Waterfront Civic / Cultural Space Planning Study
We’re working to improve the delivery conditions and tenanting processes for Civic/Cultural Space made available through Chapter 91 Facilities of Public Accomodations.
The Waterfront Civic/Cultural Space Planning Study is intended to assess the existing and pending civic/cultural uses and future opportunities across waterfront areas in Boston to inform more equitable planning, design and tenanting approaches for spaces provided through Chapter 91 regulations. In addition, this planning study is anticipated to update the City’s evidence base on civic/cultural uses, space needs, FPA outcomes, and design and operational processes. At its core, this planning study will inform ongoing development projects with relevant civic/cultural, FPA, and affordable retail space commitments, particularly in neighborhoods such as Dorchester, Fort Point, Charlestown, and East Boston.
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Background Information
The Waterfront Civic/Cultural Space Planning Study is a Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) Cultural Planning project led in collaboration with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA). MOAC frequently collaborates with the BPDA to identify civic and cultural users for specific projects along Boston’s historic waterfront. Space is made available through MGL Chapter 91: The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act as a part of Interior Facilities of Public Accommodations (FPA) in private buildings.
The City of Boston seeks to effectively and efficiently match prospective tenants with civic/cultural space made available by Chapter 91 entitlements. The primary objectives of this project are:
- Inventory the existing, pending, and future civic/cultural spaces that are available through Chapter 91 and need or will need to be tenanted,
- Gain a deeper understanding of the types of civic/cultural users in the City of Boston that would benefit from Chapter 91 FPA space, and
- Simplify and make more equitable the delivery and tenanting processes of Chapter 91 FPA spaces so that the City of Boston may more efficiently match prospective tenants with available spaces.
Final Planning Documents
Space Needs Guidelines
The Space Needs Guidelines serve as a starting point for developers and space users to understand the general needs of some common civic/cultural spaces. While not all needs and user types are represented, these guidelines help standardize the delivery conditions based on the target user(s).
Documentation of Barriers
The Documentation of Barriers helped inform the final planning recommendations. This document is rich with information on what conditions prevent successful civic/cultural FPA spaces.
Final Recommendations
Following a public presentation of these recommendations and a public comment period, MOAC has finalized the recommendations and implementation items as a result of this planning effort.
Past Public Meetings
Past Public MeetingsThis meeting provided an update on the status of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Waterfront Space Planning Study as well as reported out the initial findings from the Related Beal RFI for 244-248 A Street. The public heard briefly about the progress the consultant team has made on the Waterfront Study, an updated timeline, and ongoing opportunities for feedback. Participants also learned more about the feedback received by the Related Beal team and how it will be incorporated into the
MOAC process.
The purpose of this meeting was to inform the public of the launch of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture Waterfront Civic/Cultural Space Planning Study and the incorporation of the Related Beal civic/cultural space request for information into the larger space planning study.
The purpose of this meeting was to inform the public of the recommendations from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Waterfront Space Planning Study which will be provided by the consulting team Isenberg Projects and Agency Landscape + Planning.
Context
This body of work aims to build upon other planning conducted by the City of Boston.
- Boston Creates: A 10-year plan for enhancing arts and culture in Boston.
- Study of Cultural, Civic, and Non-Profit Facilities of Public Accomodations in Boston, 2005
- MGL Chapter 91: The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act: The Commonwealth's primary tool for protection and promotion of public use of its tidelands and other waterways.
Additional Resources
We spoke with Isenberg Projects, who were selected by the City of Boston to study waterfront civic and cultural space...
Read the public comments on the draft recommendations.
See the first public draft of the recommendations from the Waterfront Civic/Cultural Space Planning Study.
Who's Involved:
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