Channelside

COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM

Fort Point, renowned for its iconic brick-and-beam architecture, has evolved over the past four decades into New England's largest and most vibrant community of artists. This dynamic group includes performers, writers, painters, filmmakers, photographers, inventors, poets, and creators of all kinds. Channelside aims to harness this creative energy, preserve the unique character of the neighborhood, and foster a thriving future for the arts.

The project aspires to provide spaces for artists to live and work, opportunities for arts organizations to grow, venues for art lovers to gather, and an inclusive environment where every neighborhood feels welcome as part of this cultural hub.

With a deep commitment to Fort Point's future, Channelside will serve as a catalyst for realizing the vision of the Fort Point Arts and Culture District.

Explore The Public Art Program

AFFORDABLE HOUSING + ARTIST HOUSING

340 units added to the housing supply in South Boston
Strengthen the availability of Affordable Housing in Boston by delivering approximately 20% of the residential units as on-site affordable housing
The 68 affordable units will be made available to households earning up to 70% of Area Median Income
Approximately 75% of the 68 affordable units will be designated as Artist live/work units with an artist preference. Supplemental artist workspace will also be provided within the residential building
$8,475,376 in linkage payments for housing

CONTINUED COMMUNITY TRAINING + ENGAGEMENT

STEM ENDOWMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

$300,000 shall be funded to STEM programs for Boston schools
$15,000 grant towards a STEM summer program for underserved middle school and high school South Boston students to explore biotechnology and laboratory life sciences through an immersive curriculum to encourage interest in a life sciences career at a young age

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Annual high-school level paid summer construction internship opportunities

OPEN SPACE, ACTIVE RECREATION + PUBLIC REALM

Transform an existing 800-space surface parking lot into a vibrant, mixed-use development with waterfront access to all
Create vibrant, accessible, resilient and connected open spaces including public open spaces, pedestrian and bicycle pathways, plazas, and landscaped open space in what is now predominately surface parking.
Creation of approximately 3.7 acres (approximately 58% of site area) of new public open space including new destination parks under the care and control of the Boston Parks and Recreation Department.
As drawn from the Fort Point 100 Acres Open Space Concept Plan, park elements will include an event amphitheater, interactive water feature, shade structures, open civic lawn, public picnic shelters, adventure playspace, a linear plaza designed to host food trucks or temporary markets and opportunities for art and interpretive element
Provide a Harborwalk along the entirety of the Project site that is at least 18 feet in width. Along much of the Project site, the Harborwalk is complemented by adjacent public open space, thereby creating an integrated public realm that greatly enhances public access along the For Point Channel waterfront

ECONOMIC IMPACTS + BENEFITS

JOBS CREATION

Approximately 2,000 construction jobs including City of Boston residents
Implement the Boston Residents Jobs Policy to have at least 51% of the total employee work hours for Boston residents, at least 40% of total employee work hours for minorities and at least 12% of the total employee work hours for women
Approximately 3,000 permanent jobs upon Project stabilization at varying skill and education levels

DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT LINKAGE FUNDS

$8,475,376 in linkage payments for housing
$1,558,165 in linkage payments for job training
Increased Property Tax Revenue

CIVIC/CULTURAL SPACE

Provide approximately 15,000 sf Civic/Cultural Space of base rent-free, inclusive of real estate taxes and common area charges
Landlord Financial Contribution of up to $750,000 (adjusted by the Consumer Price Index All Urban Consumers, Boston-Cambridge-Newton (CPI-U)) to fund the initial tenant build-out of the Civic/Cultural space
7,000 sf in G6 Gallery community space + 3,000 sf in G5 cafe and workspace community space
Provide affordable commercial opportunities for local small businesses, women-owned businesses, and minority-owned businesses through offering of approximately 5,000 SF of ground floor retail space to be discounted by 50% of market rent to City- or State-certified small, disadvantaged businesses.

‍

IMPLEMENTATION AND DELIVERY

Collaborate with the BPDA and Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) to issue Civic/Cultural RFPs.
Ensure RFPs establish clear goals for creating a vibrant, year-round public destination that serves a diverse demographic.
Developed and released a detailed Request for Letters of Interest (RFI) to collect critical input on organizational needs, space configurations, timelines, and target audiences, ensuring full alignment with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) before finalizing the RFP.

AFFORDABLE + EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Provide affordable commercial opportunities for local small businesses, women-owned businesses, and minority-owned businesses through offering of approximately 5,000 SF of ground floor retail space to be discounted by 50% of market rent to City- or State-certified small, disadvantaged businesses.
Deliver mixed uses on the ground floor that promote vibrancy, equitable and accessible environments and ensure a public RFP process to select the users for the 15,000 sf of Civic/Cultural space provided by the Proponent free of base rent, inclusive of real estate taxes and common area charges.
Hire a third-party planning and leasing team to provide an executable strategy around diversity, equity and inclusion for the Proponent’s retail program that facilitates tenancies and partnerships with minority/women-owned business enterprises MWBE.

WATERSHEET ACTIVATION

The project will enhance waterfront access by reconstructing and elevating the Harborwalk to address sea-level rise.
Features include a floating dock and art launch to support recreational water activities, human-powered watercraft, floating art installations, model boats, races, and special events.
Commitment of $975,000 to the arts community's floating art program, funded at $150,000 per 10-year periodover the 65-year term of Non-Water Dependent (NWD) use licenses.
Promotion of equitable watersheet access with $3,250,000 in funding, allocated at $500,000 per 10-year period, for free youth-focused environmental, STEM, and STEAM programs and events over the 65-year NWD use license term.
Contribution of $650,000 to the Fort Point Channel Operations Board, funded at $10,000 annually over 65 years, to support programming in the Channel and surrounding areas.
Dedicated, secure storage areas of ~1,500 SF in the below-grade garage for arts community use, and 250 SF for organizations to store life jackets, paddles, and other equipment.
Four (4) parking spaces on the Necco Street Extension reserved for public dock users.

ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION

Reconstruction of A Street between Binford Street and Garage Access Way to Boston Complete Street standards, including pedestrian safety enhancements through bump outs and daylighting of intersections, protected bicycle lanes, on-street parking and properly sized travel lanes
$750,000 in funding, to be paid in equal annual payments over 15 years as directed by the Director of the BPDA, to the MBTA to subsidize bus or shuttle services or other transportation measures to help accommodate the projected transit trip generation from the project
Provide over $300,000 in funding for Bluebikes as well as space on the Project Site for the Bluebikes bike share system
New, on-site pedestrian corridors and bicycle paths, including completing the South Bay Harbor Trail Bicycle connection
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies and on-going monitoring to measure traffic, transit and parking impacts, report results, and adjust TDM measures. Promote residents and tenants to encourage use of nearby public transportation, promote walking and bicycling by increasing site porosity, street safety, and installing bike facilities
Bicycle accommodations in compliance with BTD guidelines

PARKING COMMITMENTS

Transform an existing 800-space surface parking lot into a vibrant, mixed-use development
Promote sustainable transportation alternatives such as the use of electric vehicles by providing on-site electric vehicle charging stations to accommodate 25% of the total parking, and sufficient infrastructure capacity for future accommodation for 100% of parking spaces
Removal of 800 public parking spaces will reduce the vehicles traveling to the site in the morning and leaving the site in the evening. Sufficient onsite parking in new 400-space underground garage to suffice residential and commercial demands

RESILIENCY

Fully extended and integrated flood protection resiliency without visible berm obstruction
Over 90% reduction in discharge volume from the site

Stormwater Mitigation

Performed Site Utility work to replace existing poor-performing BWSC tide gate with two new tide gates to drastically improve stormwater management function
Significantly improve the existing stormwater management conditions at the Project Site from the now-existing surface parking lot by reducing runoff volume from the Project Site to the Harbor.
The Project’s design will increase the amount of permeable, green spaces onsite as compared to the existing surface parking lot condition and is intended to minimize extreme heat.

FAQs

Q: what level of lab space will this be?

The lab building will not exceed ‘BioSafety Level 2’, which is consistent with all of the other lab buildings in the area.

Q: What are you doing to activate the channel?

This project will have significant benefits focused on bringing the public to and through the site and providing access to the Channel. We are studying the plans laid out in the Fort Point Channel Watersheet activation plan and will incorporate some of these ideas at the site.

Q: what sort of FPA’s will you have?

We are focused on providing FPA’s and open and inviting community space which will serve the greatest number of ages and people. We have received tremendous input and ideas and look forward to formalizing these in our next filing.

Q: will you do affordable on site?

Related Beal is committed to building affordable on site.

Q: what will the park look like we haven’t seen any plans?

The park size has been increased since our initial conversations about the project. The City hired Sasaki to manage a public process for the Fort Point Channel parks. Their recommendations can be found HERE. We are working to incorporate these recommendations into our site.

Q: why is there increased height?

We have made some minor modifications by lowering the height on 40% of the residential building (G4)and transferring it to the G5 building.

Q: are you considering a library?

This is definitely something we are considering. We are working with our local elected officials and the City of Boston to explore the idea. A library can serve the needs of many residents and also serve as a community gathering space.

Q: how will your resiliency methods help the fort point?

In addition to elevating the site and proposed structures, the project will include a section of the flood defense system proposed by the City of Boston for the Fort Point. Once completely, most likely in the form of a berm, it will provide significant coastal flood risk reduction for a large portion of the South Boston community.

Q: will you include artists in your plans for the new site?

Artists are an important part of the history of this neighborhood and we hope to include opportunities for artists to live, work and display their works at this site.