The master plan to redevelop the waterfront in south Boston states that 50% of the land must be left as open space. According to state law, 25% of that space can be roads and sidewalks rather than lawns and parks. The Boston Redevelopment Authority has reduced that number to 20%, but local residents are not satisfied. To demonstrate their opposition a group of local artists covered a sidewalk on the Summer Street Bridge with 5,000 sf of sod.

The Fort Point Channel district was once a haven for local artists, but recent new developments and rising rents are forcing them out. Reportedly, artists recently held 600,000 sf of loft space in the district, but that number has dwindled to 250,000 and continues to spiral downward.

Beacon Capital Partners, which is redeveloping the district, has included in its proposal 175,000 sf of live/work space--which is essentially for artists--but local artists feel its not enough. Reportedly, many of the artists here could face eviction in the near future. One building, at 288 A St., is being renovated into commercial space. About 120 artists currently live in the building and it is unclear where they will go.