The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has issued a request for proposals for the long-term lease and development of the .67-acre lot, known as Parcel 9, and will accept proposals until March 9. The RFP states that the lease on the site could last up to 99 years.
In addition to MassDOT, proposals will be reviewed by the conservancy that oversees the greenway, the citizens advisory group established for this site and the adjacent Parcel 7, and relevant city, state, and federal authorities, including the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which will conduct a public review under Article 80 of the Zoning Code.
The wedge-shaped parcel is one of around 30 created by the Big Dig and is the former site of the southbound North Street off-ramp. For the process of examining potential uses, it was combined with Parcel 7, which already contains a building that includes a parking lot, entry point for the Haymarket MBTA station, and several floors of empty space that have remained undeveloped for years. A MassDOT official announced last May that the agency intended to move its offices into the upper floors.
The first floor of the Parcel 7 structure was designated as the site of a future public market, for which MassDOT is also seeking proposals, including plans that would offer a comprehensive scheme for both parcels or the entire Market District surrounding them. A BRA feasibility study described that district as extending from the southern end of the Bulfinch Triangle down to North Street, stretching west as far as City Hall Plaza and east to the North End commercial district.
