Only three companies that rely upon access to Boston Harbor as part of their business operations remain in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, according to the Boston Planning and Development Agency. Image courtesy of BPDA
As South Boston’s marine park transforms from working port to high-tech hub, the puzzle of delivering thousands of employees to new developments is coming to a head.
There’s broad agreement among officials and activists on the need for public transit upgrades, but uncertainty over who bears the cost and how soon projects can be completed. Meanwhile, developers are moving forward with large-scale projects to satisfy tenant demand in the biotech, robotics and tech clusters that would add to the neighborhood’s daily workforce and congestion crisis.
“We’re in a moment where we’re facing some extreme challenges,” said Jarred Johnson, chief operating officer of advocacy group Transit Matters.
The city’s South Boston Strategic Transportation Plan – scheduled for completion this spring – calls for upgrades to existing bus, train and ferry service. But the recommendations are dependent upon funding from various public and private sources, and some of the major projects will take years to complete.
Biotech Cluster Spurs Development Migration
Few remnants of South Boston’s working waterfront remain in 2022. The 129-acre, publicly-owned Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park contains just three traditional tenants that require access to Boston Harbor as part of their business operations, according to the Boston Planning & Development Agency: the Boston Ship Repair facility on Drydock Avenue, Yankee Lobster and the Coastal Cement plant.
Meanwhile, commercial developers are eager to redevelop the remaining available parcels for 21st-century innovators.
Marcus Partners received BPDA approval last year for a 219,000-square-foot lab building on Au Bon Pain Way for Ginkgo Bioworks, whose synthetic biology is used to develop products such as meatless burgers.
The Davis Cos. is preparing to build a 327,000-square-foot vertical addition luring life science companies to 88 Black Falcon Terminal.
Three developers are vying for the BPDA’s pick to build a new hybrid building model at 20 and 22 Drydock Ave., enabling marine industrial and tech or life science companies to coexist under the same roof.
A new hybrid model for future development in the South Boston marine park is proposed by developer Cronin Group. The 235,500-square-foot project at 24 Drydock Ave. would include ground-floor office space and loading docks for Boston Ship Repair, with offices and lab space above. Image courtesy of DHK Architects and SGA Architects
Boston-based Cronin Group is seeking approval for a 235,000-square-foot development at 24 Drydock Ave., with new ground-floor offices and loading docks for Boston Ship Repair, which operates a nearby drydock for large vessels, and office-lab space on floors two through eight.
And early this month, Marcus Partners proposed a 742,000-square-foot office-lab building at 310 Northern Ave. and 5 Fid Kennedy Way, a property made available for redevelopment as a Stavis Seafood facility relocates to Massport’s nearby Marine Terminal property.
The state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs is reviewing the BPDA’s latest proposed update to the marine park master plan, which would allow more zoning flexibility for different uses.
Second Commuter Ferry Dock Eyed
The steady pace of office and lab development adds urgency to decisions on how to improve access to the neighborhood beyond vehicles and the MBTA Silver Line bus route. The buildout of the western portion of the Seaport District with office towers and luxury housing ushered in gridlock in lengthening rush hours, prompting transit advocates to demand more frequent MBTA Silver Line service.
“Over time, the industrial park has been evolving more into a mixed-use location,” said Rick Dimino, CEO of business advocacy group A Better City. “The city and Massport have been doing a good job trying to protect the port and industrial uses, but there’s room for more mixed-uses as well. It’s OK for them to look at additional uses in that space.”
Water transportation in particular should be a top priority for improving access to the marine park, Dimino said. The likely location: Pier 10 at 38 Drydock Ave., which could serve as a launching spot for new commuter ferries to North Station.
A similar commuter ferry launched in 2019 from the Fan Pier to North Station, coordinated by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and subsidized by major Seaport District employers. The ferry now runs on a reduced schedule every 40 minutes.
“Pre-pandemic, it had great headways and great usage and service. I suspect at some point, the trip demand will still be there,” Dimino said.
Steve Adams
A proposed dedicated bus lane along Summer Street from South Station to the marine park set off a turf battle last year between Boston officials and Massport, which objected to the potential effects on its industrial tenants’ truck routes. Additional and alternative routes have been proposed along A and D Streets and Congress Street, Dimino said.
The Massport-BPDA dispute reflects tensions between the competing and changing mix of industries. Massport continues to lease space on its parcels to industrial tenants who generate heavy truck traffic, which conflicts with pedestrian and bicycle routes.
Vivien Li, a waterfront expert for the Barr Foundation and former president of the Boston Harbor Association, said Seaport transportation projects should be a high priority as Massachusetts officials review options for spending over $9 billion received in last year’s federal infrastructure law.
“Post-COVID allows us to think differently about where we create jobs, and we can create good jobs in the marine park,” Li said. “If it’s an industrial or fabrication use, it may not be marine-related, but it may help on climate change. The state is in the process of thinking about how they interpret the laws for the 21st century.”
