The Bunker Hill Redevelopment Impact Advisory Group (IAG) began meeting this month to review the impacts of the project and begin formulating mitigation and other solutions to the issues that might come up as a result of the massive development.
The Redevelopment is a collaboration between Leggat McCall, The Corcoran Companies and Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and is a mixed-income development that will replace 1,010 public housing units within a 10-year phased project that includes 1,689 market-rate units and retail options – as well as open space and a new community center. The project was first proposed in 2016 and had a previous IAG in the first iteration of the project, which was revamped and resubmitted with Leggat a few years ago.
At the first new IAG meeting on Sept. 16, the members of the IAG were introduced and Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) Project Manager Raul Duverge set the ground rules and expectations.
“In 2016 and 2017 there were issues with the IAG and misinformation going around about it,” he said. “The IAGE does not vote to approve or disapprove a project. It’s work is advancing and identifying project impacts and suitable project mitigation or benefits. The BPDA and various City departments are also looking at this through their various lenses…You live here and breath here and we see the IAG as our neighborhood experts.”
One of the goals of the IAG, eventually, he said is to come up with a legally binding Cooperation Agreement containing all of the mitigation and benefits agreed to by the developer and the community – a document that is enforceable if the developer does not come through.
The new IAG has some new members, including the first-ever youth seat on the committee, which at the moment is being filled by Fatima Fontes of the Turn It Around program.
IAG members include:
•Tom Ward – resident and Ironworkers Local 7.
•Ruth Raphael – National Park Service.
•Tina Goodnow – BHA resident/CRA Vice President.
•Leo Boucher – resident.
•Crystal Galvin – Kennedy Center.
•Sarah Coughlin – Charlestown Coalition.
•John Killoran – resident.
•Brian Beisel – resident.
•Heather Taylor – Charlestown Preservation Society.
•Mimi Tovar – BHA Resident.
•Andrew O’Hearn – resident.
•Jesse MacDonald – resident.
•Sy Mintz – resident.
•Joanne Massaro – resident.
•Mary Boucher – resident/CNC member.
•Fatima Fontes – Turn It Around Youth Seat.