BPDA Owned Land

The BPDA property inventory consists of land parcels ranging from small, unbuildable parcels best suited for use by abutters, to larger parcels and sites consisting of contiguous land parcels that are suitable for residential, mixed-use or commercial development. The Real Estate department conducts strategic property dispositions with the goal of maximizing public benefit generated from public land. We are also committed to working with the community to activate underutilized property within the BPDA portfolio.

Property Disposition Process

The BPDA conducts its property dispositions through an open, transparent, community-driven process. We follow Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 30B as the guideline for our property sale process. Per Chapter 30B, we dispose of a parcel of land in one of the following ways:

  • Issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). The development guidelines of our RFPs are deeply informed by community feedback, including the uses of the site, circulation, and community benefits. All RFPs for public land include criteria to promote diversity and inclusion, fostering a more inclusive workforce throughout the City of Boston.
  • Transfer the parcel to another government agency. For example, we may transfer land to the Parks Department to preserve land as open space, or transfer land to the Department of Neighborhood Development to develop neighborhood infill housing.
  • Directly designate unbuildable parcels with values of $35,000 and below to abutters.

In very rare cases where there is only one qualified bidder, the BPDA may depart from 30B and directly designate a parcel valued over $35,000. In these cases, the BPDA prioritizes community feedback and will conduct a community process.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the BPDA Real Estate division to inquire about specific parcels in our inventory. The BPDA will consider inquiries received and initiate community processes as appropriate.

All of our RFPs for the disposition of our property are posted on our procurement webpage and also advertised publicly across Boston.

Property Inventory

Use the BPDA Owned Land application to view a map of BPDA-owned property and generate a report of property data.

BPDA-Owned-Land

Property Activation

The BPDA owns and manages a number of unique assets across the City of Boston, including open space and underutilized properties. We believe that through creative activation, a portion of these spaces can be used for local placemaking and opportunities for Boston’s artists and entrepreneurs.

Community members interested in using BPDA facilities should complete the BPDA Facility Interest Form, providing information on the proposed activation at least 30 days prior to use. If the proposed usage spans a period longer than one month, we require at least 60 days notice prior to use to assess the utilization and seek necessary approvals.