Parking Freeze in S. Boston Problematic as Tourism Rises

By Joshua Schubert

SOUTH BOSTON – With fine dining, brand new hotels, a concert venue and recently renovated museums, the South Boston waterfront has all the amenities a visitor could desire.

But as city officials push to transform the neighborhood into a tourism center, they are struggling to make room for the tourist to park.

The area is under a city-mandated parking freeze, which limits the number of possible spaces.

The limits were put in place “to promote the use of public transit and manage transportation demand,” according to a Boston Air Pollution Control Commission report.

Public transportation service to the area remains limited. The MBTA Red Line, which services South Boston, does not stop along the waterfront.

Plans for expansion of the Silver Line, to better service the tourist population, are underway.


The opening of the Institute of Contemporary Art in 2006 and the reopening of the Boston Children’s Museum the following year, in addition to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and new hotels, sparked an influx of business growth.

“Since opening our new building in 2006, there has been tremendous local, national and international interest in the new ICA and Boston’s revitalized waterfront,” said Colette Randall, the institute’s representative.

The interest has benefited local businesses, which have enjoyed a new customer base.

“[The] museum-goers keep us very busy,” said Joanne Chang, a nearby business owner, whose staff has difficulty finding parking.

Jack Schoaf, one of the many restaurant owners to open a location in the neighborhood, has seen his business grow, but “I don’t need [customers paying] $25 to park,” he said.
Schoaf cited a lack of attention to commercial interests on the part of local politicians as contributing to the problem.

“Ask [Councilor Linehan] the last time he came to the business owners down here,” Schoaf said.

The city’s most recent action came in 2006 when officials set aside 20 percent of the available parking within waterfront lots to drivers who arrive after 9:30 a.m., in an effort to reserve spaces for tourists.

Vivien Li, of the Boston Harbor Association, calls parking a cause for concern.
“It could be a problem when all the approved buildings are built on what are currently surface parking lots,” she said.

The city has also set aside 2,000 future spaces set aside in a “freeze bank,” which will likely be built as development continues.

Developers are required to apply for a permit before construction of new lots can begin.

“The permitting process in unpredictable with regard to timeframe,” said Janet Logan, marketing director for Gale International, the developer of Seaport Square in S. Boston.

South Boston Burglaries Decline Sharply, Robberies do not

By Joshua Schubert

SOUTH BOSTON – Residents of South Boston have learned that one of the best defenses against burglaries is a locked door.

The neighborhood has experienced a 31 percent decline in burglary attempts between 2007 and 2008.

Of the 12 Boston police districts, South Boston ranks fourth in fewest burglaries this year, behind Charlestown, East Boston and West Roxbury.

Through Sept. 28, 138 burglaries have been attempted in South Boston, compared with 200 over the same period last year.

There is now a visible police presence within the area, particularly on the major commercial strip of West Broadway that runs through South Boston.

Multiple patrol cars can often be seen both parked and driving through the district, while as many as four officers can be seen walking through the area during the evening. The officers engaged with locals, often appearing as fixtures in the community.

The crimes in South Boston had been “most often committed during the daytime when the occupant [was] not home,” according to a message on the South Boston Police Department website.

Following an increase in burglaries early in the year, police told South Boston homeowners to lock their doors, “especially when alone, sleeping, or the residence is unoccupied (even if only for a few moments).”

The police advised residents to start a crime watch.

Residents were urged to “take precautions and remain vigilant for any suspicious activity,” according to the message. The crimes had continued despite a significant number of arrests, according to the message.

The emphasis on vigilance and police presence has not contributed to a notable decrease in attempted robberies, as the number has remained relatively constant since last year.

The last two reported attempts, however, were called in by residents, in one case multiple residents, and resulted in the police catching the suspects.

During the peak of South Boston’s crime problem in 2005, 255 burglaries were committed during the comparable timeframe (includes one additional week).

Regulation, Financial Turmoil Stalls South Boston Development

By Joshua Schubert

SOUTH BOSTON – A new center for tourism highlighted by large-scale development projects and a proximity to the harbor is planned for South Boston. Timothy Brown, community liaison for City Councilor Bill Linehan, envisions “an entire new neighborhood on the waterfront.”

But there is little evidence of the grand revitalization effort.

There has been “no movement in almost a year,” said Jack Schoaf, a local restaurant owner whose Northern Avenue location overlooks the waterfront and the former site of Jimmy’s Harborside restaurant.

Jimmy’s, a local landmark and one of the first restaurants to open in South Boston, closed for renovations more than two years ago. The plan was to reopen the seafood establishment as part of a larger redevelopment of the pier.

The owner of Jimmy’s obtained the permits this summer. However, “there doesn’t seem, at the moment, to be anything moving forward,” said Vivien Li of the Boston Harbor Association.

The environmental permits initially contributed to the delay, Li said. “Requirements for development on the waterfront are more stringent than inland,” said Li, explaining that the law evolved from the English concept of public access to the seaside.

“Everyone’s concerned about the instability in the market right now,” Li said.

“The [price of] construction materials have gone up exponentially,” she said, and people are “waiting for the right time in the market.”

The largest of the South Boston development projects, Gale International’s Seaport Square, is at an earlier stage in the development process.

Gale International filed their environmental forms with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office in June, said Janet Logan, Gale International’s marketing director.

“The permitting process is unpredictable with regard to timeframe,” Logan said. “[W]e hope to have the entire 23-acre site approved for development by 2009,” she said.

“The first phase of construction is expected to begin in late 2009 and the target date for project completion is 2015-2016,” Logan said.

The first phase consists of three buildings, said Li, who does not expect construction to begin until 2010.

As for the construction in South Boston as a whole, Li estimates the completion of development to be “15-20 years out.”
The sites are “all in different stages,” said Li, but the turmoil in the financial market “will continue to be a barrier to seeing construction go forward.”

“But I’m optimistic,” she said, “it just helps to create a vibrancy” every time a new local attraction opens for business.