By John Lynds
Developers of the Clippership Wharf waterfront development project recently filed for a Chapter 91 license with the state. All waterfront projects in Massachusetts need to go through a Chapter 91 review MassDEP to ensure protection and promotion of public use of its tidelands and other waterways.
Specifically, the request Lend Lease made to the state is to construct and maintain a redesign and relocation of the authorized salt marsh and rocky beach creations in the intertidal area near the property, relocate the authorized floating dock into the existing cove. They also want to remove a portion of the concrete seawall at the western side of the site and replace it with toe stone backed stone riprap above the mean high water line, and install, on a temporary basis, a two-story sales office and a 2,200 square foot paved parking area at the westerly end of the southern pier.
Lend Lease got Boston Planning and Development Agency approval last year to develop the 12 acres of land and Boston Harbor waterfront in Eastie. The $225 million project is bordered by Lewis Street and Monsignor Jacobbe Road. General Manager for Lend Lease Nick Iselin has said the development team is putting a real emphasis on the project’s Chapter 91 license and wants the harbor walk and public accommodations to really stand out.
Iselin said the Clippership Wharf project will serve as home to a vibrant new community that encourages visitors and brings life to a section of the waterfront that has been inaccessible for years.
The Chapter 91 plans sent to the state is Lend Lease’s vision to incorporate the natural tidal plains to flow into the harbor walk to create a small cove that will include a boardwalk over the water as it connects to other harbor walks on either side of the project. This area will include a harbor walk, boardwalk, and a natural cove for recreational community activities like boating, canoeing and kayaking. In their BPDA approval, Lend Lease said it wants to make the entire development a destination area for the harbor walk, recreational water sports as well as other public accommodations like a cafe and restaurant.
When completed, Clippership Wharf will be comprised of four buildings with a mix of housing, including condominiums and apartments, amenities, as well as exciting options for community programming and dining. Additionally, the project will feature a linear Harbor walk, a living shoreline that will allow access to the water’s edge, a floating dock for recreation and education-based water activities, including a kayak launch, as well as a separate dock on the western side of the site that is available for small-boat-tie-ups.
Lend Lease also has plans for a public water taxi.
The project will contain up to 492 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, a small cafe and restaurant, a fitness center, a lounge and club facility, a canoe/kayak rental facility, a water taxi dock, and a possible mooring field for sailing.
The total gross floor area has been reduced from 620,920 to 555,000 with an floor area ratio of 2.2. The total building footprint for the Revised Project will be 105,681 square feet compared to 118,528 square feet for the original project.
The Project will provide approximately 300 underground spaces including Zipcar spaces and 21 surface spaces.
The height of the buildings will be less than 70 feet above grade with a building height of approximately 86 feet above grade.
The project contains 2,800 additional square feet of retail and Facilities of Public Accommodation. The most prominent t is the creation of a 28,200 square foot coastal wetland area comprised of land under the ocean, coastal banks, and tidal flats from existing solid fill at the end of the western wharf near the south side of Building 3.