The start of 2023 has brought the Dorchester Bay City project one step closer to reality. Through public meetings and community engagement, we’ve continued our dialogue with the neighborhood about our vision and goals for DBC. We’ve received such incredible feedback from the community and it’s their input that has bolstered our efforts to provide a wide range of benefits to Greater Boston. Additionally, our engagement with the BPDA this year has been an excellent opportunity for us to highlight some of the great features the Project has to offer.
Dorchester Bay City Community Advisory Committee Meeting
In January, we were able to present our new site plans to the Morrissey area’s community advisory committee (CAC) and highlight some of the changes to our proposal which includes larger affordable housing commitments, expansion of resiliency efforts, off-site transportation improvements funding, and much more. Our revised plans were the focus of several public meetings throughout Q1 and were met with plaudits from community members.
Dorchester Bay City Public Meeting - Housing & Economic Development
As presented in the CAC meeting, affordable housing been boosted to 20% at DBC. Nearly 400 units will be affordable at 70% of the area median income (AMI) which is currently $98,150 for a family of four (4). Construction, operation, and occupancy not only for residents but also commercial office/research tenants ensure unprecedented levels of participation of minority, women, and local residents in project investment, business, jobs, and job training. That’s why more than $18 million has been dedicated to supporting economic development related programs.
Dorchester Bay City Public Meeting - Public Realm and Resilience
We were also able to inform the public about our efforts to maximize resiliency in a February meeting with the BPDA. The project site will be elevated to 21.5 +/- feet to protect against sea level rise and protect the surrounding neighborhood from potential flooding effects. We also plan to transform what is now asphalt parking lots into roughly 9 acres of publicly accessible green and open spaces which in turn reduces heat island effects by about 30 degrees. DBC will also invest approximately $18.5 million in off-site resiliency efforts that carefully considers the needs of our neighbors and community.
Dorchester Bay City Public Meeting - Transportation
In our final public meeting held in the first quarter, we presented our transportation mitigation plan. Nearly $37 million has been committed to off-site transportation improvements that will catalyze several multi-modal infrastructure projects prioritized by the community. Additionally, $170 million will go to publicly accessible onsite infrastructure which includes wide sidewalks, separated bike lanes, and much more. DBC will also build three BlueBike stations within the project sites.
The new site plans presented during these public meetings are a result of our engagement with the local community. Input from neighborhood groups including Dorchester Heights, Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association, Andrew Square, and Harbor Point just to name a few has been so critical during this process. They’ve been able to provide us with the right feedback that enhances our vision of creating a space committed to benefitting the local community.