►
Description
Docket #0257 - Hearing regarding the approval of the City of Boston to accept the right to enforce a use restriction to ensure that the Huntington Theatre continues to be used as a theatre or similar cultural use
A
Many
on
arts,
culture
and
special
events-
thank
you
for
being
here.
I
want
to
remind
everyone
that
this
is
a
public
hearing
and
it's
being
recorded
in
broadcast,
live
on
channels.
8
for
Comcast,
our
CN
channel,
82,
Verizon,
1964
and
webcasts
live
on
the
city
of
Boston's
website.
I
want
to
ask
everyone
in
the
chamber
to
please
silence
your
cell
phones
and
other
devices.
A
A
A
C
As
background
the
Huntington
Theatre
Company
was
founded
at
its
current
location,
on
Huntington
Avenue
in
1982
and
over
the
past
35
years
it
has
played
a
critical
role
in
the
cultural
fabric
of
Boston,
including
the
construction
of
the
south
ends
called
it
with
theatres
in
2004,
with
the
sale
of
its
home
by
longtime
partner,
Boston
University
in
2016.
The
Huntington
faced
an
uncertain
future.
C
Fortunately,
after
considerable
considerable
doubt
with
the
mayor's
office,
the
BPD
a
and
the
Huntington
theater,
the
new
owners,
qmg
Huntington
LLC
were
able
to
reach
an
agreement
to
preserve
the
theater,
while
also
pursuing
redevelopment
on
a
portion
of
the
site.
After
more
than
a
year
of
community
and
stakeholder
engagement
through
the
article
80
development
review
process,
the
BPD,
a
Board
of
Directors,
voted
in
December
2017
to
approve
a
redevelopment
on
the
site
with
a
mix
of
preservation
and
new
construction.
C
The
historic
260
for
Huntington
Avenue
building
will
remain
continuing
to
serve
as
the
hub
of
the
theaters
activities,
while
also
having
the
potential
to
add
37
thousand
square
feet
of
loading
office
and
rehearsal
space.
The
buildings
at
252,
258,
Huntington
Avenue,
will
be
redeveloped,
replaced
by
426
unit
405
thousand
square
foot
residential
tower.
That
includes
14,000
square
feet
of
space
that
will
provide
the
call
the
theater
with
a
new
accessible
entrance
along
Huntington
Avenue,
as
well
as
Lobby
reception
and
programming
space
over
the
first
two
floors
of
the
building.
C
An
important
outcome
of
the
substantial
dialogue
that
preceded
the
project
approval
was
that
the
264
Huntington
Avenue
building
has
been
gifted
to
the
Huntington
Theatre
Company.
This
generous
donation
will
help
to
solidify
the
future
of
this
important
cultural
organization
for
many
years
to
come.
Furthermore,
in
order
to
ensure
that
the
building
remains
dedicated
to
a
theater
or
a
cultural
use,
the
developer
will
enclose
it
would
pose
a
use
restriction
within
the
deed.
C
The
order
is
being
considered
today
allows
the
city
to
enforce
the
conditions
of
the
restriction,
providing
an
added
layer
of
protection
and
ensures
that
the
264
Huntington
Avenue
remains
the
home
to
a
Thea
arts
and
arts
use
in
perpetuity.
I'd
also
like
to
note
that
this
type
of
public-private
partnership
has
the
potential
to
serve
as
a
powerful
example.
Moving
forward
less
than
a
year
ago,
the
BP
da
and
the
mayor's
office
released
the
Boston
performing
arts
facilities
assessment,
identifying
the
needs,
challenges
and
opportunities
facing
our
city
in
the
space.
C
The
report
specifically
recognizes
the
collected
efforts
of
the
city
developer
in
the
Huntington
Theatre
Company
to
not
only
preserve
but
substantially
invest
in
renovation
and
modernization
of
the
theater
itself
is
my
hope.
The
lessons
learned
during
this
process
will
lead
to
further
successes
that
expand
access
to
the
Arts
for
all
Bostonians.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
today
and
I
look
forward
to
answering
any
questions
you
may
have.
A
B
B
Don't
really
see
any
risks.
I
actually
think
that
this
is
I'm
really
happy
to
be
here
today.
On
behalf
of
the
mayor,
because
I
think
that
this
this
this
deal
that
we
were
supportive
of
is
a
is
a
really
great
indication,
a
really
great
example
of
the
kinds
of
things
that
we
can
do
when
we
get
creative
and
try
to
move
developers
to
create
places
for
cultural
use
and
to
preserve
places
for
cultural
use
as
we're
seeing
some
displacement
in
some
places
of
cultural
use.
B
So
this
I
think
is
is
probably
of
all
the
things
that
we've
worked
on
since
we've
gotten
here.
I
think
this
is
one
of
the
ones
that
we're
proud
of
stuff
it
really
it
protects
the
Huntington,
which
is
a
gem
I,
think
we
can
all
agree.
You
know
the
Huntington
is
does
so
much
aside
from
producing
great
art.
It
also
has
incredible
education
programs,
it's
the
Northeast
home
for
the
legacy
of
August
Wilson,
which
I
think
we
all
agree
is
very,
very
important
to
the
city.
B
A
C
Mr.
nin,
one
that
we're
happy
to
talk
about
I
would
say
just
to
add
to
Joyce
this
point
that
the
the
gifting
of
the
theater
from
the
the
qmg
group
to
the
hundred
three
hundred
company
is
a
private
transaction.
We
didn't
that
transaction.
There
is
a
deed
covenant.
There's
a
restriction.
The
the
action
that
being
considered
today
allows
the
city
to
also
have
oversight
over
that
restriction
right
so
in
it
goes
from
being
just
something
that
could
be
enforced
by
the
the
former
site
owner.
C
It
says
now
something
the
city
can
get
involved
with
and
I
think
what's
excited.
Is
it
allows
us
to
ensure
that
we're
part
of
the
conversation
of
in
the
unfortunate
event
that
the
the
Huntington
Theatre
Company
no
longer
is
in
the
space
allows
us
to
be
first
and
foremost
in
the
conversation
of
what
the
use
of
that
space
is
and
maintain
it
in
perpetuity?
C
That
is
historic
not
only
in
its
use
nature,
but
also
in
terms
of
its
a
facade,
so
there'll
be
significant
work
done
to
the
theater
itself
and
torn
to
restore
to
its
I.
Don't
wanna,
say
former
glory,
that's
too
dramatic,
but
the
opportunity
to
kind
of
make
sure
that
the
theater
is
is
revitalized
in
a
way
that
it's
considered.
Sixth
earier
matches
the
exciting
things
happening
in
internally.
One
of
the
main
community
benefits
that
I'd
like
to
highlight
is
the
fact
that
the
theater
today
is
inaccessible.
C
So
it
does
not
have
a
great
ad
a
access
point.
So
when
we
talk
about
making
sure
that
we
have
access
to
all
Bostonians,
it's
really
important
to
remember
that
all
of
us
are
going
to
probably
probably
endure
some
sort
of
physical
in
impediment
at
some
point
in
our
lives,
and
so
we
want
to
make
sure
that
for
all
ages,
all
mobilities
the
city
of
Boston,
has
access
to
the
space,
and
so
this
14,000
square
feet
of
cultural
space
at
grade
within
the
new
building.
C
Where
the
new
and
the
old
buildings
meet,
there
will
be
a
brand
new
accessible
entrance,
as
well
as
Lobby
and
reception
space
that
allowed
the
theater
to
do
work
beyond
just
what's
happening
when
you're
sitting
in
a
seat
watching
the
performance
it
allows
for
for
gatherings
for
receptions,
allows
the
theater
to
kind
of
have
a
more
open
approach
to
the
community
around
it.
If
you've
been
to
the
theater
itself,
it's
it's
a
it's
a
it's,
a
it's!
A
brick
and
stone
facade.
C
You
can't
see
in
this
is
gonna,
be
a
two-story
glass
space,
and
so
the
activation
you'll
be
able
to
see
some
of
what's
happening
on
the
inside
on
the
outside,
as
people
are
walking
by
creating
this
great
new
marquee.
