Project Background
East Boston’s waterfront—including the low-lying historic fill areas of Lewis Mall and Carlton Wharf— is a vibrant neighborhood that faces growing threats from coastal storms, sea level rise, and recurrent flooding. Identified by Climate Ready Boston and Coastal Resilience Solutions for East Boston and Charlestown Phase 1 (2017) as critical near-term flood entry points, these sites are key priorities for protecting East Boston’s residents, transit infrastructure, businesses, and environmental justice populations.
The Resilient East Boston Waterfront Project at Lewis Mall and Carlton Wharf builds on years of coordinated planning and investment to close these flood pathways. In 2020, the BPDA secured a Coastal Resilience Grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM CRG) to complete technical analysis and concept designs in partnership with residents, property owners, Massport, and the MBTA. Overall design approaches for Lewis Mall and Carlton Wharf were developed based on extensive feedback through several community workshops and continued engagement with city and state agencies. In 2022 the City applied for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to advance design and construction.
In 2025, FEMA awarded funding for Phase 1 to advance detailed design, engineering, and permitting. Phase 2 award for construction is pending approval from FEMA. The team is aligning with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) study and adjacent resilience initiatives by Massport and others. In parallel, the team is working on permitting submissions and coordinating closely with local, state, and federal regulators to ensure an efficient review process and timely delivery of the project.
Project Goals
The project aims to accomplish the following:
- Build coastal flood protection along Lewis Mall and Carlton Wharf
- Establish a design that focuses on placemaking to meet the PLAN: East Boston waterfront goals
- Maintain equitable access to and minimize impacts along the waterfront and to existing structures including the Harborwalk and water transportation services
- Engage the community proactively and inclusively with up-to-date project information while refining final designs
- Coordinate integration with other resiliency projects along the Boston waterfront
- Utilize up to date climate data to continue to build and uphold standards for resiliency projects across Boston
Project Partners
- Local departments and agencies including the City of Boston Office of Climate Resilience, Department of Public Works, and Boston Water & Sewer Commission,
- State agencies including Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Massport, the MBTA
- Federal partners such as FEMA Region 1 and US Army Corp of Engineers
- Local landowners and waterfront property stakeholders (The Mark, SLIP45, Clippership Wharf), and East Boston community organizations.
Resources
Community Engagement
Click on the event date to view details and materials.
November 6, 2025 | 10:30 - 11:30 AM
September 29, 2025 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
June 8, 2021 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
May 4, 2021 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM