Ledge Site Community Planning Process

In the mid 1960s Harvard University purchased a 9.5 acre parcel of land in the heart of the Mission Hill neighborhood at Brigham Circle, a major gateway into the City of Boston from the western suburbs.  This parcel known as the Ledge Site, once an active stone quarry of a conglomerate called Roxbury Puddingstone, for years stood underutilized with a deteriorated one story building and surface parking lot.  This was Mission Hill’s front door - a negative neighborhood image for all residents, workers, and visitors.

MHNHS was approached by Harvard University to assist with the sale and redevelopment of this critical parcel.  MHNHS responded with an approach that reached out and involved all segments of the community to design a development plan for the Ledge Site.  In 1992 MHNHS implemented the Ledge Site Community Planning Process a landmark community participation and planning process that created the neighborhood’s development vision for the Ledge Site. 

This process started with a series of small group brainstorming meetings to generate desires and concerns from abutters, residents and business owners. Task forces made up of residents and business owners were formed to study specific uses and issues.  A newsletter was published to keep residents up to date and informed on community development.   Planning, architectural and financial consultants were employed to prepared information and technical reports. The core of the process was a series of four neighborhood-wide workshops.  At each workshop task force and consultants presented necessary information to assist residents with making decisions.  At the workshop goals, uses and criteria collected from the brainstorming meetings were prioritized, small working groups created development alternatives responding to these goals, architects and urban designers presented the development alternatives with residents evaluating them against the criteria, real estate consultants presented financial information for each alternative, and residents reached a consensus on the development vision. The Ledge Site Community Planning Process was successful because it was a resident driven process instead of a plan imposed by others. 

After reaching consensus on a development plan for the Ledge Site, MHNHS selected a real estate development partner by issuing a request for proposal and conducting a neighborhood workshop to solicit resident input in the selection process. With a development partner selected, MHNHS began the process of implementing One Brigham Circle, the neighborhood's vision at the Ledge Site

 Terrace Street Corridor Planning Initiative

MHNHS implemented the Terrace Street Corridor Planning Initiative in 1998 to promote the development of an under-utilized area of Mission Hill through community organizing and planning.  The first phase of the process involved documenting and evaluating existing conditions including land use, ownership, physical conditions, and opportunities.  Based on the strong interest expressed from residents and businesses in the Corridor, and significant development opportunities, MHNHS conducted a community-based planning process for the Terrace Street Corridor. The Terrace Street Corridor Planning Initiative has created a "planning vision" to promote and evaluate future development activities, development goals for the two largest publicly owned vacant parcels - the MBTA's 2.5 acre parcel across from the Roxbury T Station, and the City's half acre parcel,  a traffic, parking, and streetscape plan, and the completion of $500,000 of City infrastructure improvements including street repaving, new sidewalks, curbs, and street lighting. 

The Terrace Street Corridor Planning Initiative responds to neighborhood input to address the community's economic needs such as commercial revitalization, job creation, business development, and public safety.  This Initiative has created the framework for improvements and development opportunities that respond to the needs and desires of the residents and business owners of the Corridor.  The implementation of this Initiative with community participation is the next goal.