Boston Housing Authority Administrator Kenzie Bok shared the following letter with the Brighton community.
To view the PDF version of the letter, click here.
Dear Community Members—
Boston Housing Authority (“BHA”) is thrilled to partner with the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (“MOAC”) to create 40,000 square feet of brand new affordable music rehearsal space, along with affordable housing, in a mixed-use redevelopment in 290 North Beacon Street, Brighton MA. We are excited to continue the planning and design engagement process with our valued BHA residents, members of the artist community, and residents in the broader Allston-Brighton neighborhood over the coming months around this development. Please find more details below.
Our Commitment
● Replace 40,000 SF of music rehearsal and studio space that was lost
● Prioritize the needs of the music community in the design and development of
new rehearsal spaces
● Create new, truly affordable housing for individuals and families in Brighton
● Integrate music and arts into the residential community to build meaningful connections that enhance everyone’s quality of life
The Opportunity
As you may know, in 2022, a private real estate development displaced dozens of musicians from affordable rehearsal and recording studios at 155 North Beacon Street. As part of the development review process, the City of Boston required the developer to secure a nearby property to replace the lost studio space. The selected site, 290 North Beacon Street, is less than half a mile away, and it directly abuts BHA’s Faneuil Gardens public housing community. Faneuil Gardens is also undergoing a transformative redevelopment process led by BHA and we see an opportunity to create new music and arts rehearsal space that complements the new affordable housing. So BHA and MOAC are together taking the lead in redeveloping the 290 North Beacon Street property, and we are committed to embark on this effort with the community.
Next Steps
The BHA and MOAC will launch a community engagement and planning process inthe coming months. We want to make sure that you are aware of these next steps and find ways that you can stay involved. The BHA has released a
Request for Proposals (RFP) to find a co-developer to help us bring this project to life, and MOAC has released an RFP to hire an Arts Consultant to aid in the planning, engagement, and design of the musician rehearsal space.
Here are the next steps and ways that you can get involved:
● BHA and MOAC will host an in-person public community meeting July 23rd, 2025 at the Faneuil Gardens courtyard from 6:30 - 8:00pm. More details to follow.
Get Involved
As BHA and MOAC conduct community planning workshops in the spring, summer and beyond, please check back frequently for ongoing updates:
290 North Beacon
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And if you have specific questions please contact BHA project manager Rahul Ramesh:
Rahul.Ramesh@bostonhousing.org or by phone at 857-891-3454
Thank you to all the community members who got us to this point with your dedicated advocacy. We are looking forward to working together to bring music, art, and homes to the Brighton community.
Sincerely,
Kenzie Bok
BHA Administrator