INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN METROPOLITAN BOSTON: A REGIONAL SURVEY PART III: CASE STUDIES This is Part III of Infrastructure and Economic Development in Metropolitan Boston: a Regional Survey. This study was commissioned by A Better City (ABC), with funding from The Boston Foundation. The research and writing was carried out by the consulting firm AECOM, with guidance from ABC staff and an Advisory Committee which ABC convened for this study. The study seeks to evaluate the state of public infrastructure investment in metropolitan Boston, particularly as it relates to the region’s potential for near- and longer-term economic development. Part I of the study provides a region-level overview of infrastructure issues. It summarizes and organizes a large body of relevant analysis conducted by others and adds current information on key initiatives and concerns. Part II provides development and infrastructure profiles for 25 areas defined by the study to represent the universe of region-scale economic development opportunities in metropolitan Boston, from the inner core to I-495. Each profile summarizes the key development opportunities and infrastructure needs of the area in question. The heart of the study is this Part III, a set of four geographic Case Studies, which explore in detail the interface of development and infrastructure issues in a diversity of settings. They include the inner core cluster of East Cambridge and East Somerville; the North Shore cities of Lynn, Salem, Beverly, and Peabody; the MetroWest towns of Framingham, Natick, and Ashland; and the I-495 town of Franklin. The study team gratefully acknowledges the insight and information provided by the municipal officials and private developers who agreed to be interviewed for this report. Any inferences or conclusions are those of the study team. Estimated costs of projects, or groups of projects, reflect information available at the time this report was compiled. Many are expressly preliminary, and all are subject to change as projects are advanced or modified by their sponsors. Part III: Case Studies i Table of Contents List of Figures ...............................................................................................................................................................iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................................. v Preface: The Seaport District ......................................................................................................................................... 1 An Overview of the Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 2 EAST CAMBRIDGE / EAST SOMERVILLE ...................................................................................................................... 3 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Composition of the Case Study Area .................................................................................................................... 3 Location and Function in the Metropolitan Region .............................................................................................. 4 Development Goals ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Transit-Oriented Development ............................................................................................................................. 5 Regionally Significant Transportation Investments .................................................................................................. 5 Development Districts ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Kendall Square ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 NorthPoint ............................................................................................................................................................. 9 Union Square ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Brickbottom/Inner Belt ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Summary of Development Agenda and Infrastructure Needs ................................................................................. 14 THE NORTH SHORE CITIES ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Composition of the Case Study Area .................................................................................................................. 16 Location and Function in the Metropolitan Region ............................................................................................ 16 Development Goals ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Regionally Significant Infrastructure Issues ............................................................................................................ 17 Highway Access ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Rail Access ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Water and Sewer ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Development Districts ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Lynn: The Waterfront ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Salem (Downtown, Bridge Street Neck, North River Canal, North Commercial Wharf) .................................. 23 Beverly (Downtown, Exit 19 Industrial Development) ...................................................................................... 27 Downtown Peabody ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Summary of Development Agenda and Infrastructure Needs ................................................................................. 30 THE METROWEST CORE TOWNS............................................................................................................................... 32 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Composition of the Case Study Area .................................................................................................................. 32 Location and Function in the Metropolitan Region ............................................................................................ 32 Development Goals ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Part III: Case Studies ii Regionally Significant Infrastructure Issues ............................................................................................................ 34 Highway Access ................................................................................................................................................. 34 Rail and Transit Access ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Water and Sewer ................................................................................................................................................. 37 Development Districts ............................................................................................................................................. 38 The Golden Triangle ........................................................................................................................................... 38 The Route 9 / MassPike Interchange .................................................................................................................. 39 Downtown Framingham ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Natick Center ...................................................................................................................................................... 41 Ashland Urban Renewal and Rail Transit Districts ...........................................................................................