Planning for the next 100 years: The story of the L Street Station Redevelopment

The L Street Station in South Boston, the former home of the Boston Edison Company, was on the forefront of major electrical innovations at a time when the world was first becoming electrified. Not only was it the first plant in Boston to generate AC power, enabling high-voltage mass transmission, it was also one of the first to use steam turbines built by General Electric for electrical generation. This history of industrial innovation left behind magnificent turbine halls that will form the heart of a new mixed-use district in the South Boston neighborhood, making it one of the most innovative projects in Boston and beyond.

The ambitious redevelopment by Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate Capital Partners of this site will bring new energy and possibilities to the neighborhood on the Boston Harbor waterfront and create community open space, neighborhood retail, housing, and commercial space using best-in-class environmental sustainability standards as well as the creation of both construction and permanent jobs. The project involves environmental remediation and the adaptive reuse of the four historically significant turbine halls and creates approximately 1.68 million square feet of mixed-use development situated on 15.2 acres of land along the Reserved Channel.

As the redevelopment will play out over the course of the next 10 years, making good decisions that will endure, yet be flexible, will be key to the success of the development. Considerations of community priorities, shifting market demand, transportation accessibility and preferences, evolving jurisdictional requirements, and resiliency planning are all part of the picture these creative developers are navigating.

We’ll join the Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate Capital Partners leaders of this project to hear about their plans for placemaking, project phasing, and strategies for managing risk over the lifespan of a multi-year development.

Speakers:

Greg Bialecki, Esq.
Principal, Redgate Real Estate

Melissa Schrock AIA
Senior Vice President, Mixed Use Development, Hilco Redevelopment Partners

Host:

Carole Wedge FAIA LEED AP
CEO, Shepley Bulfinch

Client Conversation Series

The BSA Client Conversation series is focused around quarterly themes, spotlighting clients with not only their projects, but their strategies for managing change through development and investment during these complex times. Conversations will span a range of market sectors, and provide insight into the capabilities and skills clients look for when selecting a design team.

Sessions will be hosted by Carole Wedge FAIA LEED AP. Programs will take place the second Tuesday of every month and will be presented in different formats—from panel discussions to interviews, virtual tours and more.