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Mayor Menino To Jump Start East Boston Redevelopment

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East Boston waterfront (BostonPhotoSphere/Flickr)
East Boston waterfront (BostonPhotoSphere/Flickr)

"Eastie." "EaBo." East Boston. Whatever you call it - the waterfront neighborhood across from downtown Boston and right next to Logan International Airport is in the spotlight.

While none exist just yet, developers hope that East Boston becomes the home to 1600 new luxury waterfront condos with fancy names like "Portside at Pier One", "Clippership Wharf" and "Hodge Boiler Works." Many of these luxury development plans have languished on the drawing board for years.

This month, Mayor Tom Menino committed to revitalizing the Eastie Waterfront development projects. He wants to create a development district there and make it more attractive to builders, businesses and potential home owners by improving the infrastructure.

Mary Ellen Welch of the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association on her balcony which, for now, has a clear view of downtown Boston across the waterfront from East Boston. (Adam Ragusea/WBUR)
Mary Ellen Welch of the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association on her balcony which, for now, has a clear view of downtown Boston across the waterfront from East Boston. (Adam Ragusea/WBUR)

Menino has pledged $1 million a year to enhance the city's water transportation. The long term goal is to create a new network of ferries that would connect waterfront neighborhoods.

So, we're going to talk about these plans to kickstart development in East Boston today.

To get us started, we sent our own Adam Ragusea across the harbor to hear what Eastie residents have to say. He spoke with Mary Ellen Welch of the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association about what the community makes of development plans. He met with Steve Heikin of Icon Architecture, down at the East Boston waterfront. Heikin put together the  master plan for East Boston and spoke to Adam about what has been planned there.

We will also be joined by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the president of Boston Harbor Association to discuss East Boston development.

Guests:

  • Rich McGuinness, Deputy Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority
  • Vivian Li, president of the Boston Harbor Association

This segment aired on December 13, 2011.

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