BRA works with community members and other stakeholders to determine the
overall impacts of redevelopment opportunities in the area. Projects along the
corridor that are currently under review by the BRA include 3200
Washington Street, 3371
Washington Street, and Bartlett
Square II. Working with the community, the BRA will produce recommendations
for updated zoning, public realm enhancements, traffic mitigation, and economic
development opportunities.
In South Boston, the Dorchester
Avenue corridor from Andrew
Square to Broadway Station is undergoing a shift away from traditional
manufacturing and industrial uses, as demand for residential and mixed-use
development increases. For example, the BRA is reviewing a proposal for 235
Old Colony Avenue that would
create several hundred apartments and retail stores on former industrial sites.
Situated between two major Red Line stations and bus hubs, the corridor is ripe
for transit-oriented development. Similar to the Washington Street corridor,
the goal of the South Boston study will be to create new zoning that aligns the
aspirations of the community with predictable development conditions.
Dorchester Avenue’s
underutilized light industrial buildings will be the primary focus. The BRA
will look to residents for ideas on how such properties could be transformed to
contribute more positively to the corridor in the future. The study will
suggest strategies for improving access to retail and developing affordable
housing to meet the needs of local families, in addition to public realm
improvements, traffic mitigation, and other economic development opportunities.
The Dorchester Avenue study
area encompasses a portion of South Boston’s largest residential zoning
district. The so-called H-1-50 zone, which touches Andrew Square, will be
analyzed in hopes of updating antiquated zoning to allow for reasonable
increases in density that would accommodate population growth. Based on
resounding feedback from neighborhood residents and South Boston’s elected officials,
Mayor Walsh has asked the BRA to work with the community so that any new zoning
recommendations maintain the character of this residential district and place a
renewed emphasis on architectural continuity.
The
BRA is soliciting nominations for two advisory groups to help guide the public
process and provide a wide range of stakeholder input for each study area.
Elected officials, community organizations, and residents are encouraged to
nominate individuals.
Community
meetings are expected to begin in late July in both study areas. The BRA is
taking a more creative approach to public engagement than it has in the past.
In addition to traditional town-hall style meetings, there will also be
“walk-shops,” where participants will be invited to tour the study areas with
BRA planners, and other interactive planning exercises.
In May, Mayor Walsh kicked off Imagine
Boston 2030, an effort to create Boston’s first citywide plan in 50 years.
While that process will define a broad vision for the city leading up to its
400th birthday, the Washington Street and Dorchester Avenue studies are the
first two instances of more targeted planning efforts to update the zoning code
for areas experiencing significant development pressures. The BRA has worked
with the Mayor’s Office to identify up to a dozen other targeted planning areas
around the city, the study of which would complement the citywide plan.
About the Boston Redevelopment
Authority
As the City of Boston’s urban
planning and economic development agency, the BRA works in partnership with the
community to plan Boston's future while respecting its past. The agency’s
passionate and knowledgeable staff guides physical, social, and economic change
in Boston’s neighborhoods and its downtown to shape a more prosperous,
sustainable, and beautiful city for all. The BRA also prepares residents for
new opportunities through employment training, human services and job creation.
Learn more at www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org,
and follow us on Twitter@BostonRedevelop.
