BPDA Board Unanimously Adopts Long-Awaited East Boston Neighborhood Plan

BOSTON — January 18, 2024 — Boston's planning board unanimously adopted Plan East Boston, a five-year neighborhood-wide initiative covering more than 47,000 residents, at its January 18 meeting. Chair Priscilla Rojas presided over both the EDIC and BRA sessions, with board members Bennett, Landsmark, and Shepard voting aye on every item. Former East Boston Neighborhood Planner Christina Rico presented the plan, describing the neighborhood as "a microcosm of every challenge and opportunity that seems to exist in the city at large," with climate vulnerabilities including sea level rise threatening over 12 miles of coastline. The board also extended a rent-free license for the Mayor's Office of Housing at 12 Channel Street through December 31, 2024, with director authority to stretch it to December 31, 2025, while 26 Court Street renovations continue. A three-year, $120,000 trash-removal contract was awarded to DBI Waste Systems Incorporated — a disabled, veteran-owned firm — for the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, and the board approved 12 personnel actions including five internal promotions.