OK, I'm with you on the idea that more WFH would give more leverage to the buyers/renters who are no longer location-constrained, which should lower prices some amount. That said, I'm not convinced that it'd move the needle enough to make it worth for the state to put its thumb on the scale against RTO, especially when Boston's revenue structure is counting on RTO.
Exactly and what this always leaves out is important too. The ppl who make too much money to qualify for subsidized housing are getting no help at all, yet they make up the largest group of renters out there. There is luxury housing being built all over the place and then within that youre getting 13% of that built as affordable units, but that leaves 0% for everybody else. For all of the ppl that fall in between the threshold of affordable and luxury housing theyre SOL.
I've been wanting to reading more about this exact problem. Do you (or anyone else) have suggestions where to start?
To an extent it's the general problems that come from rent control. Trying to suppress prices ends up suppressing supply and then inflating prices in return.
Has anyone studied more tiers of "affordability". Basically require a more blended mix of low AMI housing, worker housing, mid-market housing and luxury housing? Basically not just bottom and top 10% only housing.
Well, the ongoing Volpe Redevelopment for one. Of the others the Fort Point Post Office is probably top of the pile, but that one is probably more valuable to the MBTA than as Residential. Otherwise, the list of federal sites in Urban Boston is fairly slim - O'Neill & JFK office buildings, McCormack & Moakley Courthouses, Federal Reserve Building, FBI Chelsea, the USCG base in the North End ... With the possibile exception of the JFK low rise, none seem likely prospects.
Lesley University had a proposal to build dorms over the tracks a couple of years ago. The locals vented their spleens all over it, and it disappeared into a filing cabinet.
As I recall, that was solidly 20 years ago at this point - but given both Lesley's current state of crisis and how difficult and costly anything air-rights has historically proven, I'm not sure it would have helped anyways.
To paraphrase Roger Murtaugh: “I’m to old for this…”
Some of the Harbor Islands could be turned into luxury housing (especially) for boaters and bring in a heck of a ton of tax revenue for the city at luxury rate. Some Islands aren't visited by anything, and some already have buildings which could be restored to former glory.
Well, the ongoing Volpe Redevelopment for one. Of the others the Fort Point Post Office is probably top of the pile, but that one is probably more valuable to the MBTA than as Residential. Otherwise, the list of federal sites in Urban Boston is fairly slim - O'Neill & JFK office buildings, McCormack & Moakley Courthouses, Federal Reserve Building, FBI Chelsea, the USCG base in the North End ... With the possibile exception of the JFK low rise, none seem likely prospects.
Massachusetts real estate portfolio
GSA New England Region owns and manages these Federal Buildings in Massachusetts.www.gsa.gov
The rough plans for the Fort Point Post Office site I have seen include a string of buildings along Fort Point Channel as well as accommodating the MBTA track needs.Well, the ongoing Volpe Redevelopment for one. Of the others the Fort Point Post Office is probably top of the pile, but that one is probably more valuable to the MBTA than as Residential. Otherwise, the list of federal sites in Urban Boston is fairly slim - O'Neill & JFK office buildings, McCormack & Moakley Courthouses, Federal Reserve Building, FBI Chelsea, the USCG base in the North End ... With the possibile exception of the JFK low rise, none seem likely prospects.
Massachusetts real estate portfolio
GSA New England Region owns and manages these Federal Buildings in Massachusetts.
Well, the ongoing Volpe Redevelopment for one. Of the others the Fort Point Post Office is probably top of the pile, but that one is probably more valuable to the MBTA than as Residential. Otherwise, the list of federal sites in Urban Boston is fairly slim - O'Neill & JFK office buildings, McCormack & Moakley Courthouses, Federal Reserve Building, FBI Chelsea, the USCG base in the North End ... With the possibile exception of the JFK low rise, none seem likely prospects.
Massachusetts real estate portfolio
GSA New England Region owns and manages these Federal Buildings in Massachusetts.
It's one of those odd jurisdictional nuances - I believe the USCG base itself, unlike the office building, is under the jurisdiction of DoD and doesn't fall under the GSA's purview. Similarly USPS & Dept of the Interior (National Parks, Forests, etc) property is separately managed, to include the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Similarly, the Barnes Building isn't a GSA property - it's DoD, belonging to the US Army Reserves. The lot you linked there actually belongs to Massport, but the Barnes Building does have 3 associated federally owned lots - see plan below. The Army did recently (dec 23) file a EA seeking to renovate the building, since apparently it's somewhat decrepit - the plan would be to fully occupy the "existing Barnes Building infrastructure with USAR units, other Department of Defense (DoD) service branches, and select federal entities." Part of that renovation plan actually is parking expansion - one of the 3 Army owned lots would gain ~80 spaces, but part of the alternatives evaluated was disposition, which were all summarily dismissed.
Those might be within the Old Seaport Parking Lot Historic District. It's important to remind all these people moving into Seaport that once upon a time... this land was all government parking lots.
