20 Somerset Street Building

Back Bay Sun
January 16, 2008
Suffolk files IMPNF; responds to BHCA concerns with offer by Dan Salerno

Suffolk University filed its institutional master plan notification form with the city on Friday, despite the objections voiced by the Beacon Hill Civic Association over a lack of detailed information about plans for the 20 Somerset Street building. The filing, however, came with a pledge from university Vice President John Nucci to discuss a non-expansion zone in Beacon Hill.

“While any potential impacts [from 20 Somerset] have been addressed with the Task Force over the last several months, we agree that with the approval of 20 Somerset Street, discussion and negotiation of a non expansion zone is appropriate for the Upper Beacon Hill area,” said Nucci.

“Specific details and boundaries should be the product of review by stakeholders with the aim of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.” A non-expansion zone could be an important carrot to offer to the neighborhood in light of recent resistance voiced by community groups to Suffolk’s plans. Members of the BHCA objected to the inclusion of the 20 Somerset Street project in the IMPNF because of a lack of details about the potential impact on the neighborhood.

Suffolk plans to use address to house its New England School of Art and Design, currently located on Arlington Street in the Back Bay. “There has been very limited discussion on the impact of a new school at 20 Somerset Street on the neighborhood, and the BHCA position is that the description of the potential impact [in the IMPNF] is inadequate,” said Rob Whitney, the BHCA liaison to the Suffolk Task Force, at a meeting in December. “The neighborhood is already saturated with academic uses.”

Nucci stressed that although the project is included in the IMPNF filed on Friday, a separate project plan has not been submitted, and the IMPNF includes only the intended use for the sight, not details of the project, which will be decided in concert with the community. Nucci said that he has expanded the public comment period for an additional 30 days, and that he welcomes the opportunity to work with the community. “We want to be sure that people fully understand that this is a very benign use with limited impacts and we want to be sure they have an opportunity to comment on it,” said Nucci.

In a written statement to the press, Suffolk outlined a number of design principles for the project meant to reduce the potential impact on the community. The principles include a pledge that the height of the new building will not exceed the height of the current structure, that the building use will be solely academic and will not contain any residential, athletic, or student center facilities, and that there will be no increase in shadow impacts on the Garden of Peace, 10 Bowdoin Street or Beacon Hill.