Charlestown: background information, planning issues and preliminary neighborhood improvement strategies. (draft)

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

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BOSTON

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CHARLESTOWN
Background Information, Planning Issues and
Preliminary Neighborhood Improvement Strategies

City of Boston

Boston Redevelopment Authority

District Planning Program

Spring, 1975

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. SHORT HISTORY

B. EXISTING CHARACTERISTICS

Town Hill /Monument
Thompson Square/Bunker Hill
Medford Street
The Neck

C. PAST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT

D. ISSUES AND PRELIMINARY STRATEGIES

1. Housing Quality

2. Commercial Area Changes

3. Capital Investment Needs

4. Social Service Needs

5. Transportation problems

6. Major Potential Redevelopment

E. 1975 INVESTMENT PROGRAM

F. FUTURE INVESTMENT NEEDS

G. FUTURE INVESTMENT NEEDS as related to
issues, strategies, and 1975
Investment Program

■

m

INTRODUCTION

This report, prepared by the Charlestown district planners, is a draft
document meant to forms the basis of discussion among residents and city
representatives on planning strategies and investment needs.

The report does a number of things:

First, it establishes a base of population, income and housing data as
well as a listing and analysis of recent past public and private invest-
ment in Charlestown. This information can be used by the district
planners and others who are involved in the planning process, neighborhood
residents, Little City Hall staff and other city agencies and departments.

Second, it offers an analysis of the major issues which confront the
community along with recommended strategies. These strategies should
form the basis of discussion for community residents for the Community
Development Block Grant and Capital Improvement participation process as
well as for involvement in issues which are not addressed by city expendi-
tures such as rezoning, private development and programs funded by the
state.

Third, the report recognizes that strategies are not self-fulfilling and
makes recommendations for investments, both public and private, which
are necessary to help carry through the recommended strategies.

Dedhom

SHORT HISTORY

Charlestown was settled before Boston in the early seventeenth
century and developed separately from Boston until it was annexed
in 1874. It was already a thriving harborside community by the
time of the Revolution, during which the British burned the entire
town in the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. The town was rebuilt,
however, and once again flourished as a port. During tne Golden
Age of Sail, many wealthy captains and shipowners built grand
houses for themselves and their families on the hillsides of
Charlestown near the harbor. As the Boston Naval Shipyard was
developed as the nation's second navy yard, a mixture of industry
and port-related activities was established which continues to this
day. The introduction of industry triggered the development of
large sections of tenement housing for the workers. Most of this
housing was built in areas removed from the Harbor.

During the period of great migration from Europe (especially from
Ireland) in the late 1800' s, and again around the time of World War
I, these working class houses became the overcrowded first homes of
many immigrants. Improved transportation connections with Boston,
most notably the elevated transit line constructed at the beginning
of the twentieth century, made Charlestown an even more attractive
site for working class housing. At the same time many of the
wealthy old Charlestown families moved out of the town to other
areas.

The demand for ships generated by World War I increased activity at
the shipyard, which in turn put new pressure on the existing housing
stock. During this period many homes were converted to rooming
houses to meet the demands of workers new to the town and crews
stationed here while their snips were being repaired. The concen-
tration of lower income immigrants, transient workers and sailors
living in the town gave the neighborhood a rough and dangerous
reputation. The Depression which followed the boom of wartime
activity accelerated the process of deterioration caused by over-
crowding and neglect. The population began a long decline which,
except for another rooming house period during World War II, was
not broken until the implementation of redevelopment under the
Urban Renewal Program.

The Urban Renewal Plan began to be formulated in 1960 and was
approved in 1965; implementation is now nearing completion.
Originally, it was recommended that over half the dwelling units in
Charlestown be demolished because of their deteriorated condition.
Before the final plan was accepted, however, residents and planners
revised the plan so that fewer than 600 dwelling units were demol-
ished and the neighborhood's character and the majority of its
structures have been preserved.

