The Museum Project would give the area's visitors a central location to direct them to the city's historic sites and museums. In addition, the attached museum would depict the city's history since the Revolutionary War and the area's colonial and Native American history.
"We are missing a city museum and orientation center for our visitors," Anne Emerson, director of the Boston Museum Project, tells GlobeSt.com. "We have a major need. Boston is a mecca of history." The building, adds Emerson, would be upwards of 200,000 sf, depending upon the permitting process.
The Bostonian Society, the Boston History Collaborative and the Freedom Trail Collaborative formed the Museum Project in December of 1998. The National Parks Service has since joined the group and is investing $30 million in the project. The Parks Service also plans on being the lead tenant in the venture, providing the Museum Project with a bankable lease to borrow against for some portion of the financing. Additional funds will be raised privately.
The Museum Project's interest in one of two prime pieces of real estate here requires that it have the support of the city to move forward. "We would expect to be on public land," says Emerson. "This is total civic use."
According to Antonia Pollack, the city's environmental director, Mayor Thomas M. Menino likes the idea of a city museum but he is not committed to it yet. "He has been hearing about the concept for a while but he has not seen any specific sites," adds Pollack.
The Project formally expressed interest in the Central Artery Plan and is currently part of the process. Says Emerson, "We are one of the people in the Central Artery Plan." But because Parcel 12 is designated for commercial use, the Museum Project needs to develop the land in partnership with Sullivan Realty, creating either a mixed-use development of housing and a museum or a stand-alone museum.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
