THIRD. FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS SHARON DURKAN, DISTRICT EIGHT CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. TODAY IS APRIL 3RD 2026 AND THE EXACT TIME IS 10 A.M. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED@BOSTON.GOV BACKSLASH, CITY DASH COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIOS CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT COPELAND DMV@BOSTON.GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. UM FOR I IF THERE'S ANYONE UM TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT OF UH THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION UH, THEY'LL BE TAKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HEARING. UM, INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN ORDER WHICH THEY'RE SIGNED UP AND HAVE TWO MINUTES TO TESTIFY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON. UH, PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY, PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON SHANE PACK SHANE DOT PACK AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND ADD YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0257 MESSAGE IN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND THE AMOUNT OF $500,000 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR THE PLANNING DEVELOPMENT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT FUNDS AWARDED BY THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INCLUSION. THE GRANT WOULD FUND AND LAUNCH EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026. UH THE SECOND IS ON 0630. COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED BY THE CITY CLERK FROM THE CITY FROM THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION FOR THE COUNCIL ACTION ON THE DESIGNATION OF PETITION 2 TO 8 .07 THE BUSSEY HOUSE 120 3 TO 1 205 ADAMS STREET, DORCHESTER OH TWO 1 TO 4. IN EFFECT AFTER APRIL 2020 APRIL 22ND 2026 HAVE NOT ACTED UPON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY MAYOR MICHELLE. WE ONCE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON MARCH 25TH 2026. I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'LL BEGIN WITH SOME BRIEF, BRIEF REMARKS ON TODAY'S DOCKET AND WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR PANELISTS SOON AND OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS. WE'LL START UH, ON DOCKET 0257 FOLLOWED BY DOCKET 0630. VERY EXCITED TO DISCUSS THE LAUNCH OF THE COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM . AS BOSTON'S WEALTH GAP CONTINUES TO GROW, IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE ADDRESS BARRIERS THAT LIMIT ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERSERVED. SMALL BUSINESSES ARE VITAL TO THE STABILITY AND VIBRANCY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, AND THIS PROGRAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HELP THEM REMAIN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS FACING DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE AND DISPLACEMENT. CAP AIMS TO DO THIS BY PROVIDING BOTH CAPITAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CLOSE FINANCIAL GAPS AND ACQUIRE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. THIS PURCHASE IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AS REAL ESTATE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE AND AS MINORITY BUSINESS OWNERS OFTEN FACE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES ACCESSING LOANS WHEN FINANCING IS AVAILABLE, NAVIGATING THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A PROPERTY CAN BE DIFFICULT WITHOUT PRIOR EXPERIENCE. THIS PROGRAM HAS A STRONG POTENTIAL TO PROMOTE EQUITY, SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND STRENGTHEN THE COMMERCIAL STABILITY ACROSS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THESE PLANS AND HOW THESE FUNDS WILL BE DEPLOYED. THE SECOND DOCKET 0630 CONCERNS THE PROPOSED LAND MARKET THE DESIGNATION OF THE BOSSIE HOUSE IN DORCHESTER. AS I SHARED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING ,THE BUSSEY HOUSEHOLD SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL VALUE AND IS ONE OF THE FEW SURVIVING 18TH CENTURY PROPERTIES IN BOSTON AND AS A FORMER HOME OF CAPTAIN JOHN BUSSEY, A REVOLUTIONARY WAR OFFICER. IT SEEMS LIKE FOR THE 250TH THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO UM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS LANDMARK. BUILT IN 1792, IT ALSO HAS NOTABLE ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AS A FEDERAL STYLE HOME WITH A CLASSICAL REVIVAL SHOPFRONT. ACCORDING TO THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION REPORT, IT MAY BE AMONG THE 50 OLDEST SURVIVING BUILDINGS IN BOSTON. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE UH, ELIZABETH AND JENNIFER HERE FROM THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION WHO CAN SPEAK FURTHER TO ITS SIGNIFICANCE. STEWARDING UH LANDMARK DESIGNATION THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL IS ONE OF MY GREATEST HONORS AS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE AND LOOK FORWARD TO PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THIS LANDMARK AS WELL. SO UM, I KNOW FIRST WE'RE JOINED BY DONALD. RIGHT. UM AND PHILHARMONIA FALLS CHURCH SORRY, I'M GETTING READY FOR SUSHI. UM, FRY IS A SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THAT PROGRAM. UM, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, BUT I FIRST WANT TO SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY OPENING STATEMENTS. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE UH. UH GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, GOOD FRIDAY TO THOSE WHO OBSERVE GOOD OPENING DAY TO THOSE WHO OBSERVE UM HAPPY SENEGALESE FLAG RAISING LOTS OF REALLY GREAT THINGS GOING ON BUT I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING IN THIS MOMENT OF LEADERSHIP FOR THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC UH OPPORTUNITY INCLUSION. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS FUND AND HOW WE'RE HELPING UM, OUR COMMERCIAL UH, OUR OWNERS ESPECIALLY OUR BIPOC COMMERCIAL OWNERS WHO OFTEN FACE UM, UH, A LOT OF GAPS IN CAPITAL. SO UM, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS AND UH, IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR THE BUSSEY HOUSE. I THINK AS YOU SAID, COUNCILOR DURKAN, IN THIS MOMENT WE CELEBRATING 250TH HONORING UH, OFFICER BUSSEY FOR UM ALL THAT HE DID AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING INTACT UH HOUSES UM IN DORCHESTER AND THROUGHOUT OUR CITY THAT OUR LANDMARKS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SO I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO ARE HERE FROM THE LANDMARK TEAM. THANK UH THOSE WERE HERE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND THANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU SAM. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, I'M HERE TO LEARN ABOUT BOTH DOCKETS THE, UH AND INCLUDING THE BUSSEY HOUSE. I AM FAMILIAR WITH IT. UM, I KNOW IT HAS GREAT HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE IN THE CITY NOT TOO FAR FROM FROM WHERE I LIVE. UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR AND REMEMBER OUR HISTORIC HISTORIC ROOTS WE HAVE IN BOSTON. BUT I DO LIKE TO SEE, UM, US EDUCATE RESIDENTS AND I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DO IT IN TERMS OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THE CONTRIBUTIONS BUSSEY AND OTHERS HAVE MADE TO OUR COUNTRY. THE OTHER ASPECT I AM WORKING WITH THE CITY ON AS WE GO INTO THE 250 50TH IS RECOGNIZING UM PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES UM OVER THE LAST 250 YEARS THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AS WELL AS VETERANS UM AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HAVE MADE TO HELPING BUILDING THIS COUNTRY. UM THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL FOR BEING HERE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT BOTH DOCKETS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM, SO, UM, WE'LL TURN TO THE INTERIM CHIEF AND THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO PRESENT MORE ABOUT THIS FIRST GRANT DOCKET. GREAT. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR DURKAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. I'M DONNA RIGHT, THE INTERIM CHIEF OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INCLUSION. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS HEARING WITH A BIT OF HISTORY OF THE COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND HOW IT CAME TO BE OVER SEVERAL YEARS, MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION DEPARTMENT HAD CONSISTENTLY HEARD FROM SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS BOSTON ABOUT THE SAME SET OF CHALLENGES RISING RENTS, INCREASING VOLATILITY AND OPERATING COSTS AND A REAL CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER THEIR BUSINESSES MANY OF THEM LONGSTANDING AND DEEPLY ROOTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE ABLE TO STATE, TRANSITION OR CONTINUE INTO THE NEXT GENERATION. AT THE SAME TIME WE ALSO WE'RE HEARING FROM LENDERS WHILE THERE IS STRONG INTEREST IN SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING, THEIR GROWTH IS OFTEN DIFFICULT DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS LIKE INCONSISTENT FINANCIAL REPORTING, LIMITED COLLATERAL TO SECURE LOANS AGAINST OR LACK OF CREDIT HISTORY AND FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION IN PARTICULAR THE UPFRONT EQUITY REQUIREMENTS OF 30% DOWN PAYMENT OFTEN LEAVE