Since 1965, renewal activity and the availability of low interest
rehabilitation loans and grants have attracted new residents to
Charlestown, who have sought out and rehabilitated many of the fine
houses which remain from the time when Charlestown was the home of
ship captains and wealthy merchants. As a result, rents and sales
prices have increased in certain areas of the town. Two housing
markets actually exist; on the same street long time residents may
rent apartments to other long time residents for $70-$90 per month,
while newer neighbors may rent similar space which they have reno-
vated for $200 or more. Although most areas of Charlestown have
experienced some of the influx of newer residents, the heaviest
concentration is in the vicinity of the Bunker Hill Monumentj
Monument Avenue, and adjacent areas to the south and east.

■ >

EXISTING CHARACTERISTICS

Information on population and housing in this report was derived
from the 1960 and 1970 U.S. Census. Four sub-areas of Charlestown
have been designated for further analysis: Town Hill/Monument
(1970 Census tracts 401 and 402), Thompson Square/Bunker Hill (403
and 404), Medford Street (405, 407 and 408), and the Neck (406).

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from

-28.7%

n'ly

$6,952-
11,522

ling

1,342
ing
r

529
pied

28%

dition Strong
same

57%

Comparative Statistics- -Char! estown
Census Data

Town Hi 11-

Bunker Hi 1 1 -

n_

Monument

Thompson Sq.

Medford St.

The

Neck

District

City

0

4,112

5,204

5,603

434

15,353

639,803

om

ck

-16%

-26%

-28%

-43%

-25%

-8

40

4

32

0

76

104,206

ck

3

2

29

2

36

63,165

1970

431

569

663

39

1,702

81 ,437

om

-16%

-18%

+34%

-43%

-4%

-5

ouples

dren

361

526

533

39

1,459

68,873

506

681

651

91

1,929

83,101

-22.8%

•18.1%

-57.1%

£8,612-
8,956

26%

$6,196-
10,100

18%

$7,406

43%

1,731

654

30%
Stable

59%

1,895

1,042

32%
Stable

62%

151

48

41%
Moderate

42%

-24.4%

$6,196-
11,999

29%

5,119

2,273

30%
Strong

59%

■17.1%

$9,000-
11,522

22%

232,856

67,102

27%
Stable

50%

TOWN HILL/MONUMENT

The Town Hill/Monument area is the southern section of Charlestown.
It includes City Square (the entrance to the town from Boston
proper), the recently constructed Kent Community School, three
historic parks (Bunker Hill Monument, John Harvard Mall, and the
Training Field), and a portion of the Bunker Hill housing project.
Residences in the area are predominantly three and four story brick
row houses built in the nineteenth century. A group of residential
streets (among the oldest in Boston) located in the southernmost
portion of the area, known as Town Hill, is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. The Town Hill/ Monument area has
experienced the greatest influx of new residents in Charlestown;
and many of the larger houses in the area, which had been converted
into rooming houses during the periods of booming activity in the
navy yard, are now being reconverted into one-, two- and three-
family dwellings. Although a great deal of rehabilitation has
taken place in the area since the inception of urban renewal, 529
dwelling units (more than a third of the area's total) required
over $1,000 fix-up in 1973. Rehabilitation activity has been
steadily continuing since then, however, and is expected to in-
crease after the elevated line is removed from Main Street and City
Square is redesigned. In 1970, 28% of the area's dwelling units
were owner-occupied, a proportion close to that cf both the Charlestown
district and the city as a whole. While the district as a whole
lost a quarter of its population between 1960 and 1970, the Town
Hi 11 /Monument area experienced a 16% decrease, the lowest percentage
of population decrease in the town. 57% of the people living in
the area in 1970 had lived in the same residence for five or more
years; this percentage is higher than that for the city as a whole,
but slightly less than the district-wide percentage of 58%. Although
this section has the highest median income in the town ($6,952-
11,522), 23% of its families had incomes under $5,000 in 1970.
This statistic may be explained in part by the fact that the area
includes a section of the low-income Bunker Hill housing project.
Despite the influx of new residents, the area continues to house
many long-time residents and roomers.

THOMPSON SQUARE/BUNKER HILL

The Thompson Square/Bunker Hill area is centrally located in the
town, to the west of the Town Hill/Monument area. It includes the
traditional center of commercial activity in Charlestown as well as
the site for the new shopping center, the Bunker Hill Community
College, the new library, the MDC skating rink, a section of the
Bunker Hill housing project, and the recently completed low and
moderate income 236 housing development, Mishawum Park (not oc-
cupied during 1970 Census). The area has the highest percentage
(65%) in the district of single and two-family dwellings. Most of
the residences are two-, three- or four-story row houses, predomi-
nantly brick in the southwestern portion and wood frame in the
northeastern portion. Although the majority of buildings in the
area are in good or fair condition, some in the immediate vicinity

of the Bunker Hill housing project show signs of deterioration. A
survey indicates that 654 dwelling units (over a third of the
area's total) required fix-up over $1,000 in 1973. The dismantling
of the Elevated on Main Street and the continued availability of
rehabilitation assistance are expected to spur an increase of both
commercial and residential rehabilitation activity. The area shows
signs of residential stability; 30% of the dwelling units are
owner-occupied, and 59% of the people living in the area have
resided in the same house for five or more years. The median
income for the area ($8,612-8,956) is about average for the district.
26% of the area's families had incomes under $5,000; this includes
a section of the Bunker Hill housing project. The area, like the
district as a whole, lost about a quarter of its population between
1960 and 1970. The area has experienced slightly less of the
influx of new residents than the Town Hill/Monument area, and
continues to be predominantly working class families.

MEDFORD STREET

The Medford Street area is the northernmost section of Charlestown.
It includes the Naval Shipyard, a variety of industrial and port-
related uses (including Boston's primary containerport) , Sullivan
Square, two major playgrounds (Ryan and Doherty), most of the
Bunker Hill housing project, and the recently completed Charles
Newtowne 236 housing development (only partially occupied during
1970 Census). Outside of these housing developments, the area's
residences are predominantly two- and three-family wood row houses.
The majority of these structures are in fair or poor condition,
with evidence of deterioration concentrated in the vicinity of the
Bunker Hill housing project. Approximately 55% of the area's
dwelling units required fix-up over $1,000 in 1973. Despite these
conditions, the area shows strong signs of residential stability;
32% of the dwelling units are owner-occupied, and 62% of the people
living in the area have resided in the same house for five or more
years. 41% of the area's dwelling units are in one- or two-family
houses. Some of the older houses show signs of new investment, and
several new single family dwellings have been built in the area on
land assembled by the city's urban renewal program. The area
experienced a 28% decrease in population between 1960 and 1970,
compared with the district-wide decrease of 25%. The median family
income for the area is $6,196-10,100, ranging from low to fairly
high compared with the district as a whole. This area has the
lowest percentage (18%) of families with incomes under $5,000,
however; the comparable district-wide percentage is 29%. The area
has a stable housing market and has retained its character of a
working class family neighborhood.

THE NECK

The Neck area is the extreme western section of Charlestown,
physically separated from the rest of the town by Rutherford Avenue
(a major arterial road) and Sullivan Square. It includes some
industrial land, some automobile-oriented commercial development

along Cambridge Street, and a very small residential neighborhood.
The dominant housing type is detached frame one- and two-family
houses, which include 49% of the area's dwelling units; there are
also a few six-unit apartment structures and several three-family
houses. The majority of the area's housing is well -maintained and
in fair condition; 48 units (less than a third of the neighborhood's
total) required fix-up over $1,000 in 1973. Because the Neck was
not included in the urban renewal project boundaries, it has not
been eligible for federal rehabilitation assistance. The Neck has
a relatively high proportion of owner-occupied units (41%), and
42% of the area's population have lived in the same unit for five
or more years. The area has what might be called a moderate
housing market, with no significant increase in resale values or
rent levels in recent years. The Neck has a low median income of
$7,406 and an extremely high proportion (43%) of families with
incomes less than $5,000. The area experienced a dramatic 43% loss
of population between 1960 and 1970, due in large part to demolition
of many of its residential structures necessitated by construction
of the new Sullivan Square terminal and Orange Line.

10

PAST PUBLIC INVESTMENT

Capital expenditures in Charlestown have increased markedly since
the inception of the urban renewal program. Although the renewal
plan was approved in 1965, the great bulk of capital expenditures
has been made since 1968. Over $1,000,000 was spent on necessary
demolition work; and between 1968 and 1974, the BRA and city
departments made a combined total of over $18,000,000 in capital
investment in the town. Much of this total amount was spent on
needed infrastructure improvements. Approximately $5,300,000 has
been spent on street and sidewalk reconstruction, $275,000 on
street resurfacing, $3,370,000 sewer replacement, $2,000,000 on new
water lines, and over $770,000 on street lighting. In addition to
these improvements, almost $7,000,000 has been spent on public
facilities and the construction and improvement of recreational
facilities. New construction includes the Kent Community School,
the Charlestown Library, the Charlestown Fire Station near Sullivan
Square, the Doherty Pool, and the McCarthy Playground. Improvements
have been made to the Barry, Doherty, and Ryan Playgrounds, as well
as to the District 15 Police Station.

Public investment in housing in Charlestown has been in three
forms: the leased housing program, new construction, and federally-
assisted rehabilitation. There are 98 leased housing units in
Charlestown; 80 are located in the recently constructed Charles
Newtowne development, and 18 units are scattered throughout the
district. Two major housing developments subsidized under the
federal 236 program have been constructed in Charlestown in recent
years: Mishawum Park, which includes 337 units, and Charles Newtowne,
which includes 182 units in addition to the 80 units that are now
leased housing. The Boston Housing Authority has constructed 96
units of elderly housing in low density structures scattered
throughout the town. These new housing developments provide good,
attractive housing for middle income families and elderly individuals.
In addition, the BRA sold cleared land within renewal boundaries to
private developers, who have constructed 38 units of market housing.
As an urban renewal area, Charlestown became eligible for federal
rehabilitation loans and grants. Over $7,000,000 of public funds
have been expended under this program in Charlestown, resulting in
the rehabilitation of 811 residential and mixed residential/commercial
structures, a total of 1,525 housing units. The public funds spent
on housing rehabilitation represent only a fraction of the total
investment triggered by these programs. Public investment in
Charlestown has helped to reverse the trend of deterioration and to
restore the neighborhood's attractiveness and "livability. "

11

PAST PRIVATE INVESTMENT

A review of building permits for construction activity in excess of
$10,000 from 1968-74 shows evidence of commercial and residential
investment in Charlestown. Most of this investment has been in
residential buildings. Aside from a cluster of new residences on
Austin Street, the majority of new residential construction has
taken place in the Medford Street area, along side streets inter-
secting Main and Bunker Hill Streets. Most of the residential
rehabilitations and conversions, on the other hand, have occurred
in the Town Hill/Monument area and along Main Street opposite
Mishawum Park. The only instance of new commercial construction
which appears in the building permits is on Rutherford Avenue near
Sullivan Square. The four commercial rehabilitations which appear
are scattered throughout the district.

15

ISSUES AND PRELIMINARY STRATEGIES

1. HOUSING QUALITY

Issues

Although many residential structures have been rehabilitated
since 1968 as a result of urban renewal activity and the
availability of federal loans and grants, there is still a
great need for rehabilitation assistance in Charlestown.
Close to half of the town's dwelling units required fix-up
exceeding $1000 in 1973. Because of rising costs, some
Charlestown homeowners have been unable to make necessary
repairs to their property, despite the availability of loans
and grants and incentives offered by the Mayor's Housing
Improvement Program. Those who are financially able to re-
habilitate their houses require expert technical assistance to
ensure that serious structural problems and code violations
are corrected and that the work enhances rather than obscures
the buildings' historic and architectural character. The
Bunker Hill housing project, which is in deteriorated condition
and frequently subject to vandalism, exerts an influence on
surrounding housing which discourages rehabilitation activity.

Because of its nearness to downtown, attractive settings and
well-built housing, Charlestown overall is experiencing a
shortage of sellers rather than buyers; and resale values and
rent levels have been rising more rapidly than in most communi-
ties in the metropolitan area. This phenomenon is creating a
problem in rental housing. Because of higher monthly costs,
such as mortgage and tax payments, incurred when property
changes hands, some new owners find it impossible to maintain
low rents and existing tenants may be forced out. An important
issue is how to preserve Charlestown' s housing stock without
losing the neighborhood's long-time residents.

Strategy

Public assistance is required in order for existing homeowners
to rehabilitate their houses. The continued availability of
federal rehabilitation loans and grants together with the cash
rebate offered by the Housing Improvement Program should
provide necessary financial help for many Charlestown residents.
These programs also provide much needed technical assistance
to direct rehabilitation effort toward correcting serious
structural problems and code violations, to advise homeowners
on dealing with contractors or making repairs themselves, and
to suggest ways that houses can be economically rehabilitated
to enhance their basic historic or architectural character. A
strong public information effort is needed so that Charlestown
residents become aware of the availability and the details of
these programs, including the fact that participation will not
subject them to property reassessment. At least initially,
these efforts should be concentrated in the Neck area, which
has not been eligible for federal rehabilitation assistance.

17

For some homeowners, the financial assistance offered by
federal loans and HIP is not sufficient and a deeper rehabili-
tation subsidy is required. In addition, major public invest-
ment is required to rehabilitate the deteriorated Bunker Hill
housing project and facilitate maintenance in the future.

COMMERCIAL AREA CHANGES

Issues

Because of loss of population, competition with outlying
shopping centers, the blighting influence of the elevated
transit line on Main Street, and the threat of vandalism and
robbery, the commercial areas of Charlestown have declined.
In the Thompson Square area and on Bunker Hill Street, retail
and service establishments have been physically abandoned and
boarded up. Although there is need for neighborhood commercial
establishments in Charlestown, many residents view Thompson
Square and Bunker Hill Street as unattractive and unsafe
places to shop. The issue is how to improve these areas and
their image in the community so that Charlestown can have
again thriving commercial areas which serve the neighborhood's
needs.

Strategy

A combination of public and private effort is needed to re-
vitalize the commercial areas of Charlestown. Demolition of
the elevated, construction of the new shopping center, and the
initiation of the police foot patrol program in 1975 are major
steps; but public investment is still required to improve the
safety and attractiveness of Main and Bunker Hill Streets.
Streets and sidewalks in these areas should be reconstructed,
trees should be planted, and street lights and street furniture
(e.g. - benches, trash barrels) should be installed. If found
to be effective, the police foot patrol program should be
continued and expanded, and other means of improving safety
should be explored. The city should also work with local
business associations to set up a storefront rehabilitation
program.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT NEEDS
Issues

As approved in 1965, the Urban Renewal Plan for Charlestown
called for reconstruction of almost all streets within the
project boundaries and construction of a number of new public
facilities. Although alot of work has been done to date, many
streets have yet to be done and a number of public facilities
(including the new high school, a new elementary school and a
new fire station) have yet to be built.

18

Despite recent investment, many of the parks and recreational
facilities in Charlestown are poorly maintained and in bad
repair. The need for better lighting, rehabilitation of
facilities and general landscaping and restoration work is
obvious in the neighborhood's playgrounds as well as in historic
parks and cemeteries which will be visited by tourists. There
is currently a shortage of usable open space and active recrea-
tional facilities in the vicinity of Charles Newtowne and the
Bunker Hill housing project. Residents have expressed the
need for more play areas for small children, for active
recreational facilities (specifically tennis courts) for
adults and for more passive facilities to service the elderly.
Residents are also concerned that they are unable to enjoy
Charlestown's extensive waterfront, because of lack of safe
pedestrian access and recreation land along the water.

Because of demolition work and occasional fires, there are
alot of vacant lots in Charlestown. Many of these are not
maintained and are eyesores and safety hazards for the community.

Strategy

Charlestown's capital investment needs, as outlined above,
must be met if the goal of restoring residents' confidence is
to be fully achieved. Many capital improvements are scheduled
for 1975, including street and sidewalk reconstruction, tree
planting and installation of street lights, construction of
the high school complex, assembly of land for the new elementary
school, restoration of vacant lots, and improvements to several
existing playgrounds. The coordinated effort of the BRA, PFD,
Little City Hall and the Parks and Recreation Department is
necessary to ensure that remaining capital investments (including
residential street improvements, new fire station, new elementary
school, restoration of vacant lots, improvements to existing
recreational facilities, and construction of Little Mystic
Playground and other new recreational facilities) will be made
and that existing and new facilities will be properly maintained
in the future.

SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS

Issues

The youth in Charlestown have special needs, which have not
been adequately served by existing facilities or programs. A
comprehensive and coordinated system of public and private
effort is required to identify and meet those needs. The
elderly have special service needs too. Although some of
their needs are met by local agencies, others, notably a safe
and convenient means of getting around town, cannot currently
be met without public assistance.

19

Strategy

The 1975 investment program includes purchase of a mini -bus to
be operated by the Kent Community School for elderly transportations
If this project is successful, it should be continued and if
necessary expanded in the future. The city, through its
Little City Hall and planning department, should be aware of
service needs in Charlestown and should offer assistance to
community groups in planning and securing funding for service
programs and facilities.

TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS

Issues

Several major highways, including 1-93, the central artery and
the Tobin Bridge, run along the periphery of the community.
For the most part, these improvements serve suburban commuters
and through traffic rather than residents and workers of
Charlestown. The expressways have caused problems of noise
and air pollution. Construction of the Tobin Bridge in the
1950' s caused Chelsea Street to be severed and the low level
bridge which crossed the Little Mystic Channel to be demolished.
Because of these changes and the awkward and hazardous artery
ramps, trucks are forced to use residential streets such as
Lowney Way and Medford Street. Traffic congestion is a problem
on Main Street, where cars must weave their way through the
supports of the elevated structure, and in City Square, where
local and through-traffic intermingle with a minimum of control.
These areas are hazardous for pedestrians and motorists alike.

Additional problems have been created by the relocation of the
Orange line, which while a blighting influence provided good
rapid transit service for community residents. Transit service
is now being provided primarily by buses which, unlike rail
transit, are subject to traffic congestion and severe delay
during peak hours. A major issue is how to ease the transition
from rail transit to buses and to provide safe, convenient and
quick transit service for the Charlestown community.

Strategy

The city must provide improved truck access to industrial
areas in order to remove truck traffic from residential streets.
A proposed pair of transportation improvements, the Water/Chelsea
Streets connector and Little Mystic Bridge, are currently being
studied under a contract jointly sponsored by BRA and Massport.
The city should be prepared to contribute its share of funding
to implement these improvements if they are deemed to be
feasible. Some traffic and parking improvements are being
made in 1975 to ease congestion in Charlestown. Major effort
is still required to redesign City Square; the confusion and
congestion at this intersection is expected to worsen when the
elevated structure is removed. Additional planning and public
effort are required to improve pedestrian access and safety in
the town. In order to assure good transit service for people
who live and work in Charlestown, the city should work with
the community and the MBTA on bus routes and schedules; exclusive
bus lanes and passenger loading platforms are now being studied.

20

MAJOR POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT
Issues

Three sites in Charlestown have the potential for major rede-
velopment: the Navy Yard, Sullivan Square, and the land north
of the Little Mystic Channel. The Navy Yard, which includes
approximately 84 acres of land and 46 acres of water as well
as many buildings of historical and architectural importance,
was officially closed in the spring of 1973. Since then, the
National Park Service has acquired the westernmost 26 acres as
one of seven sites to be included in the Boston National
Historic Park. The BRA and the Boston Economic Development
and Industrial Commission have been working together along
with a local task force to produce realistic proposals for
reusing the remainder of the yard and to interest potential
redevelopers. Proposals which have been considered to date
include industrial, residential, commercial, institutional and
recreational uses.

The old Sullivan Square transit terminal and some of the
surrounding land owned by the MBTA are no longer being used
because of the relocation of the Orange Line and construction
of the new terminal. Although the MBTA has plans to develop
part of the site for a new bus garage and related facilities,
some land may be available for redevelopment. Interest in the
site has been expressed by the Parks and Recreation Department,
the Public Facilities Department, a local special service
agency and individuals in the community. Special problems in
reusing the site include traffic congestion, lack of pedestrian
access, and distance from the residential community.

The area north of the Little Mystic Channel includes a variety
of industrial and port-related uses, Boston's primary container-
port, and some land owned by the Penn-Central Railroad. The
Penn-Central land is currently under-utilized, and Massport
has expressed interest in expanding its container facilities.
Expansion of containerized shipping on this site and other
sites in Boston has been under study by the BRA. Special
problems in expanding development in this area include in-
adequate access for automobiles and trucks.

Strategy

All three of these sites present exciting long-range potential
for redevelopment. The issue is to produce and promote sound
redevelopment proposals which will benefit Charlestown and the
City of Boston as a whole, with careful planning to solve
special problems and avoid disruption of the community. The
BRA should continue its coordinated effort with EDIC and the

21

resident task force on reuse proposals for the Navy Yard. The
planning department should take the initiative to study and
develop a master plan for the Sullivan Square MBTA lands while
continuing to meet with interested groups and individuals from
the community and public agencies. Working with Massport and
a local task force (not yet formally established), planners
should carefully review the containerport expansion proposal
and assess related costs and benefits to Charlestown and the
city as a whole. Any plans for this area should incorporate
community needs and practical planning considerations.

22

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E. 1975 INVESTMENT PROGRAM

The 1975 program in Charlestown includes a wide range of investments
utilizing city, state and federal resources. A major component of
the 1975 investment program for housing is the Housing Improvement
Program, which provides financial incentives and technical assistance
for the rehabilitation of owner-occupied residential structures
with 1-6 units. A site office for the administration of this
program will be established in Charlestown, and funds have been
reserved for the rehabilitation of approximately 100 buildings.
Although the entire district is included in the program, effort
will be made to target the Neck area, which has been ineligible for
federal rehabilitation loans and grants. Some federal funds will
continue to be available in 1975 for rehabilitation loans and
grants within the renewal project boundaries. In addition, the BRA
is scheduled to assemble parcels of land for new private residential
development.

Included in the investment program for commercial area improvements
is the assembly and disposition of parcels for new commercial
development. The police foot patrol program, initiated in 1975,
should help to improve safety of the commercial areas in the minds
of merchants and customers alike. In addition, construction of the
new shopping center at Thompson Square and the previously funded
demolition of the elevated on Main Street should get underway in
1975. The combination of these improvements is expected to spur
commercial rehabilitation and development in Charlestown, especially
along Main Street.

Residential street work is a major component of the 1975 capital
improvement program. A portion or the entire length of 38 streets
in Charlestown will undergo street and sidewalk reconstruction or
resurfacing, separation of storm and sanitary drainage systems,
tree planting and the installation of street lights. Although
planning work on the new Bunker Hill Elementary School has been
delayed because of judicial review, during 1975 the BRA will
assemble the necessary parcels to be conveyed to the Public Facilities
Department. PFD will undertake construction of the new Charlestown
High School complex, including the athletic facility already under
construction. In addition, the city will do restoration work,
including landscaping, tree planting and lighting, to the Doherty
Playground, the Ryan Playground, the Phipps Street Cemetery and the
John Harvard Mall. Plans for the mall, which were revised in
accordance with community wishes, concentrate improvements in the
upper portion along Harvard Street and include an active play area
for children. During 1975 the city will also build two tennis
courts on a site within the residential neighborhood.

24

The 1975 investment program for traffic and parking improvements
includes assembly and disposition of parcels for City Square im-
provements and provision of parking for visitors to the Boston
National Historic Park, as well as funds for building a pedestrian
bridge over Rutherford Avenue at Austin Street. In addition, the
BRA and Massport are jointly funding the environmental impact
statement and preliminary design work for the proposed Little
Mystic Bridge and Water/Chelsea Streets connector. This pair of
transportation improvements is expected to reduce heavy truck
traffic on residential streets and to improve access to the
containerport.

The investment program also includes purchase of a mini-bus for

elderly transportation (to be operated by the Kent School) and

funds for the improvement of approximately 25 vacant lots in Charlestown

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