So
we're
excited
about
that
in
terms
of
some
of
the
cultural.
In
terms
of
some
of
the
benefits,
there
was
substantial
investment
in
terms
of
in
terms
of
parks,
so
they
will
be
working
with
the
project
work
with
the
parks
department
in
nearby
Symphony
Park.
C
There
is
no
cost
to
the
theater
to
get
this
new
space,
and
it
also
identifies
the
opportunity
for
theater
to
have
the
space
and
partnership
for
a
DA
access,
but
also
the
ability
for
them
to
have
an
expansion
of
37,000
square
feet
in
the
rear
which
will
allow
them
to
hopefully,
in
the
future.
After
a
capital
campaign
have
new
rehearsal
space,
loading,
space
and
office
space,
and
so
the
they
can
continue
to
consolidate
their
uses
in
one
location
as
much
as
possible.
So.
A
A
C
So
in
terms
of
yeah
I've
got
it
right
here,
so
I
just
wanted
to
find
a
lot
of
a
lot
of
materials
in
front
of
us
here
today.
So
the
project
I'll,
give
you
a
couple
things
so
in
terms
of
fiscal
benefits,
it's
a
two
hundred
million
dollar
project,
two
hundred
million
dollars
in
heart
construction
costs,
and
they
will
generate
about
two
million
dollars
in
property.
Tax
revenue
there'll
also
be
three
hundred
and
fifty
full-time,
equivalent
construction
phase
jobs,
as
well
as
forty
new
full-time
jobs.
Once
the
project
opens
and.
C
C
C
C
But
the
idea
is
that
the
retail
space
will
complement
so
that
it
can
be
a
bit
of
a
porous
space
so
that
the
restaurant
can
be
a
partner
with
with
the
theater
certain
types
of
nights,
etcetera
and
so
that
the
the
retail
space
will
for
lack
of
wit,
of
putting
a
talk
to
the
the
Huntington
space.
The
idea
that
you
can
go
and
have
a
meal
and
then
walk
right
next
door
and
go
to
the
theater.
That's
the
kind
of
thing
we're
looking
for
mm-hmm.
A
B
A
D
A
D
I
loved
hearing,
John
and
Joyce
speak
I
feel
a
little
bit
like
I
said
Huckleberry
Finn
or
Tom
Sawyer,
who
watched
his
own
funeral.
This
was
this
was
an
extraordinary
process
for
us.
First
of
all,
I
I
think
it's
perfectly
appropriate.
It's
so
appropriate
that
if
us,
our
new
district
city
councilor,
are
here
as
the
head
of
the
art
subcommittee
I
look
forward
to
taking
you
around,
showing
you
our
space
and
showing
you
what
we're
going
to
be
doing
there.
I
I
am
here
to
speak
in
favor
of
the
of
the
resolution.
D
But
our
intention
is
to
keep
that
14,000
square
feet
of
portion
of
the
space
open
all
day,
long
to
animate
it
with
events
with
with
meetings
with
ways
that
the
community
can
access
it
all
day.
We
don't
want
to
build
this
building
just
so
that
people
can
come
for
three
hours
at
a
time
and
then
go
home.
D
D
That
was
a
risk
that
the
space
was
not
going
to
continue
as
a
cultural
space
at
all
and
the
extraordinary
partnership
that
we
have
benefited
from
led
by
Mayor
Walsh,
but
certainly
both
John
and
Joyce,
were
extraordinarily
active
participants
in
this
process.
I
think
it
is
an
example
of
public/private
benefit
which
is
very
exciting,
for
us
has
I,
think
saved
important
services
for
200,000
people
and
35,000
young
people
a
year,
and
we're
very
grateful
for
the
enormous
effort
that
it
took,
and
this
is
another
very
important
step
in
us
bringing
this
to
pass.
Thank.
A
D
D
D
The
Huntington
each
year
we
educational
programs
which
service
about
30
to
35
thousand
young
people
a
year.
