Boston PIC Approves Old Colony Final Phase, Advances Six New Projects

BOSTON — July 27, 2023 — Boston's Public Improvement Commission closed out the final phase of the Old Colony affordable housing redevelopment in South Boston while flagging compliance concerns at a Charlestown construction site. The commission unanimously approved six petitions at its July 27 hearing, including pedestrian easements and specific repairs along Columbia Road, Old Harbor Street, East 8th Street, and Dorchester Street tied to the decades-long Old Colony project by Beacon Communities and the Boston Housing Authority — covering new granite curbing, sidewalks, street trees, lighting, and pervious pavers. Darcy Jameson, Beacon's vice president of development, called reaching the last building "incredible" after more than a decade of work. Separately, commissioners told RREF3 The Town Portfolio LLC, the proponent behind a Rutherford Avenue project in Charlestown, that prior conditions on the adjacent public sidewalk — including pedestrian paths diverted into traffic lanes without accessible ramps — were "surprising and frustrating" for a well-financed entity. Six new-business items, including a 110-unit income-restricted development with a Boston Public Library branch in Chinatown by Asian Community Development Corporation, advance to a public hearing on August 10.