By Michael Coughlin Jr.
Last week, the Planning Department hosted a meeting about the old A-7 East Boston Police Station at 69 Paris Street, which is undergoing a disposition process to be rehabilitated.
The focus of last week’s meeting was to “review the draft development objectives, design guidelines, and evaluation criteria for rehabilitation of the former A-7 police station,” said Scott Greenhalgh, a Real Estate Development Officer with the Planning Department.
This meeting follows one that was held in April, where residents shared their ideas for the rehabilitation of the building, which was initially built in 1912, had a third story added in 1930, and is currently attached to a courthouse owned by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) at 37 Meridian Street.
It should be noted that the project webpage on the Planning Department’s website notes that the courthouse is not a part of the future RFP (request for proposals).
Before getting to the objectives of this meeting, Greenhalgh provided a recap of April’s meeting, covering topics such as site history, the disposition process, DCAMM’s involvement, and more.
The above topics were covered in a story about that meeting in the May 7 edition of the East Boston Times-Free Press, at https://eastietimes.com/2025/05/07/planning-department-hosts-meeting-about-former-east-boston-police-station/.
“The common thread in the conversation was an emphasis on community use, whether that be for nonprofits, community organizations, cultural space, arts space, or even a museum,” said Greenhalgh of the discussion at April’s meeting.
“Housing also was briefly discussed as a possibility here,” he added.
Based on the above feedback, the Planning Department has crafted development objectives to guide an upcoming RFP.
“Today we’re seeking feedback on these development objectives and the next few slides,” Greenhalgh said.
The objectives per the meeting slideshow are to allow for a mix of uses, have historic preservation, serve as a public destination, and to have resilient design.
Moreover, Greenhalgh outlined the area’s zoning regulations for coastal resilience, sustainability, and green building guidelines, as well as building dimensions.
Specifically, the site is in the Mixed-Use-5 (MU-5) zoning subdistrict, meaning the building’s maximum height under zoning would be five stories or 65 feet. The building is currently three-and-a-half stories and about 43 feet.
“Proposals should preserve the historic structure, and any addition should align with the character of the existing building as well as any surrounding buildings,” Greenhalgh said. “Improved public space will be key as well.”
As the meeting progressed, draft evaluation criteria for future proposals that focus on “demonstration of ability to execute the project as presented and strength of financial plan, development program, exceptional design and public realm, and diversity and inclusion plan” were revealed.
Potential subsidies and resources for the proponent who is eventually selected to rehabilitate the site were also shared, including the Community Preservation Act, historic tax credits, and more.
“These programs are not offered in the RFP, and they’d require a separate application to each of them,” Greenhalgh said.
As for the next steps in the RFP process, Greenhalgh said it would be to release a draft RFP, anticipated for the spring. A final RFP would then be released following the draft.
Following the presentation, the floor was opened to attendees for questions and comments.
One attendee asked about one of the development objectives — to create a public destination — which the slideshow presentation stated could be something that “attracts visitors.”
In response, Greenhalgh said, “I think that speaks more… to being attractive to people who would visit the site or users of the building, and also in the sense of a public realm that is inviting.”
Another attendee asked who assesses the responses to the final RFP and decides on a proposal.
“That would be a team at the city, including me and other colleagues in urban design, our transportation planning team,” Greenhalgh said.
“We would provide input on the RFP proposals, but also, all the developers that respond to the RFP — and we feel that are qualified responders — in the sense that they meet the minimum submission requirements, they would present in a community meeting a few weeks after the RFPs are received,” he added, noting that the community will be involved in providing feedback on proposals as well.
As the discussion continued, several other topics, including the condition of the building, its historical status, using the space for young folks, DCAMM’s involvement, and potentially adopting a slower, more involved community process, were raised.
To view a recording of the presentation and discussion, and for more information about this process, visit https://www.bostonplans.org/planning-zoning/planning-initiatives/a-7-east-boston-police-station.