On Tuesday, the (somewhat) iconic sign at the old Bayside Expo Center was removed to usher in a new era for that plot of land that will be developed literally into a “city.” You can check out a video here via WCVB.
Bayside Expo Center would host events like World of Wheels and conventions. Before it was the expo center, in the 1960s, it was the Bayside Mall and housed old-school stores like Zayre’s and Woolworth’s. In 2010, the land was purchased by UMass Boston, and the expo center was closed for business.
The new development in the works, Dorchester Bay City, calls for almost 20 acres of open and green space, including a “Dorchester Green and Dorchester Bay Esplanade,” complete with a 6300-square-foot Pavilion that will house public amenities and facilities. In order to achieve this, a large building initially proposed would be eliminated.
Other changes include 20 percent of its 2000 resident units will be “affordable” – the city requires only 13 percent in similar-sized projects, the creation of an 8,000-square-foot learning and innovation center offering training for higher paying jobs, plus $36.8 million in offsite transportation infrastructure improvements. You can read the full article via the Dorchester Reporter here.
This project is still under the approval process via the BPDA. You can learn more here.
The Dorchester Bay City project includes 1,957 residential units, over 4 million square feet of office and research space, plus over 180,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space spanning 21 development blocks. Holy Moly!
History of the land
This land has not been without controversy. To refresh your memory, this lot of land was considered a potential spot for the Olympic Village as part of Boston 2024, and recently, Bob Kraft was hoping for a New England Revolution soccer stadium. The proposal was shutdown after a lack of transparency and input from the public and local elected officials.
This property is right across the way from the new development taking over the Boston Globe site on Morrissey Blvd. in addition to the renovation of the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development in Southie.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
