BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The recently-approved residential and retail development at the former Suffolk Downs racetrack has garnered support and its fair share of opposition.
On the way to getting the green light form the city planning board, Boston City Counselor Lydia Edwards said she made sure there are safeguards so East Bostonians won't be edged out by a luxury development.
While the phased project may take two decades to finish, Edwards said some community benefits will kick in right away.
"We have about 500 units that the developer was responsible for helping to either create or maintain as permanently affordable in East Boston today," Edwards said. "On top of that, this week I negotiated with him for pandemic relief to get another $400,000 for renters in East Boston. The city has agreed to match that."
According to Boston Real Estate Times, the project at the 161-acre former racetrack site will be one of the largest redevelopments in the history of Boston. The development will include 10,000 new housing units, three million square feet of retail and office space, and it will create 22,000 new permanent jobs.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small reports:
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