To the University Community,
I am pleased to inform the campus community that the redevelopment of the former Bayside Exposition site has taken another significant step forward this week with the developer, Accordia Partners, filing a Project Notification Form with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA). This step outlines the preliminary plans for the site and kicks off a public review process to gather feedback about the proposal.
The general scope of the proposed development, named Dorchester Bay City, is outlined on the project’s webpage on the BPDA's site. In addition to the former Bayside property, it includes the Santander site across the street, which is owned by Accordia. The two sites would be redeveloped with approximately 1,740 units of housing, 155,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and approximately 4 million square feet of office, research and development, life sciences, and/or academic uses. The project will also provide infrastructure improvements, public open spaces, and streets that are bike and pedestrian friendly. The project will be subject to the city’s inclusionary housing policy, requiring a certain portion of new units to be offered as affordable housing.
The development of Dorchester Bay City represents a significant asset for the future of UMass Boston, which, through the UMass Building Authority, purchased the Bayside site in 2010 for $18.7 million. In February 2019, following a public request for proposals, the UMass Building Authority signed a 99-year lease with Accordia Partners to redevelop the site and pay UMass Boston up to $235 million upon successful completion of the project's permitting for the rights to do so. This closing date is presently expected to be on or before June 2022. These funds will help to continue UMass Boston’s growth and service to the city as Boston’s public research university.
The development will also be a transformative one for the Columbia Point peninsula and the city of Boston, bringing a high degree of activity – including research-intensive activity most likely in the sciences and health sciences – to the site. As part of the BPDA’s Article 80 review of the proposed development, a 25-member Morrissey Boulevard Community Advisory Committee—composed of area neighborhood and institutional representatives—has been formed to help guide community feedback via a series of public meetings about the Bay City project; UMass Boston is represented by Assistant Chancellor for University Relations Matt Fenlon. The first meeting is Wednesday, September 30, at 6 p.m. Pre-register to attend this Zoom meeting here.
I encourage the campus community to join in the process of reviewing the proposed project and sharing your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns. The project holds great potential for UMass Boston and the city of Boston. We should work together to ensure its benefits to our communities and future success.
Sincerely,