Boston’s South Station May Provide Huge Development Project
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Boston over the past couple of decades has fought a lack of capacity in its real estate market creating huge pricing swings as demand rises and falls. Now the Boston Redevelopment Authority has approved the development of land between Fort Point Channel and South Station. Presently these neighborhoods are dominated by parking lots and 19th century warehouses. Not your best use of land in a overcrowded market.
There is your typical fly in the ointment though. The Boston Preservationist Society is now jumping into the fray threatening to designate parts of the future development as historical landmarks.
My question is this, is the Boston Preservationist Society pro preservation or anti capitalist? They have had decades to mark the land as historical landmarks. Now that people are going develop the land in a purpose that does not suit their purposes, they are using preservation as a tool to hinder development. So either they are looking to shake down the developers or stop growth. Preservation could have been done years ago but that was not a priority. It should not be one now.
The BRA’s vote sets the stage for what could be $2 billion worth of development that could create a new neighborhood of offices, parks, condos, apartments and shops within the shadow of Boston’s Financial District, said Kairos Shen, director of planning for the city authority.
Still, it’s not quite off to the races yet for local developers.
The Boston Preservation Alliance, in a letter to city officials, warned it plans to move ahead with an effort to designate a large section of Fort Point an historic landmark.
That would not stop new development in the area, but it could make it more difficult, triggering another layer of review when it comes to renovating or demolishing Fort Point warehouses. via BostonHerald.com

