News & Updates

BRA invites community to tour Dot Ave for planning study

Sep 03, 2015


It’s been a busy and eventful summer for planners at the BRA. In early July, the agency launched two transit-oriented planning studies, one along Washington Street and Columbus Avenue in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury (on the MBTA’s Orange Line) and the other along South Boston’s Dorchester Avenue (on the Red Line). Hundreds of community members attended open houses for the two studies later that month. The interactive forums, where attendees could casually browse posters with information about the planning initiatives and talk to city officials about their aspirations for the neighborhoods, were a change of pace from the typical town hall meetings.

And this week the momentum—and the creative community gatherings—continued. The JP, Roxbury planning team hosted a very well-attended walking and biking tour of the Washington Street corridor on Tuesday, which offered residents a chance to continue the dialogue about priorities for the planning study and to survey the neighborhood’s existing assets.

Next Thursday, September 10, the planning team for the Dorchester Avenue study in South Boston will do the same. Community members are invited to meet in the parking lot of Iron Workers Local 7, located at 195 Old Colony Avenue in the heart of the study area. People will get a brief introduction to the planning initiative before heading out on foot or on bicycle for tours with BRA planners. Participants are encouraged to RSVP for the event in advance.



The Dorchester Avenue corridor from Andrew Square to Broadway Station is undergoing a shift away from manufacturing and light industrial uses, as demand for residential and mixed-use development increases. For example, the BRA is reviewing a proposal for 235 Old Colony Avenue that would create several hundred apartments and retail stores on former industrial sites. Situated between two major Red Line stations and bus hubs, the corridor is ripe for transit-oriented development.

The goal of the study will be to create new zoning that aligns the desires of the community with predictable development conditions. The BRA will look to residents for ideas on how some of the industrial properties could be transformed to contribute more positively to the Dot Ave corridor in the future. The study will suggest strategies for improving access to retail amenities and developing affordable housing to meet the needs of local families, in addition to public realm improvements, traffic mitigation, and other economic development opportunities.
So get your walking shoes on, and stay tuned for more community events in the fall!


Share This Article:


Subscribe to our News & Updates

*indicates required
First Name : Last Name :
Zip Code : *Email: