April 20, 2022 24 Preservation Projects Receive $6.1 million in CPA Funding
More than $6 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding will soon be awarded by the City of Boston to 24 historic preservation projects.
Mayor Michelle Wu and the City’s Community Preservation Committee recently recommended 52 projects valued at $27 million for 2022 to the Boston City Council for its approval. Nearly half of those were historic preservation projects, and the balance affordable housing or open space and recreation projects.
The Historic Preservation projects recommended for funding, and the grant amounts recommend, include:
— St. Luke’s and St. Margaret, Allston-Brighton| $500,000
— Boston Architectural College, Back Bay | $495,000
— Community Church Boston, Back Bay | $100,000
— Nichols House Museum, Beacon Hill | $72,400
— Beacon House, Beacon Hill | $350,000
— The Vilna Shul, Beacon Hill | $275,000
— The Boston Harbor Islands, Boston Harbor | $250,000
— USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown | $20,000
— Charlestown Working Theater, Charlestown | $75,000
— 95 Hudson Street, Chinatown | $150,000
— Boston City Archives, Citywide | $78,000
— Global Ministries Christian Church, Dorchester | $200,000
— Greater Love Tabernacle Church, Dorchester | $449,107
— William Clapp House, Dorchester | $61,000
— Schooner Roseway-World Ocean School, Downtown | $360,000
— Bennington St. Cemetery, East Boston | $67,000
— Nantucket Lightship LV-112, East Boston | $250,000
— Hope Central Church, Jamaica Plain | $100,000
— Huntington Theatre, Kenmore-Fenway | $100,000
— Dr. Zakzerwska Building at the Dimock Center, Roxbury | $1,000,000
— First Church Roxbury, Roxbury | $343,000
— Twelfth Baptist Church, Roxbury | $161,850
— Congress Street Fire Station-Boston Fire Museum, South Boston | $327,000
— South End Historical Society-Francis Dane House, South End | $300,000
Nine proposal for preservation funds were not recommended in this round:
— Beacon Hill Friends House, Beacon Hill | $500,000
— 78 Tyler Street (MaryKnoll), Chinatown | $289,800
— Franklin Park Zoo, Dorchester | $375,000
— Greenwood Memorial United Methodist, Dorchester | $274,553
— First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist, Jamaica Plain | $400,000
— Ruggles Baptist Church, Kenmore-Fenway | $600,000
— 558 Massachusetts Ave-League of Women, South End | $500,000
— Cathedral of the Holy Cross, South End | $198,550
— Theodore Parker Church, West Roxbury | $366,450
CPA, which became law in Massachusetts in 2000 and was adopted by the City of Boston in 2016, helps communities preserve and enhance open space and historic sites, and create affordable housing. Municipalities in Massachusetts can choose to raise up to 3 percent on real property for those purposes through a surcharge on real estate taxes. Through a trust fund, the Commonwealth contributes additional funds to CPA communities, which number 188 so far in Massachusetts.
The money is used for a variety of purposes, from masonry and roof repairs and window restoration to shoring up foundations, preserving archaeological sites, digitizing records, and acquiring historic buildings for preservation.
Historically about half the applications for CPA funding have been for affordable housing and about 20 percent for historic preservation, with 20 percent for open space and recreations. Ten percent of the awards are reserved for later.
Money is distributed based on each project’s calendar but must be used within two years, except for housing awards, which have five years.
“The Community Preservation Act helps us invest in our communities by empowering residents and local organizations to put funding to important priorities across our neighborhoods,” Mayor Wu said in announcing the City’s recommendations this year. “I am grateful to the Community Preservation Committee and all of the applicants for their commitment to expanding affordable housing, historic preservation and open space and recreation to benefit Bostonians across our city.”
Wu’s office said that after this year’s round of funding the City of Boston will have awarded over $119 million to support 245 projects across the City since residents voted to adopt the Community Preservation Act in 2016.
There are Community Preservation Act projects in 23 neighborhoods. Since the CPA creation, there have been 110 historic preservation projects, 98 open space and recreation projects, and 37 affordable housing projects. Boston funds its projects with a 1 percent surcharge on residential and business property tax bills.
(Featured image: Zakrzewska Medical Building, Dimock Community Health Center, Roxbury)