Over the past year we have seen steady growth in our membership and healthy levels of fundraising, and we thank you for your generous support and partnership in our mission of community building, civic engagement, and historic preservation. Working together, we have helped make Beacon Hill an even better place to call home.
With the help of numerous volunteers, we have continued our historic preservation and civic engagement series in partnership with the Museum of African American History, added arts and culture programming and other activities to further facilitate connections among neighbors, and have expanded our program of monthly coffee hours at our headquarters at 74 Joy Street featuring noted local speakers and civic leaders, as well as our monthly “Evening at 75 Chestnut” gatherings for our members and friends. We have also enhanced the benefits for our Founders Circle members, including holding special gatherings during the year. We also advocate on your behalf to preserve and protect our treasured community and steward it for the next generation.
We have continued to work on behalf of residents to capture the benefits of the current development boom while mitigating negative effects on the neighborhood. We have helped manage the construction impacts of the many conversion projects now underway, including the ongoing residential development project on Temple Street in the former Suffolk University Archer and Donahue buildings, and we have worked closely with the developer of the new Whitney Hotel, being created in the former John Jeffries House and adjacent parking lot off Charles Street. We have continued to advocate for the creation of more affordable housing in the community, and have worked closely with our City Councilors and State Legislators to help shape new laws and regulations governing the burgeoning short term rental market in a manner that preserves permanent housing opportunities for our residents. We are also involved in helping to shape the next 10 year Institutional Master Plan for Suffolk University, as well as MGH’s new construction project on Cambridge Street.
We are also continuing to work in partnership with the City of Boston to improve access for young families and persons with disabilities throughout Beacon Hill, including the installation of brick and iron construction materials appropriate for a historic district as well as the use of innovative design solutions that preserve the unique character of our historic brick sidewalks. We are also excited to have instituted a new Beacon Hill Community Fund, a special purpose fund that will allow us to make small annual grants to community-based Beacon Hill and adjacent neighborhood non-profit organizations and civic groups to promote and enhance the quality of life in our urban communities.
We look forward to serving you in the coming year, and we thank you for your continued partnership in this important endeavor.
It’s Membership Season at the BHCA
We’d like thank all our new and renewing members for your interest and support. If you haven’t renewed or joined the BHCA yet, please go to our website at www.bhcivic.org to find out more.
BHCA Committee Updates
Over the next several weeks, we will publish the BHCA’s committee reports which highlight work accomplished over this past year.
Upcoming BHCA Meetings
Tuesday, June 4: Streets & Sidewalks Committee Meeting. 74 Joy Street. 6:30pm.
Wednesday, June 5: Cambridge Street Committee Meeting. 74 Joy Street. 6pm.
Wednesday, June 5: Zoning & Licensing Committee Meeting. 74 Joy Street. 7pm.
Other upcoming BHCA Events
Beacon Hill Meet & Greet – Monday, June 3rd
First Friday Coffee Hour – Friday, June 7th
Summer Evening at Otis House – Thursday, June 20th
Evening on the Esplanade – Wednesday, July 17th Visit the Beacon Hill Civic Association website bhcivic.org or call the office (617-227-1922) for further details on any of these events, and for information about joining the BHCA.