Expanding Boston’s Capacity to Build Coastal Resilience Infrastructure Lessons from the Seaport District EXPANDING BOSTON’S CAPACITY TO BUILD COASTAL RESILIENCE INFRASTRUCTURE LESSONS FROM THE SEAPORT DISTRICT Report prepared by: Carly A. Foster, AICP, CFM Project Manager Arcadis U.S. Trevor Johnson, AICP Senior Resilience Planner Arcadis U.S. With support from: John Cleveland Executive Director Boston Green Ribbon Commission Bud Ris Senior Advisor Boston Green Ribbon Commission Project sponsored by: Boston Green Ribbon Commission Date: April 2020 This document is intended only for the use of the individual or entity for which it was prepared and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. arcadis.com Expanding Boston’s Capacity to Build Coastal Resilience Infrastructure Contents Tables ........................................................................................................................................................... iii Figures .......................................................................................................................................................... iv Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Boston’s Resilience Roadmap ................................................................................................................ 2 Study Process ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Key Insights ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Summary of Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 7 1 Project Introduction and Background .................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Project goals ................................................................................................................................. 14 2 Project study area ................................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Coastal resilience solutions for South Boston .............................................................................. 15 2.2 Urgent action areas....................................................................................................................... 20 2.2.1 Fort Point Channel............................................................................................................. 21 2.2.2 Seaport Boulevard ............................................................................................................. 24 2.2.3 Project Progress in Fort Point Channel and Seaport Boulevard ....................................... 26 3 Project Process ..................................................................................................................................... 28 3.1 Other efforts leveraged toward the project ................................................................................... 28 3.2 Case studies and literature review................................................................................................ 28 3.3 Coastal resilience delivery cycle and implementation framework ................................................ 29 3.4 Criteria used to guide recommendation development .................................................................. 30 3.5 Required elements of successful project implementation ............................................................ 32 3.6 Establishing a common language through which to discuss and explore options ....................... 35 3.7 Stakeholder engagement process and feedback ......................................................................... 37 3.7.1 Property Owners ................................................................................................................ 37 3.7.2 City Leadership .................................................................................................................. 39 3.7.3 Green Ribbon Commission ............................................................................................... 39 3.8 Cost share analysis....................................................................................................................... 40 arcadis.com Expanding Boston’s Capacity to Build Coastal Resilience Infrastructure i 3.9 Dual policy track framework for implementation ........................................................................... 40 4 Recommendations Track 1 – Actions needed today though 2023 ....................................................... 42 4.1 Governance recommendations today through 2023 .................................................................... 42 4.1.1 Establish a new senior level cabinet chief and office focused on climate resilience implementation with resources and capacity sufficient to support a large portfolio of complex projects and programs ........................................................................................ 42 4.1.2 Agreements with Property Owners in urgent action areas of Fort Point Channel ............ 45 4.1.3 Engagement with Massport and tenants along the urgent action area at Seaport Boulevard .......................................................................................................................... 47 4.1.4 Engagement with MBTA around near-term actions at the base of Fort Point Channel .... 48 4.2 Regulatory recommendations today through 2023 ....................................................................... 49 4.2.1 Adopt and publicize the plans ........................................................................................... 49 4.2.2 Use existing policy vehicles to guide and enforce plan implementation ........................... 50 4.3 Funding recommendations now through 2023 ............................................................................. 55 4.3.1 Clarify Near-Term View on Public/Private Cost Share ...................................................... 56 4.3.2 Leverage Range of Public and Private Funding Sources ................................................. 57 4.4 Sequence of actions to advance Track 1 recommendations ........................................................ 58 5 Recommendations track 2 – Actions needed Today through 2030 and beyond .................................. 60 5.1 The case for transformative approaches to implementation......................................................... 60 5.2 Project delivery approach: Community Based Public-Private Partnership ................................... 63 5.3 Governance approach: District for Resilience Improvements (DRI) ............................................. 65 5.3.1 Key considerations in DRI development ........................................................................... 66 5.3.2 Potential DRI configurations .............................................................................................. 71 5.4 Track 2 Regulatory Recommendations ........................................................................................ 77 5.4.1 Regulatory changes that may advance and ensure implementation of Coastal Resilience Solutions for South Boston with new development ........................................................... 77 5.4.2 Regulatory approaches that may advance and ensure implementation of Coastal Resilience Solutions for South Boston with existing development .................................... 78 5.5 Track 2 funding and cost share considerations ............................................................................ 79 5.5.1 Payers and contributors .................................................................................................... 80 5.5.2 Risk adjusted cost share allocation approach ................................................................... 80 5.5.3 Methods of payment .......................................................................................................... 92 arcadis.com Expanding Boston’s Capacity to Build Coastal Resilience Infrastructure ii 5.5.4 Recommendations based on the preliminary cost share analysis .................................... 96 5.6 Recommendations Track 2 immediate actions ............................................................................. 96 6 Summary of recommendations ............................................................................................................. 97 TABLES Table 1 Initial questions that prompted this Project 2 Table 2 Summary of Recommendations 11 Table 3 Summary of base, target, and modular elevations for flood mitigation measures along Fort Point Channel and Seaport Boulevard. Elevations presented in reference to NAVD88. 18 Table 4 Coastal Resilience Projects and Statuses as of January 2020 27 Table 5 Criteria used to guide recommendation development 31 Table 6 Governance responsibilities