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19h ago

BPDA Backs Downtown Rezoning Allowing Residential Towers Up to 700 Feet

City officials call it a housing-first strategy meant to spur office-to-residential conversions to revive the core.

George Carona sits by a fountain while Olympia Elia rides her scooter at the Public Garden in Boston, MA on September 4, 2025.
Buildings along Washington Street in what has been dubbed the “Ladder District.” (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
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Overview

  • Following two votes — one unanimous and one 4–1 — the BPDA board approved Plan: Downtown after months of debate.
  • The plan permits predominantly residential towers up to roughly 700 feet in select downtown areas while capping nonresidential projects at much lower heights, reported around 200 feet.
  • It establishes two districts: Sky-Low-DT with preservation-focused limits and Sky near major transit with fewer height restrictions.
  • Opposition from neighborhood groups and several elected officials cites risks to historic character and potential conflicts with the state shadow law; the BPDA meeting did not include public comment.
  • The measure now moves to the Zoning Commission for a public hearing and final vote expected next month, with BPDA member Ted Landsmark casting the lone no vote.