Results tagged “bostonredevelopmentauthority”

In a press release, mayoral candidate Sam Yoon proposed to undo Boston's BRA should he be elected. According to Yoon, the Boston Redevelopment Authority is an "outdated system that favors developers over communities, that lacks coordination, and that consumes a large amount of revenue with no oversight." He proposes to replace it with a "Community Development and Planning Agency,"—which, if he simply called it the "Community Neighborhood Development Operations Management," could have the acronym CONDOM—with an emphasis on transparency, citizen accountability, and green development. He even throws in a few biking shouts-out.

The Globe reports that the Boston Redevelopment Authority has given General Growth Properties 30 days to clean up its act or lose its lease on Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The company, which has been trying to sell its lease on the tourist trap, is in apparent default on several provisions of the lease, according to the City. Among the problems cited: the company has not provided evidence of general public liability insurance, which is especially troubling since the Marketplace has suffered two hold-ups and one serious pedestrian accident in the past three months. No word on any lease provisions limiting the number of living statues allowed on the property at any given time. [Globe]

The Globe ran an editorial yesterday telling us that having an actual race for mayor this year would be good for the city. Kind of a snoozefest if you ask us. You may love our Mayor for Life, but it's not newsworthy to ask him to earn that status by running against some other people. So far those people are looking like city councilors Sam Yoon and Michael Flaherty, plus the inevitable fringe candidates. [Kevin McCrea officially launched his mayoral campaign yesterday. --Ed]

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To provide an update on our MassDebate articles opposing and "meh"-ing the proposed redevelopment of the Shreve, Crump & Low building, it seems that Back Bay residents have united in strong opposition to the proposed modernist design, prompting the Boston Redevelopment Authority to put the project on hold. Citizens say there's too much glass, not enough tribute to the way the building used to be, and nothing "Boston" about it. Developer Ronald Druker says "We have an obligation to do a contemporary building and not to do a cartoon of a Back Bay building from the 19th century... Office buildings require consistency, and that's what we're in the process of creating." Consistent with what, we ask--genericness?

--More fire department turmoil: A panel of union firefighters determined that the alcohol and drugs found in the bodies of firefighters Paul Cahill and Warren Payne in August's Tai Ho Restaurant blaze did not cause their deaths. But the fire commissioner begs to differ. [Boston Globe, background: Bostonist]

-- MBTA and MBCR in a war of the quips over why the commuter rail sucks. Massachussetts Liberal says "Grabauskas must go!" (via Universal Hub) -- Senator Steve Baddour wants to milk some sacred cows. It sounds dirty, but he just wants to get rid of the police details. -- ACLU reminds Boston residents targeted by the BPD Safe Homes project about a crazy little thing called rights. -- Get ready to learn about Downtown...

We can't get the image of the neon red lights invading Kramer's apartment in the episode of Seinfeld when Kenny Rogers Roasters opened up a joint right outside his bedroom window. The affliction for Northeastern University residents in the proposed building wouldn't be the sleepless nights, apartment trading, and addiction to rotisserie chicken, rather perverse Village People nightmares as the YMCA sign flashes into the evening. If approved, the GrandMarc, a proposed 34 story...

We're playing a little game we call "what's Tommy's name not on?" The Zamboni that smoothes the ice at the Frog Pond? It's on there. The welcome sign to Boston? It's on there. The toothbrushes the Boston Public Health Commission distributes? It's on there (and happens to be absurdly huge.) The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center? Yeah, that's it. Menino's name does not adorn the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is not yet called...

The Boston Redevelopment Authority has finally approved the construction of a new Apple store on Boylston Street in Back Bay, which could be done as early as December 2007. Not only will you be able to wait in frustration for hours at the "Genius Bar", but you'll be able to join the scads of Bostonians you try to avoid in said line. Sweet. Admittedly, the building (a giant glass cube) is alluring. Moreso, though,...

Image of Allston in, oh, say 50 years, is an artists rendering included in the plan

The city of Boston unveiled new plans today to hold private developers to a more environmentally friendly standard. The Globe reports that the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) will incorporate these regulations into building codes for the city.

Totally ready to chalk it up to yet another hare-brained scheme by Menino, we read on and found out that the Walk of Fame idea was presented by one of our favorite city councilors, John Tobin. In even more shocking news Bostonist is on the same page as Globe columnist Brian McGrory. The proposed Walk of Fame, an idea which St. Louis, Mo., Lansing, Mich., and Toronto, Canada among others have already stolen, would spice up the already shimmering sidewalks in the Theatre District. You’ve noticed too that the sidewalks in the Theatre District on Washington St. heading into Downtown Crossing have a bit of glitter mixed in, right? The glitz is especially noticeable on sunny afternoons.

We've been sitting on our hands wondering how we were going to approach Menino's call for a new downtown skyscraper last week without making all sorts of inadequacy jokes, you know, how this skyscraper might just be Menino's viagra. Damn, we blew our load already. To be just as blunt the basic story told is that Menino has called for a 1,000 foot skyscraper (that's roughly 80 stories, John Hancock is 62). And all Bostonist can do is giggle thinking about how he doesn't measure up to Dubai's planned phallus. In the speech he made announcing the plan he described a tower as a way to showcase the promise and strength of Boston's economic future. Seems reasonable enough, but we do remember hearing a little something about Fidelity shifting some jobs to North Carolina, and the potential for Gillette, following the P&G merger, to pull some of their operations out of the Prudential Center leaving a bit of real estate open for new tenants.

Oh, Haymarket, how Bostonist loves your super low prices, general uncleanliness, and the gruff attitude of most of your vendors. What we really enjoy is the good bit of sauce you leave at the end of the day. But we’ve found a new spot for our fresh food, Mondays and Thursdays, so we don’t have to wait for the weekend. Walking across the Old Northern Avenue Bridge, a vibrant open air market surrounds you. If you look down, you will see sailboats moving along the Fort Point Channel, passing the fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, meats, and breads sold by local producers.

Bostonist learned from today's Globe that Boston City Councilman Paul Scapicchio (about whom some unrelated, but interesting, news here) wants to change the rules regarding affordable housing lotteries to give priority to neighborhood residents. In the past, similar rules were rejected on the (probably correct, we suspect) theory that favoring neighborhood residents would perpetuate racial segregation (because new housing in, say, a mostly white neighborhood would end up going mostly to white people). But Scapicchio and others are backing the move now because, Scapicchio says, the problem of racial segregation in Boston has been supplanted by gentrification. To this, Bostonist can only say, unironically, "Really?"

Navy Yard, home to that thriving vibrant life associated with a National Park Service site and home to the oldest commissioned warship in the US Navy’s fleet is missing art. Yes, art. Boston has successfully turned the factories of the South End into SoWa, with First Fridays open studios and dozens of little galleries. Where’s the next hotbed of inspiration? The Charlestown Navy Yard really screams to us "I want to be a Creative Incubator!" Boston Redevelopment Authority envisions Navy Yard as a home to artists, artisans, and public art installations. An initiative outlined in March by the BRA described an effort reinvigorate the area with specialty lighting for the ships, distinctive signage, specific area’s of interest on each pier, and general connectivity with the Harborwalk defined by blue bubbles lining the sidewalk (take that Freedom Trail). In addition to the Waterfront Activation Plan is announced intention to turn the BRA owned Ropewalk Building into

a mix of workspaces for artists and for creative companies, such as furniture artisans, graphic designers, and music publishers. These creative entrepreneurs would be supported by a system that allows them to share resources...other possibilities include a retail component, which would sell the products of the artists, extending the range of services available to residents of surrounding area.