Boston Looks to ‘Skyline’ for Help
Changes designed to attract more developers and commercial tenants to downtown Boston and avoid a looming fiscal chasm tied to declining office occupancy are moving closer to the finish line.
Wu Inks Planning Oversight Reform
Marking the creation of a new planning department that is independent from development approvals, Mayor Michelle Wu chose a backdrop that signified a potential end to heavy-handed government powers to shape Boston’s neighborhoods.
Charlestown Neighbors Challenge Hotel Conversion
Charlestown neighborhood residents are heading to court in an attempt to block conversion of a former Navy Yard hotel into supportive housing.
Wu Files Ordinance to Replace BPDA with Planning Department
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took another step forward in her plan to bring the city’s planning and development arm more firmly under the control of elected officials.
BPDA OKs Ambitious Charlestown Growth Plans
Boston planning officials gave their OK to a major rezoning of Charlestown’s industrial areas Thursday night, the penultimate step in paving the way for major commercial and residential growth around the neighborhood’s subway stops.
A Checklist for Change in Charlestown
Developers would find a clear pathway to build higher-density projects lining the upper deck of Interstate 93 at Boston’s northern gateway under a rezoning plan nearing the finish line.
Critics Dismiss PLAN: Downtown as ‘Spot Zoning’
Proposed new downtown Boston zoning drew critiques as a developer-driven plan that allows excessive building heights and puts historical properties at risk.
Regulators Eye ‘Embodied Carbon’ in New Buildings
Is another sustainability regulation coming down the line for Boston developers? Traditional commercial building materials such as steel and concrete are drawing scrutiny from regulators as a potential contributor to the building sector’s carbon footprint.
Report: Effort Afoot to Unionize BPDA
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s effort to dismantle and replace the Boston Planning & Development Agency could have another obstacle in its path: a unionization drive targeting the quasi-public authority’s staff.
Land for Sale Cheap, With Strings Attached
A formula that includes discounted land acquisition costs, federal ARPA funding and promises of fast-track permitting will be tested as Boston begins to offer surplus properties for multifamily development and try to put a dent in housing costs. And a separate state program could follow next year.
Midwood Proposal Reignites Debate over Downtown Future
Neighborhood residents and real estate executives are sparring as a developer renews its push for a 24-story tower in Downtown Crossing. At stake: competing visions for downtown Boston’s future.
Boston City Council OK’s Rent Control, BPDA Revamp
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu scored big victories on two of her signature campaign pledges Wednesday. But both proposals must now run the gauntlet on Beacon Hill before they can become law.
Boston Councilors Query Proposed BPDA Mission Changes
If Boston is going to be able to meet the challenges of the moment, its body overseeing development needs a new charter, Boston Planning & Development Agency officials argued to city councilors Monday.
Permits Paint Picture of Slowing, but Strong Lab Sector
New lab buildings are shouldering most of the load keeping Boston’s tax base growing, and city data shows the construction boom is still rolling. But not everything is OK.
Wu’s Pledge to Streamline BPDA Is Familiar Tune
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s pledge to “streamline” the development approval process is a familiar one for anyone tracking Boston’s real estate scene. Will this time be any more successful than her four predecessors’ efforts?
Worrying Data Suggests Boston’s Housing Boom Is Stalling
Something is happening when it comes to the development of new housing in Boston, and it’s not good: the number of homes getting teed up for construction is falling off a cliff.
Orient Heights Housing Proposal Expands
An East Boston multifamily development is being resubmitted after the developer added a second building site that would create a combined 41 housing units.
For Boston Officials, Sustainability Begins at Home
A former seafood processing plant in South Boston will become the one of the first demonstration projects for Mayor Michelle Wu’s push to slash fossil fuel use in new developments.
BPDA OKs 93 Condos, 43 Apartments
Four new multifamily projects advanced at the Boston Planning & Development Agency board of directors’ August meeting Thursday evening.
New Planning Chief Has Eye on Downtown
As he assumes the powers of Boston’s new planning czar, BPDA Director James Arthur Jemison II is paying special attention to the future of downtown zoning and managing a looming development boom in Charlestown.
