Morrissey Boulevard
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Morrissey Boulevard is a six-lane divided coastal road in the Dorchester neighborhood of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
. It is owned and maintained by the
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission i ...
(DCR).


Route description

A parkway, Morrissey Boulevard leaves Neponset Circle at its northeast quadrant as the left two lanes of a three lane exit, with the rightmost lane splitting to the east as an entrance ramp to the Southeast Expressway (Interstate 93). Traveling under the expressway within a landscaped park area fronting the DCR-operated Devine Memorial
ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...
, the road then travels north through the Neponset and Popes Hill sections of Dorchester with commercial establishments on both sides. The road splits as it passes under the tracks of the MBTA Red Line rapid transit route at what was previously Popes Hill Station of the
Old Colony Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall Ri ...
. A Dunkin' Donuts store now occupies the area between the two roadways. The entrance to Tenean Beach, part of the DCR's Dorchester Shores Reservation, is located off the right roadway in this section. Morrissey Boulevard proceeds north past the Richard J. Murphy Elementary School and is flanked by heavy commercial development over the following to Freeport Street. At Freeport, the road again passes beneath the expressway and travels to the east of it from that point to the end of the boulevard. As a northbound exit ramp from the expressway enters on the right, the view east is dominated by a LNG storage tank which is painted with Rainbow Swash, an iconic work by
Corita Kent Corita Kent (November 20, 1918 – September 18, 1986), born Frances Elizabeth Kent and also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, was an American artist, designer and educator, and former religious sister. Key themes in her work included Christian ...
that has made the gas tank a Boston landmark. The parkway passes over the inlet from Dorchester Bay to Savin Hill Bay carried by the John J. Beades Memorial Bridge, a drawbridge which opens to allow passage to Dorchester Yacht Club. Savin Hill Beach, Malibu Beach, Savin Hill Yacht Club and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Dorchester are located along Morrissey Boulevard in this area adjacent to
Savin Hill Savin Hill is a section of Dorchester, the largest neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Named after the geographic feature it covers and surrounds, Savin Hill is about one square mile in area, and has a population of about 1 ...
and featured as part of
Boston Harborwalk Boston Harborwalk is a public walkway that follows the edge of piers, wharves, beaches, and shoreline around Boston Harbor. When fully completed it will extend a distance of from East Boston to the Neponset River. History The Harborwalk is a coo ...
. The
University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massa ...
,
Boston College High School , motto_translation = ''So they may know You.'' , address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard , city = Boston , state = Massachusetts , zipcode = 02125 , country ...
, and the
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighb ...
are among the institutions located on Morrissey Boulevard in its northernmost stretch beyond Savin Hill. The road ends as it intersects Columbia Road and Day Boulevard at Kosciuszko Circle, adjacent to the Harbor Point section of Dorchester and JFK/UMass subway and commuter rail station.


History

The road was designed as early as 1906 as an urban parkway to be constructed along the route of the
Old Colony Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall Ri ...
to give travelers to Quincy and Massachusetts South Shore locations a way to bypass city streets. In planning for nearly two decades, it was finally completed in 1924 and named Old Colony Parkway. The originally proposed route paralleling the railroad was changed and moved to the shore of Dorchester Bay on the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
due in part to land reclamation efforts prior to completion of the road. Old Colony Parkway was renamed William T. Morrissey Boulevard in 1951 in honor of the former head of the Metropolitan District Commission, now the
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission i ...
(DCR). The older commission constructed many parkways within
Greater Boston Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern a ...
and the DCR continues to own and maintain Morrissey Boulevard.