Some
of
them
are
very
straightforward.
That
is,
we
invited
by
their
about
five
or
six
thousand
young
people
a
year,
come
to
the
theater
to
see,
shows
and
when
they
see
shows
the
huntingtin,
they
don't
see
watered-down
productions.
They
don't
see
things
that
we
intend
for
children,
because
we
mainly
you
know.
A
lot
of
programs
are
focused
on
very
young
people,
but
our
focus
is
on
middle
and
high
school
students.
So
these
are.
D
These
are
really
intelligent,
motivated
adults
who
week
we
service
as
as
highly
intelligent,
motivated
adults.
We
don't
talk
down
to
them.
We
provide
opportunities,
for
we
have
teachers
and
teachers
are
artists
and
staff
members
who
go
to
schools
and
help
students
prepare,
but
they
get
the
real
thing
and
we
have
relationship.
I
have
I'll.
Tell
you
a
related
stories
that
Liesl
Tommy,
so
there's
a
woman
who's
going
to
be
directing
a
play
in
two
months
at
the
Huntington
they
should
play
with
opal.
In
two
months.
It's
called
top
girls.
D
Liesl
Tommy
is
an
african-american
woman
who
who
began
her
theatrical
life
when
she
came
to
a
production
of
Joe
Turner's
come
and
gone
gray
darkest
Wilson's
first
play
that
we
did
in
1986
and
looked
on
stage
and
said:
that's
a
that's.
A
I
can
bring
my
world
in
my
life.
Onstage
and
Liesl
is
coming
back
to
direct
for
us
Liesl,
it's
a
Tony
nominated
director.
D
You
know
we.
We
don't
need
to
turn
every
student
in
Boston
and
in
the
region
into
into
artists
working
professional
artists,
but
we
do
do
that
as
well.
Mostly,
what
we're
doing
is
demonstrating
for
people
on
stage
that
that
their
lives,
you
know
that
they
can
see
their
lives,
reflected
onstage
in
ways
that
matter
and
so
most
of
our
programs.
The
majority,
the
majority
of
young
people
who
participate
in
our
education
programs
are
young
people
of
color,
maybe
I'd,
say
30
to
40
percent
from
the
city
of
Boston
itself.
D
But
then
we
do
pull
from
from
outside
the
city
and
other
school
systems
as
well
and
certainly
I
think
it
is
a
true
statement
that
the
Huntington
is
the
the
premiere
producer
of
plays
by
and
about
women
and
people
of
color
in
the
city
of
Boston.
So
it
is
a
focus
of
us
of
ours
that
has
been
for
decades
and
it
certainly
will
continue.
I
really.
D
E
High
councilor
Jenny,
my
name
is
Kelly
brilliant
I'm,
the
executive
director
of
the
Fenway
Alliance,
and
we
are
the
21
cultural
and
academic
institutions
in
the
Fenway
on
the
Huntington.
We
are
proud
to
say
the
Huntington
Theatre
is
a
member
of
the
Alliance
and
I
just
wanted
to
speak
on
behalf
of
the
Alliance.
E
Pretty
much
in
perpetuity,
which
is
what
we
would
like
it
is
a
hub
of
activity
in
our
neighborhood
we're
blessed
to
have
many
cultural
institutions,
the
BSO,
the
New,
England
Conservatory,
Berkley
mass
art,
all
of
these
in
our
neighborhood,
and
we
feel
they
all
create
something
bigger
than
just
individual
institutions
alone.
In
fact,
the
theater
is
sort
of
a
cub
even
now
of
community
activity.
E
So
you'll
see
it
really
active
at
nights
when
shows
are
going
on
and
people
coming
in
and
out
and
then
dining
in
the
local
restaurants
in
our
neighborhood
and
we're
very
thrilled
that
the
theater
is
moving
to
make
it
even
more
of
a
community
center
with
their
new
building
plans.
So
I
just
wanted
to
say
we
we
see
this
as
a
wonderful
private
public
partnership
with
the
City
of
Boston
and
a
way
to
ensure
that
sometimes
are
struggling.