Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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| Old Northern Avenue Bridge | South Boston |
| • Rare surviving example
of a steel-framed operable swing bridge • Important connector between downtown Boston and South Boston Seaport over Fort Point Channel • Boston Redevelopment Authority has solicited proposals for private redevelopment of bridge and has encouraged but not required preservation and reuse of historicbridge structure in its RFP • Popular support for preservation has met with strong opposition from Congressman Moakley
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| Name: Old Northern Avenue Bridge | Bldg SqFt: 73,100 | Lot SqFt: 101,400 (bridge + right-of-ways) | |
| Address: Northern Avenue | Ward: N/A | Parcel: FP 1-5 | |
| Neighborhood: South Boston | Zoning: Downtown Waterfront or Fort Point Waterfront | ||
| Year Built: 1908 | Use: Bridge | ||
| Style: Operable steel swing bridge | Condition: Poor | ||
| Architect(s): William Jackson | Owner: City of Boston Public Works Department |
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| Historic Certification: National Register eligible; Recommended for Boston Landmark designation | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: N/A FY02 Building Assessment: N/A |
FY99 Tax: N/A FY02 Tax: N/A |
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| FY99 Land Assessment: N/A FY02 Land Assessment: N/A |
Tax Status: Exempt | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Support the efforts of the two development teams that submitted adaptive reuse proposals to the BRA on 3/31/99. Recommend that the City plan to allocate some supplemental funds, as needed, to assure viability of one of the preservation plans.
Significance:
Northern Avenue Bridge is a rare surviving example of a steel-framed operable swing bridge and serves as a symbol of the fast-disappearing maritime and industrial heritage of Boston’s historic seaport. The Boston Engineering Department designed and built the Northern Avenue Bridge in 1905-1908 to provide additional vehicular, pedestrian, and railroad access to the rapidly expanding wharves, warehouses, and factories along the South Boston waterfront. By the 1920s, nine operable bridges spanned the channel; of these, only the Northern Avenue Bridge remains in a relatively unaltered original form.
Preservation Challenges:
In January 1999, the Boston Redevelopment Authority issued a RFP for the redevelopment of the Northern Avenue Bridge for use as a pedestrian link along Harborwalk, the city’s waterfront walkway network. The RFP recognizes the historic bridge as one of the area’s most distinctive features and calls it a gateway to the Seaport. Although the RFP encourages retention of the existing bridge structure for reuse as a pedestrian bridge, it also allows for replacement of the existing structure with a new pedestrian footbridge in the same footprint as the original. The RFP encourages development of pedestrian-level retail, restaurant, and cultural uses on the bridge and its approaches, and provides general guidelines regarding materials, height, and density.
Neighborhood Context:
Northern Avenue Bridge is no longer accessible to vehicular traffic. The Evelyn Moakley Bridge, a modern steel and concrete bridge immediately south of the Northern Avenue Bridge, now carries traffic across the channel from downtown to South Boston’s Seaport District. The 1,000-acre Seaport District is currently the focus of intense public and private investment. The new federal courthouse opened in 1998 on Fan Pier at the eastern terminus of Northern Avenue Bridge. Farther east along the harbor, the World Trade Center attracts thousands of visitors to its office and convention facilities, with more hotel and office space under construction. South along the channel, the Children’s Museum and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority have embarked on a joint plan to create a waterfront park. Inland, the planned 1.7 million square foot Boston Convention and Exhibition Center will open in 2003 and should attract 500,000 visitors annually to Boston. The Fort Point Channel Historic District, which contains a concentration of 19th and early 20th century commercial and industrial buildings, stands along the channel in the area of Summer, Congress, and A Streets.
Other Sources of Information:
Request for Proposals for The Old Northern Avenue Bridge and Adjoining Parcels issued by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, February 1999.
Proposal for Adaptive Reuse of Old Northern Avenue Bridge prepared by Architectural Heritage Foundation, March 31, 1999.
Proposal for Adaptive Reuse of Old Northern Avenue Bridge prepared by Robert Beal.
Entry Completed: 05/15/1999
Five developers responded to the BRA's 1999 Request for Proposals, and the BRA tentatively designated Forest City Enterprises to redevelop the site in July 1999. Forest City's plans called for demolishing the bridge and constructing a three-story, 150,000 square foot retail structure on the footprint of the central fender pier. In September 1999 the Boston Landmarks Commission, having accepted a petition to landmark in June 1999, recommended designating the bridge as a Boston Landmark. Mayor Menino denied the Landmark designation in November 1999. The next month Forest City withdrew its proposal citing the necessity of massive subsidies, which prompted the city to explore demolition options. Such an action, however, would have violated a Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement signed in the late 1980s when the City used federal funds to construct the Evelyn Moakley Bridge. Mayor Menino now supports saving the bridge and the Public Works Department is exploring opportunities to do so.Update Entry Completed: 08/13/2002