LIBERTY PLACE FACT SHEET

- Located in central Chinatown on the block bounded by Washington, Essex, Harrison and Beach Street

- 30 story building, 290.5 feet

- 468 market-rate apartments, mostly 1-2 bedroom apartments rented out at $1,600-$3,000 /month

- 491 parking spaces, 320 spaces for the apartment residents, 135 spaces to replace the existing parking lot

- Floor Area Ratio* (FAR) of 11.09

- 70 units of affordable housing. Based on the City's Boston Redevelopment Authority, affordable means $980-$1200 for a 1-bedroom.

- Affordable housing = the average person would need to make $40,000/year to live in the "affordable units.

Chinatown Issues with Liberty Place

- Gentrification

With almost 400 market-rate units of housing rented starting from $1600-$3000.

Significant increases in rent and cost of living, for current residents and small business owners Possible future evictions in neighboring buildings due to rent increases.

The average income for Chinatown residents is ~$12,000/year. Residents in the community cannot live in these market-rate apartments.

- Increased traffic

Due to all of the approved and ongoing developments in Chinatown, the Boston Transportation Department estimated that Essex Street traffic will increase up to 36% during peak hours – this does NOT even include the traffic impacts of Liberty Place.

From 1996-1998 there were 113 reported motor vehicle accidents in the Chinatown area north of Kneeland Street.

- Increased pollution – air and noise

One in 6 students at Josiah Quincy Elementary School suffer from asthma.

Constant construction noise and pollution for residents.

- Violation of Chinatown Community Master Plan

The Chinatown Community Masterplan is a document produced the City and the Chinatown community to regulate developments. It set forth guidelines for developments that Liberty Place has violated.

The Community Masterplan calls for a maximum height of 8-10 stories or 100-120 feet. Liberty exceeds this limit by three times with 30-stories and 300 feet.

The Community Masterplan limits the maximum *FAR (floor area ratio = the density of the building) to 7. Liberty exceeds the FAR with 11.

The Community Masterplan's goals are to preserve Chinatown’s working class family neighborhood. Liberty Place will build 400 market-rate units.

Removal of sunlight from areas of Chinatown & the creation of wind tunnels

These issues are created not only from the impact of LP but the combination of many skyscraper developments.

Liberty Place, Millennium Place and Kensington Project will add over 1,000 luxury apartments to the surrounding Chinatown area.

Other skyscraper threats are Loews "4 Star" Hotel and Lincoln Place an office and retail complex.