BRA Issues Interim Development Guidelines for LMA

At one point, the city was tying to encourage medical and academic institutions to consider the Crosstown area as an expansion alternative but it's clear that many of the institutions want to grow where they are. With that in mind, the Boston Redevelopment Authority has instituted a set of interim guidelines that will be in effect over the next 18 months until the city agency comes out with a master plan that will guide future change for the site.

"We can't stymie growth," Meredith Baumann, a spokesperson for the RA tells GlobeSt.com."But we need to make sure it's measured."

The LMA encompasses approximately 210 acres and has approximately 14 million sf of building floor area, another 2.6 million sf of proposed development and approximately 13,000 parking spaces.

The interim guidelines cover every aspect of development from urban design to height requirements to workforce development. Maximum allowable heights under these guidelines will range from 75 feet in certain areas up to 205 feet in other areas. Certain public benefits can earn developers additional height on their buildings. Mixed use development is encouraged in the guidelines and ground floors should be used as retail space. Projects that include a residential component will also receive additional height bonuses on its building.

One of the most interesting facets of the interim guidelines is its workforce development program in which developers looking to build new projects are required to present to the city an assessment of current and projected workforce needs. "We are helping institutions take a different perspective," notes Baumann. "If they are building buildings they need to have a component that will train [local] workers."

Baumann points out that if these institutions train a local workforce it can use the infrastructure already in place and not contribute to what is already a tight traffic situation.

Baumann adds that the master plan for the area will go into further details and will include community involvement. She emphasizes that the area needs to have its development brought under control. "If there is an iota of space, [developers] will find it. There is potential for expansion here but we need to make sure it's balanced."