A number of projects throughout the Back Bay, Fenway-Kenmore, and the South End were among the recipients to receive over $38 million via the latest round of funding from the city’s Community Preservation Act (CPA).
In the Back Bay, two historic preservation projects were selected to receive CPA funding, including awarding $550,000 to Church of the Covenant to preserve the historic 1867 building at 67 Newbury St. by funding the partial replacement of its slate roof; and $527,000 to rehabilitate the historic building at 351 Boylston St. by funding the repair of failed masonry.
In Fenway-Kenmore, $1,500,000 has been earmarked for an affordable housing project being spearheaded by the nonprofit Fenway CDC (Community Development Corporation), which will create a six-story building with 24 affordable rentals at 112 Queensberry St.
Steven Farrell, executive director of Fenway CDC, told this reporter: “The project will transform an under-utilized site into 24 units of affordable transit-oriented rental housing for individuals earning 30-60 percent of AMI (Area Median Income). We appreciate the city’s commitment to affordable housing, especially in neighborhoods like the Fenway where housing costs have increased dramatically in the last decade. [The proposed project at] 112 Queensberry is currently awaiting a funding decision from the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), with a decision expected by June.”
Ruggles Baptist Church, located at 874 Beacon St. in Audubon Circle, will also receive $539,000 to rehabilitate its exterior envelope.
In the South End, three Open Space and Recreation projects have been selected for the latest round of CPA funding, including $332,247 to complete the third phase of the construction on new Crite Park, which will memorialize the late Allan Rohan Crite, an internationally acclaimed African American artist and longtime neighborhood resident; $982,649 to rehabilitate the Hurley K-8 Schoolyard; and $172,304 to rehabilitate the Dartmouth Green Pocket Park, with capital improvements comprising “the regrading of land, installation of new accessible pathways and seating, and planting of new trees, shrubs, and perennials while preserving the existing tree canopy,” according to a press release from the city.
Mayor Michelle Wu added: “I am proud to continue to support and invest in our neighborhoods in partnership with the Community Preservation Committee in an effort to make our city a welcoming space for all. The investment in these projects emphasize our dedication to continue to listen and collaborate with our community members to keep Boston innovative and vibrant”
The Community Preservation Fund was created following voters’ passage and adoption of the Community Preservation Act in November 2016. It is funded by a 1 percent property tax-based surcharge on residential and business property tax bills, which took effect in July 2017, along with annual state funding from the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund. The Mayor and Community Preservation Committee recommend funding use and the City Council vote to approve it.
From 2018 to 2025, the CPA Committee has recommended 397 projects and awarded over $230 million in funding through eight CPA funding rounds. This year, 52 projects are being awarded funding for the 2025 funding round, totaling over $38 million.