Boston Edison Development Scoop

The large and looming pink landmark that welcomes people to the neighborhood will soon slip into the distant memories of the Old South Boston.  Back in April, the development partnership of Redgate and Hilco Global purchased the power plant for $24.25 million from Exelon!  This 15 acre property will undergo a major transformation over the next 10 years – and create a new gateway that will welcome people to South Boston.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency held public workshops during the winter as part of a planning initiative for the site. The workshops engaged the community to find out their interests and aspirations related to housing, transportation, public realm improvements, cultural facilities and placemaking at the Edison Power Plant site.

“The BPDA’s report released today on the South Boston Edison Power Plant aligns with our mixed-use vision for the site, as well as the community’s. This includes our commitment to historic preservation — with a century-old turbine hall at the centerpiece of the redevelopment — and to creating a public 1.5-acre waterfront park. There will also be opportunities for art, civic and cultural uses for people of all ages,” says Ralph Cox, principal at Redgate

From the workshop report from the BPDA:
The development of the 15-acre property will celebrate the site’s his- tory with the adaptive reuse of the 1903 Edison Turbine Hall and provide opportunities for new arts, civic and cultural uses, while creating new opportunities for jobs, housing, and businesses that can function with the adjacent port related uses along the Reserved Channel. After generations of the property being walled off from the community, new street networks and public realm activation will knit the district into the existing fabric of South Boston and allow for expanded access to the waterfront and create new, active open spaces.

So are you wondering what the good residents came up with at the workshops? Well, pop-up retail and art exhibits, waterfront activities like fishing, kayaking, microbrewery, open seating and dining area, retail space, grocery store, boutique hotel, residential and more. To see the full report visit here!