Flooding and maintenance

It is becoming known for
high tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables c ...
flooding. The thoroughfare was flooded during the
January 2018 North American blizzard The January 2018 North American blizzard caused widespread severe disruption and blizzard conditions across much of the East Coasts of the United States and Canada in early January 2018. The storm dropped up to of snow in the Mid-Atlantic sta ...
, the first March 2018 nor'easter, and during the January 2019 North American winter storm. In September 2020, the thoroughfare was flooded during the passage of
Hurricane Teddy Hurricane Teddy was a large and powerful Cape Verde hurricane that was the fifth-largest Atlantic hurricane by diameter of gale-force winds recorded. Teddy produced large swells along the coast of the Eastern United States and Atlantic Canada in ...
, while a
king tide A king tide is an especially high spring tide, especially the perigean spring tides which occur three or four times a year. King tide is not a scientific term, nor is it used in a scientific context. The expression originated in Australia, Ne ...
caused Morrissey Boulevard to become flooded in November 2020, and the thoroughfare was flooded during the second December 2020 nor'easter. The thoroughfare was flooded during the 2021 Groundhog Day nor'easter. In July 2021, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
(NOAA) released a report estimating that Boston would experience 11 to 18 days of high tide flooding in the following year. The thoroughfare was flooded during the
January 2022 North American blizzard The January 2022 North American blizzard caused widespread and disruptive impacts to the Atlantic coast of North America from Delaware to Nova Scotia with as much as of snowfall, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding at the end of January 202 ...
and the
December 2022 North American winter storm From December 21 to 26, 2022, a historic extratropical cyclone created winter storm conditions, including blizzards, high winds, snowfall, or record cold temperatures across the majority of the United States and parts of Canada. Areas which ex ...
. In February 2016, the DCR announced public meetings for designing a restoration project for Morrissey Boulevard to the Neponset River Greenway Council. In October 2018,
Boston Mayor The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a mayor to a four-y ...
Marty Walsh Martin Joseph Walsh (born April 10, 1967) is an American politician and former union official. He has been the 29th United States Secretary of Labor since March 23, 2021. A Democrat, he previously served as the 54th mayor of Boston from 2014, ...
announced a comprehensive
climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to current or expected effects of climate change.IPCC, 2022Annex II: Glossary öller, V., R. van Diemen, J.B.R. Matthews, C. Méndez, S. Semenov, J.S. Fuglestvedt, A. Reisinger (eds.) InClimat ...
proposal to protect the
Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States. History ...
coastline from flooding that included a proposal to re-design Morrissey Boulevard, and in October 2020, the Walsh administration released a 174-page climate change adaptation report for the Boston Harbor coastline in Dorchester that included proposals to elevate Morrissey Boulevard to as high as 16 feet
NAVD 88 The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) is the vertical datum for orthometric heights established for vertical control surveying in the United States of America based upon the General Adjustment of the North American Datum of 1988. ...
and install tide gates and
berm A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of compacted soil) separating areas in a vertical way, especially partway up a long slope. It can serve as a terrace road, track, path, a fortification line, a border/ separation ...
s with cost estimates ranging from $55.6 million to $90.9 million. In March 2021, the administrations of
Massachusetts Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuset ...
Charlie Baker Charles Duane Baker Jr. (born November 13, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was a cabinet official under two governors of Massach ...
and Marty Walsh announced a $1 million infrastructure study to improve the Morrissey Boulevard corridor and Kosciuszko Circle, which received its funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Boston Planning & Development Agency in July 2021. In February 2022, Governor Baker announced an $8.2 million project to construct a 0.7-mile
shared-use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
from Tenean Beach on the Neponset River Reservation to Morrissey Boulevard and that will connect the
Lower Neponset River Trail The Lower Neponset River Trail is a rail trail running along the Neponset River The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. Its headwaters are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near Gillette Stadium ...
with the
Boston Harborwalk Boston Harborwalk is a public walkway that follows the edge of piers, wharves, beaches, and shoreline around Boston Harbor. When fully completed it will extend a distance of from East Boston to the Neponset River. History The Harborwalk is a coo ...
via Morrissey (including a 670-foot
boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of brid ...
in the
salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is domin ...
es near the National Grid gas tank) that will be included in the $9.5 billion in federal funds the state government received under the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and originally in the House as the INVEST in America ActH.R. 3684, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress ...
. In July 2022,
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
Stephen F. Lynch from
Massachusetts's 8th congressional district Massachusetts's 8th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts, including part of Boston. It is represented by Democrat Stephen Lynch. For one congressional term (1791–1793), it served as the home district of the District of Ma ...
argued that infrastructure improvements to the Morrissey Boulevard corridor and Kosciuszko Circle should be included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding in an interview with the ''Dorchester Reporter''. In August 2022, Governor Baker signed into law an $11 billion transportation infrastructure bond bill that included $250,000 for improvements to the tide gates at Patten's Cove and that established a commission scheduled to assemble later in the same year and issue a report with findings and recommendations to improve the Morrissey Boulevard corridor and Kosciuszko Circle by June 1, 2023 (and that will include multiple state agency executives, the Mayor of Boston, state and local legislators, or their designees). In November 2022, the Michaels Organization announced an agreement with state officials for maintenance of the shared-use path to connect the Lower Neponset River Trail with Morrissey at a virtual public meeting for a proposal to redevelop the Ramada hotel at 800 Morrissey. At the end of 2022, the Morrissey Boulevard corridor commission had not yet formed due to the transition in gubernatorial administrations from outgoing Governor Charlie Baker to incoming Governor
Maura Healey Maura Tracy Healey (born February 8, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Massachusetts Attorney General since January 2015. She is the governor-elect of Massachusetts, having won the 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial electi ...
. In February 2023, Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials announced that a project to replace the Beades Bridge had been greenlighted to proceed to a design phase (to be performed by the management and consulting firm WSP) and estimated that the project could cost as much as $122 million (and with its construction not expected to begin until at least 2028), after the Department sent a letter to Boston Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge,
Massachusetts State Senator The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
Nick Collins, and Massachusetts State Representative Daniel J. Hunt the previous month stating that the project was now eligible for federal highway funding. In the same month, Accordia Partners (managing the Dorchester Bay City redevelopment proposal for the former Bayside Expo Center and the 2 Morrissey property) proposed replacing the Kosciusko Circle rotary with a four-way interchange at a public meeting hosted by the BPDA.


Property redevelopment

In January 2008, Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three ...
appointed a 15-member task force to develop a 25-year master plan for the Columbia Point neighborhood with the
Boston Redevelopment Authority The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), is a Massachusetts public agency that serves as the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial de ...
(BRA). In January 2009, the BRA held public meetings for the Columbia Point master plan, and in June 2011, the BRA approved the 25-year master plan for Columbia Point with the support of the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association. In June 2012, members of the Clam Point Civic Association unanimously passed a
motion In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and m ...
declaring opposition to the construction of a billboard at the Expressway Motors
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
car dealership at 700 Morrissey. In September 2016, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that the Boston Redevelopment Authority would be renamed as the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) at a meeting with the
Greater Boston Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern a ...
Chamber of Commerce. In May 2018, the
U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
approved a request submitted by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker at the recommendation of the Walsh administration that the Columbia Point census tract, which includes the segment of Morrissey Boulevard north of Patten's Cove and the UMass Boston entrance, be designated as an
opportunity zone An Opportunity Zone is a designation and investment program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allowing for certain investments in lower income areas to have tax advantages. The purpose of this program is to put capital to work that would ...
under the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 The Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, , is a congressional revenue act of the United States originally introduced in Congress as the Tax Cuts and Jobs A ...
. In September 2022, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Administrative Law Judge An administrative law judge (ALJ) in the United States is a judge and trier of fact who both presides over trials and adjudicates claims or disputes involving administrative law. ALJs can administer oaths, take testimony, rule on questions of evi ...
Al Caldarelli ruled that a proposal by the Bay Colony Associates to convert a static billboard at the Boston Bowl
bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...
at 820 Morrissey into a
digital billboard A digital billboard is a billboard that displays digital images that are changed by a computer every few seconds. Digital billboards are primarily used for advertising, but they can also serve public service purposes. These are positioned on highl ...
should be approved due to the removal of a billboard at 65 Tenean Street, and remanded the issue to the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Advertising (OOA) after the OOA rejected the proposal the previous January.


Biotechnology industry


2 Morrissey

In June 2019, Accordia Partners acquired five buildings at 2 Morrissey across Mount Vernon Street from the Bayside Expo Center after the
University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical ...
Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 99-year final lease agreement for the Bayside property with Accordia for approximately $192 million to $235 million the previous February. In March 2020, Accordia filed a 3-page
letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term sh ...
with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) for its Bayside Expo Center redevelopment proposal. In June 2020, the BPDA announced that it was seeking nominations for a community advisory committee to jointly review the Accordia Bayside proposal and the Center Court Partners 75 Morrissey proposal. In September 2020, Accordia filed a 187-page project notification form with the BPDA for a mixed-use development at the Bayside Expo Center titled "Dorchester Bay City" on 34 acres of land that will total 5.9 million square feet of
gross floor area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured as square feet or square metres) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the buil ...
laid out over 17 city blocks, and will feature commercial and public space as well as 1,740 residential housing units.


35–75 Morrissey

In September 2006, the
Tribune Company Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
sold the
WLVI WLVI (channel 56) is a television station licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, serving the Boston area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Sunbeam Television alongside WHDH (channel 7), an independent station. WLVI and W ...
television station at 75 Morrissey to
Sunbeam Television Sunbeam Television Corporation is a privately held broadcasting company based in Miami, Florida, that owns three television stations in the United States. History Sunbeam Television was formed on December 16, 1953, by Sidney Ansin, who inherite ...
(owner of then-NBC affiliate
WHDH-TV WHDH (channel 7) is an independent television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by Sunbeam Television alongside Cambridge-licensed CW affiliate WLVI (channel 56). WHDH and WLVI share studios at Bulfinch Place (nea ...
) for $117.3 million that would take effect the following December. After the transfer of ownership took place, Sunbeam laid-off virtually the entire staff of the facility and was in the process of attempting to lease the facility by the end of the following year. In November 2008, Synergy Investments purchased the Star Market at 35 Morrissey and included the facility and surrounding property in a proposal to the BRA to construct 180,000 square feet of retail space, 500,000 square feet of office space, and 700 housing units. In February 2009, the MBTA and the DCR announced that they would not permit the construction of a side street included in the Synergy proposal. In October 2012, Herb Chambers Companies announced its intention to purchase the former WLVI television station at 75 Morrissey from WHDH and convert it into a BMW car dealership. In November 2012, the BRA announced a public meeting to be held the following month at the Cristo Rey Boston High School to discuss the Herb Chambers WLVI station proposal, where
Herb Chambers Herbert G. Chambers (born November 24, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman, owner and president of The Herb Chambers Companies, a group of 60 car dealerships in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. In 2015, at the age of 74, he wa ...
and Boston City Councilor
Frank Baker John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 – June 28, 1963) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees. Althoug ...
spoke in defense of the project while Baker also expressed concerns about the effects of the project on the Columbia Point master plan. In July 2016, Herb Chambers proposed an 80,000-square foot Jaguar and
Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
car dealership in a 5-story building at 75 Morrissey at a Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association meeting. During a meeting with a BRA official in September 2016, Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association members expressed opposition to the Herb Chambers 75 Morrissey proposal. In June 2017, Herb Chambers Companies sold 75 Morrissey to Center Court Properties for $14.5 million. In August 2018, Center Court purchased the Star Market at 35 Morrissey and the
Beasley Broadcast Group Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. , the company owned 63 stations under the Beasley Media Group name. History The company was founded in 1961 by George G. Bea ...
office building at 55 Morrissey for $56 million. The following month, Center Court announced a proposal to construct a 22-story building and a 25-story building with 758 apartments at 75 Morrissey. In March 2019, Center Court discussed their proposal for 75 Morrissey at a Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association meeting, and at a subsequent Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association meeting the following June, Center Court announced a proposal for all of the company's holdings from 35 Morrissey to 75 Morrissey to construct 1,080 units of housing, 86,500 square feet of retail, including a 60,000-square foot market and with the height of the buildings at 75 Morrissey reduced to 21 and 24 stories. In October 2019, Center Court announced a revised proposal for 75 Morrissey to the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association that reduced the height of the buildings to 15 and 17 stories. In January 2020, Center Court filed a letter of intent with the BPDA for its revised 75 Morrissey proposal. In June 2020, the BPDA announced that it was seeking nominations for a community advisory committee to jointly review the Accordia Partners Bayside proposal and the Center Court 75 Morrissey proposal. In February 2021, Center Court filed a letter of intent with the BPDA to modify its 75 Morrissey proposal to one residential building with 175 units and one building with 250,000 square feet of office space for use by life science companies. In March 2022, Center Court presented a revised proposal to members of the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association to develop its 9 acres of land in between the former ''Boston Globe'' headquarters and the JFK/UMass station from 35 Morrissey to 75 Morrissey into seven 9-to-22-story buildings with four buildings intended for use by biotechnology companies and three buildings for residential use. In August 2022, Center Court filed a master plan with the BPDA for its seven-building proposal for 35 to 75 Morrissey. In November 2022, Center Court held a virtual public meeting for the proposal with residents who praised the proposal's consistency with the Columbia Point master plan, but expressed concern about the proposal's traffic impacts and any safety impacts from the life science laboratories for neighboring residents, while a Center Court official stated that it was too early in the proposal's development to know whether it would feature completely
green building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...
s and, following directives from the Wu administration about the city's participation in a state pilot program requiring new property developments in the city to use all-renewable energy, that new life science and health care facilities would be exempt from the all-renewable energy requirement.


135 Morrissey

In December 2015, ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' announced it would move its headquarters from 135 Morrissey to Exchange Place in
Downtown Boston Downtown Boston is the central business district of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The city of Boston was founded in 1630. The largest of the city's commercial districts, Downtown is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters; ...
. In 1958, ''The Boston Globe'' moved from its original location on Washington Street to the Morrissey location until moving in January 2017. In November 2014, ''The Boston Globe'' entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Winstanley Enterprises for 135 Morrissey that Winstanley withdrew from in February 2015. In July 2016, ''The Boston Globe'' agreed to sell 135 Morrissey to Center Court Properties for $80 million which Center Court cancelled in May 2017. In August 2017, ''The Boston Globe'' agreed to sell 135 Morrissey to the Nordblom Company. In October 2017, Nordblom proposed renovating and re-using the facility for
high tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
and
robotics Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrate ...
companies to the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association, and Nordblom filed a letter of intent for the proposal with the BPDA the following month. In December 2017, ''The Boston Globe'' sold 135 Morrissey to Nordblom for $81 million, and the following month, Nordblom filed a project notification form with the BPDA for a $200 million project called The BEAT to redevelop the property into a
biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
and
advanced manufacturing Advanced manufacturing is the use of innovative technology to improve products or processes, with the relevant technology being described as advanced, innovative or cutting edge. Advanced manufacturing industries increasingly integrate new innov ...
facility. In April 2018, the Nordblom proposal was approved by the BPDA, and the Nordblom proposal was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals the following August. In February 2019, Nordblom received a
building permit A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...
for The BEAT. In August 2021, Nordblom announced that tenants would begin to occupy The BEAT the following spring as well as a partnership with
Beacon Capital Partners Beacon Capital Partners is an American real estate investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1998, after Beacon Properties, Inc., Beacon's predecessor, was acquired by EQ Office in a $4 billion transaction. The company fo ...
. In January 2022, Beacon and Nordblom announced a proposal at a public meeting to construct a 6-story building on-site at The BEAT for biotechnology company tenants. In February 2022, the NOBULL sportswear manufacturing company announced that it would be the first tenant at The BEAT and begin to occupy its space the following September, and in the same month, Beacon and Nordblom requested support from the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association on an application for
animal testing Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and ''in vivo'' testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. This ...
at The BEAT. In April 2022, Beacon announced to the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association that it would apply for a
liquor license A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages. Canada In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the legal authority ...
for a restaurant at The BEAT. In June 2022, the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association approved the Beacon-Nordblom proposal for a 6-story building at the site of The BEAT and their liquor license application for the main facility, while Beacon proposed renaming the complex as Southline Boston. In November 2022, Beacon and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council announced that a 4,000 square foot training center featuring three certificate programs for prospective technicians and lab assistants would open at 135 Morrissey in 2023.


Housing

In October 2012, Synergy Investments announced a $60 million proposal to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) to construct two 5-
story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...
buildings with 278 units of rental housing at 25 Morrissey. In December 2012, a public meeting was held at Boston College High School to discuss the 25 Morrissey proposal (with Boston City Councilor Frank Baker and Massachusetts State Representative Marty Walsh in attendance) and where interest in buying
air rights Air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning, or renting, land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by others. This lega ...
over JFK/UMass station was also discussed. After the BRA approved the 25 Morrissey proposal in 2013, Synergy agreed to sell the property and project rights to Criterion Development Partners to complete in May 2014. In January 2017, Phillips Family Properties announced that the Old Colony House and Freeport Tavern at 780 Morrissey would close that month, and the property was officially put up for sale the following May. In September 2019, Michaels Development announced that it would file a letter of intent with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) the following month for a proposal to convert 780 Morrissey into a 6-story, 200-unit apartment complex in conjunction with Phillips Family Properties. In August 2020, the BPDA hosted a virtual public meeting for the 780 Morrissey proposal, while Phillips Family Properties held its own virtual public meeting for the proposal with neighboring residents in November 2020. In January 2021, the BPDA approved the 780 Morrissey proposal. In November 2021, the BPDA announced a public meeting scheduled for the following month to review a proposal to redevelop the Ramada hotel at 800 Morrissey also owned by Phillips Family Properties into a 6-story residential building with 240 units. In August 2022, the Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders announced a series of public meetings for a proposal to convert the
Comfort Inn Comfort (or being comfortable'')'' is a sense of physical or psychological ease, often characterized as a lack of hardship. Persons who are lacking in comfort are uncomfortable, or experiencing discomfort. A degree of psychological comfort c ...
at 900 Morrissey into a
supportive housing Supportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives, and is an active "community services and funding" stream across the United States. It was developed by ...
development for the formerly homeless with 105 to 110 units while the BPDA held a virtual public meeting for the 800 Morrissey proposal. In September 2022, Pine Street and the Community Builders hosted a public meeting for the 900 Morrissey proposal with Boston Housing Office Chief Sheila Dillon and City Councilors Frank Baker and Erin Murphy in attendance where Baker and Murphy expressed opposition to the proposal due to public safety concerns, while Rev. Richard Conway of St. Peter's Parish in the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood spoke in support of the proposal. In an interview with the ''Dorchester Reporter'' in the same month, Boston Mayor
Michelle Wu Michelle Wu ( zh, t=吳弭, first=t; born January 14, 1985) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts since 2021. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, she was t ...
did not commit to supporting the 900 Morrissey proposal due to its stage of development (but stated that more supportive housing was needed in the city and praised the Pine Street Inn as a homeless service provider), while the ''Dorchester Reporter'' itself published an editorial in favor of expediting the proposal's BPDA review process. In October 2022, City Realty of Allston filed a letter of intent with the BPDA for a 52-unit housing development at 13 Norwood Street (the first side street off the northbound side of Morrissey after the I-93 underpass at Neponset Circle). In November 2022, Pine Street and the Community Builders filed a letter of intent for the 900 Morrissey proposal with the BPDA. In December 2022, the BPDA held a public meeting for the 900 Morrissey proposal with as many as 270 residents in attendance along with BPDA Chief Arthur Jemison, Boston Housing Office Chief Sheila Dillon, and Pine Street and Community Builders officials where many residents expressed opposition to the proposal, reiterating public safety concerns due to the proposal's proximity to the Richard J. Murphy K-8 School while the Pine Street officials stated that they plan on using a security firm for the development and having
caseworker In social work, a caseworker is not a social worker but is employed by a government agency, nonprofit organization, or another group to take on the cases of individuals and provide them with advocacy, information and solutions. Also, in politic ...
s on site. In the same month, the BPDA approved the 800 Morrissey proposal, while residents opposed to the 900 Morrissey proposal held a sidewalk protest in front of the property and the ''Dorchester Reporter'' published a subsequent editorial that argued for the BPDA to approve the 900 Morrissey proposal. In January 2023, the public comment window for the 900 Morrissey proposal closed with the BPDA receiving more than 400 letters and emails in total and slightly more communications expressing opposition (but with more than 200 communications expressing support), including letters from First Parish Church Board of Trustees Chair Ardis Vaughan, Rev. Gerald Osterman of the St. Monica's and St. Peter's Parishes of South Boston, the city Age Strong Commission, and the Boston Advisory Council on Ending Homelessness all expressing support, while Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins, Massachusetts State Representative Daniel J. Hunt, Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, City Councilors Erin Murphy,
Michael F. Flaherty Michael F. Flaherty (born May 4, 1969) is an at-large member of the Boston City Council. Flaherty is a member of the United States Democratic Party. He was elected Boston City Council Vice President in 2001 and Boston City Council President from ...
, and Frank Baker wrote a joint letter expressing opposition and Pope's Hill Neighborhood Association President John Schneiderman also wrote a letter expressing opposition.


Retail

In October 2003, National Wholesale Liquidators opened a store at 725 Morrissey. In December 2008, National Wholesale announced that the 725 Morrissey store would close after the company filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whet ...
. In May 2009, the Westminster Dodge car dealership was ordered closed the following month. In February 2010, National Wholesale announced that the 725 Morrissey store would re-open the following April. In November 2011, the Westminster Motors car dealership at 710 Morrissey closed. In April 2015, East Boston Savings Bank announced it would open a retail branch at 960 Morrissey later in the year and the branch opened the following October. In November 2018, Herb Chambers Companies announced that it would move its
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
car dealership from Commonwealth Avenue in
Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most pa ...
to 720 Morrissey the following year. In October 2019, Floor & Decor announced that it would acquire the National Wholesale store at 729 Morrissey that closed after National Wholesale filed for bankruptcy protection a second time the previous year. At a
community meeting A community ( cy, cymuned) is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England. There are 878 communities in Wales. History Until 1974 Wales was d ...
sponsored by the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) in November 2019, Herb Chambers Companies proposed expanding its Honda car dealership at 710–720 Morrissey from a 1-story building into a 4-story building with 222 indoor parking spaces and 171 surface spaces. In January 2020, the BPDA held a public meeting with Floor & Decor representatives the following month for its 729 Morrissey proposal. In March 2020, the BPDA approved the Floor & Decor 729 Morrissey proposal, and the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the Floor & Decor 729 Morrissey proposal the following October. In March 2022, the BPDA approved the Herb Chambers Honda car dealership expansion proposal at 710–720 Morrissey. In January 2023, the 777 Morrissey property with Puritan Plaza and Lambert's Rainbow Market, a 65-year-old family-owned deli and
produce Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and g ...
market, was put up for sale by a
trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
controlled by the Lambert family (although its listing noted that the Lambert family had signed a 10-year NNN lease for the market and plaza to continue business for the lease's duration).


Major intersections

The entire route is in the Dorchester neighborhood of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Suffolk County.


References


External links


Map of the route

The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
1926 Boston street map published by the Boston City Planning Board {{University of Massachusetts Boston Columbia Point, Boston Parkways in Massachusetts Streets in Boston