City Councilors Oppose City Seizure of Land

BOSTON-A 37,000 sf parcel in the heart of Downtown here is at the center of a dispute between the Boston Redevelopment Authority, backed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and a group of city councilors. This past April the BRA voted to seize the parking lot on the edge of Chinatown–in an area where there is very little undeveloped space–under an urban renewal law that allows the BRA to takeover properties it declares substandard. The proceeds of the sale of the property would go to the construction of a local school.

A number of city councilors have come out against the seizure, contending that it was done so the BRA would be able to dictate the terms of the sale and how the proceeds would be spent. The mayor here appoints the director of the BRA and that has left some members of the city council with the feeling that that appointment provides the mayor with too much control over the BRA.

A representative from Councilor Maura Hennigan’s office tells GlobeSt.com that Hennigan, who brought up a resolution about the seized land to the city council, opposes the BRA’s move. “She is against the BRA and their seizing of that land,” she says. The city council has held two meetings this week regarding the issue with heated rhetoric involved.