Event Recap: Land Use and Development Advisory Committee August 4
August 6, 2026
The Land Use Advisory Committee met on August 4 for a presentation and discussion of the City of Boston Office to Residential Conversion Program and for a presentation by ABC staff and summer interns on development and transportation projects in Everett and Charlestown described in detail in the May 2026 edition of this report.
John Weil, who heads the Office to Residential Conversion program for the City of Boston, reported on activities since the program was launched in October 2023. At present, 28 projects are in the pipeline or have been completed, mostly in Downtown, but with some projects underway in the neighborhoods as well. The program aims to support several goals:
- Bring new life to vacant Class B and C office space
- Create much needed housing downtown
- Build a more vibrant urban core
- Improve sustainability and eco-friendly development
The incentives that help the program to work are a 29-year 75% residential tax abatement and as-of-right zoning for change of use, where applicable. Fast tracking the Article 80 review and permitting process saves time and money. The program aims to support student and workforce housing.
The 28 projects include 35 buildings, 1,853 units of housing, and about 3,500 new people living Downtown. Three hundred twenty-one units are expected to be delivered by the end of this year. This progress is supported by an expedited approval process that includes a preliminary Planning Department review, interagency joint review, and approvals and permitting to be accomplished in about six months rather than over 18 months in expedited approvals. The key elements of this process are identifying project issues up front, and designating one point person from each department. The program uses a weekly tracking system on the status of all projects.
Discussion after the presentation spotlighted the potential of this model for expediting the entire Article 80 project review modernization approach. The Advisory Committee hopes to discuss this concept when it next focuses on Article 80 Modernization.
A result is that 20% of vacant Class B and C properties have been stabilized.
Speeding the review and approval process reduces risk for the developer and supports financing at a lower cost with less uncertainty. Many of the projects are eligible for historic tax credits, and lately more projects are going that route to help make the projects economically feasible. Early projects have demonstrated the proof of concept, according to Mr. Weil, and now larger projects have been added to the program.
Other points raised by committee members include the need to coordinate with utilities early to facilitate moving ahead, and opportunities for developers to collaborate with universities to use the program to create more student housing, since the tax abatements are of no use to non-profit educational institutions. Regarding traffic impacts, in most cases residential uses in these downtown buildings have lower trip generation rates.
A Better City is discussing the possibility of focusing on one of the projects as a case study illustrating the challenges and opportunities of office to residential conversions.
The next part of the Advisory Committee’s meeting focused on development projects and transportation projects that support development in Everett and Charlestown described in the May 2026 Land Use and Development report. The presentation by staff and summer interns focused on three development projects and five transportation projects:
- The 25,000-seat soccer stadium for the New England revolution by the Kraft Group
- The Everett Docklands Innovation District
- New hotels for the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel and Casino
- Mystic River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
- Lower Broadway – Alford Street Transportation Corridor
- Silver Line Extension
- New Commuter Rail Station
- Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square Reconstruction
These transportation projects also need to accommodate and serve regional and other local users of this corridor and beyond.
A Better City has focused on these projects since March with briefings by proponents of each development. Summer interns organized information on the projects under the direction of ABC staff for presentation to the Advisory Committee on August 4.
The presentation included discussion of project timelines and overlaps in construction and service schedules, traffic impacts, parking for users of the stadium, impact on residential affordability as development takes place, and access to each site.
The work plan for A Better City includes monitoring progress on all projects, continuing meetings with project proponents and other contacts, preparing comments on environmental documents, and preparing reports on projects and additional analysis as necessary.
Comments from committee members included the need to closely monitor the design progress on Rutherford Avenue, and further review analysis of Sweetser Circle and planning for an additional Assembly Station Headhouse.
Finally, the committee reviewed a list of other issues to receive attention, including the status of Article 80 Modernization, efforts of the City to facilitate housing development, and review and comment on the draft report by the Army Corps of Engineers on measures to address sea level rise and storm surge along the 48 miles of Boston’s coastline.
