NEWRA/BHCA/WECA Comment on Government Center Garage Project

It came as no surprise that the North End/Waterfront Association, the Beacon Hill Civic Association and the West End Civic Association jointly send a letter to Sec. Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs commenting on the Expanded Environmental Notification Form for the redevelopment of the Government Center Derived, submitted by the HYM Investment Group, LLC. on behalf of Bulfinch Congress Holdings LLC.

The neighborhood groups have requested the proponent schedule a series of public meetings during preparation of the Draft EIR to review the major areas of concern, provide additional information regarding the project’s infrastructure (including transportation and traffic) demands and environmental impacts and present mitigation approaches.

The groups have also requested participation in the public meetings by the city and state agencies responsible for review or other actions.

BHCA, NEWRA and WECA to gather represent the interest of 25,000 residents living in the historic Beacon Hill, North End and West End neighborhoods that surround the proposed Project and share streets, accommodations and infrastructure.

They have joined in these comments because they have a common concern that the Project’s public benefits and environmental impacts have not been previously or adequately addressed in the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Article 80 Review to date.

The developer proposes to replace the 11-story, 2,310-space Government Center Parking Garage and associated office floors and retail space with the mixed-use development on of 1.2 million square feet of office space, 755 apartments, 57 condominium units, 196 hotel rooms, 82,500 square feet of retail space, and a portion of the existing garage that will remain with 1,159 parking spaces and 850 new bicycle storage spaces.

The Project will create 2. 3,000,000 gross square feet of new space in two blocks of the buildings. The “West Parcel” block, west of Congress Street, includes a 480-foot high residential tower with 464 apartment, a 300-foot high residential tower with 291 apartments and a 528-foot high tower with one million square feet of office space.

The “East Parcel” block, east of Congress Street in the area of the existing entrance to the MBTA Haymarket Station and the MBTA bus terminal, includes a 157-foot high residential/hotel building with 57 condominiums and 196 hotel rooms, a 152-foot high building with hundred and 163,800 square feet of office space and a 60- foot high building with 25,000 square feet of retail space.

The Project will be constructed in phases, with construction extending 15 to 20 years from proposed commencement of Phase 1 in 2016.