BUSINESSES UNABLE TO EVEN MAKE IT TO THE DUE DILIGENCE REVIEWS. BUT OUR PROPERTY OWNERS OWNERSHIP DOES SOMETHING IMPORTANT IT STABILIZES COST, IT CREATES PREDICTABILITY AND IT GIVES BUSINESS OWNERS AN ASSET SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN GROW, LEVERAGE OR PASS ON. SO WE BEGAN QUESTIONING HOW EOA COULD HELP HOW COULD HOW CAN THE CITY HELP BRIDGE THE GAP? HOW COULD THE CITY STRENGTHEN THE POSITION OF SMALL BUSINESS BORROWERS? HOW COULD WE ENCOURAGE LENDERS TO INTERACT ON A DEEPER LEVEL WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AS WELL AS HOW DO WE REDUCE RISK IN DOING BUSINESS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND ULTIMATELY HOW CAN THE CITY MAKE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP A REALISTIC OPTION TO EXPLORE THAT, THE CITY BEGAN TESTING THIS IDEA THROUGH A SERIES OF PILOT TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN 2021 AND 2024, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS IN HOUSING AND PLANNING AND ONE CASE A LONG TERM TENANT IN HYDE PARK, A HAIR SALON WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE THE SIX STORY MIXED USE BUILDING THE THE VERSATILE OLD BUILDING THEY WERE IN AND STILL OPERATING TODAY. THE OPPORTUNITY WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION THANKS TO THE LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH BOSTON HISTORIC INCORPORATED AND THE TRANSACTION WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PARTICIPATION BETWEEN OE HOUSING AND MISSION DRIVEN LENDERS LADIES AND AND LISK COMBINING ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY FUND GRANTS, PHILANTHROPY SUPPORT AND PRIVATE FINANCING TO CREATE AN AFFORDABLE CAPITAL STACK FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS. IN ANOTHER CASE, A LOCAL BREWERY ALSO IN HYDE PARK WAS PRESENTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER ITS PRODUCTION FACILITY AND TAPROOM AS ITS LANDLORD WAS LOOKING TO DIVEST BUT THE BUSINESS AND OWNERS HAD JUST INVESTED ALL THE CASH THEY HAD INTO THEIR BREWING EQUIPMENT. THEY HAD VERY LITTLE LIQUID RESOURCES TO PUT DOWN ON ANY ACQUISITION, SO THE CITY AND I WOULD BE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THE LDC PROVIDED DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF A GRANT TO UH SUBORDINATED DEBT WHICH HELPED ATTRACT PARTICIPATION FROM LENDERS LIKE ROCKLAND TRUST AND MARSH DEVELOPMENT TO COMPLETE THE FINANCING. IN BOTH CASES, THE CITY PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE NOT JUST BY CONTINUING CONTRIBUTING CAPITAL BUT BY BRINGING LENDERS TO THE TABLE AND HELPING STRUCTURED DEALS THAT MET BOTH SMALL BUSINESS AND LENDER NEEDS AND WE HAVE LEARNED WAS CLEAR CAPITAL ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH. BUSINESSES ALSO NEED WRAPAROUND SUPPORT BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER UH, TRANSACTIONS THINGS LIKE FINANCIAL READINESS, PROPERTY OWNERSHIP TRAINING AND ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDS TO CONSIDER HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE SMALL BUSINESS OBLIGATIONS IN THE SHORT TERM, SUCH AS WITH TAX IMPLICATIONS HELPING BUSINESSES TO TELL THEIR STORIES. IT'S CRITICAL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH LENDERS. THESE LESSONS BECAME THE FOUNDATION OF CAP IN 2023. WE BEGAN FORMALIZING THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE WORK OF THE RAPPAPORT SUMMER FELLOW. THE FELLOW ALONG WITH WE ARE STAFF WAS TO SUCCESSFULLY BID FOR A GRANT FROM THE BAR FOUNDATION WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF FORMALIZING AND LAUNCHING CAP THAT THAT SUPPORT WAS FORMALLY ACCEPTED AND EXTENDED THROUGH THE COUNCIL IN APRIL 2024 FOLLOWING THE MAYOR'S REQUEST EARLIER THAT YEAR AND SINCE THESE FUNDS HAVE ALLOWED US TO MOVE FROM CONCEPT INTO STRUCTURED PROGRAM DESIGN AND SOFT LAUNCH WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY SPECIFICALLY THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO BRING A FULL TIME SENIOR ADVISOR TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ECOSYSTEM, TO REFINE PROGRAM DESIGN AND TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR CAT FILOMENA WHO YOU WILL HEAR FROM NEXT IS THE ADVISOR AND WHO USE HER TIME WITH THE CITY SO FAR TO PROCURE LOCAL ENTERPRISE ASSISTANT FOR AND LEAVE AS TRUSTED BOSTON BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCING INSTITUTION WITH DEEP EXPERTISE AND SMALL BUSINESS LENDING AND A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR WHO WILL MAKE CAP OPERATIONAL TO CONVENE LENDERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND A COORDINATED AND MEANINGFUL WAY TO MAKE CAP SUCCESSFUL TO FUNDRAISE FOR THE SEED FUNDS NEEDED TO LAUNCH CAT TO SOFT LAUNCH THE PROGRAM WITH DOZENS OF BUSINESSES IN THE PIPELINE. TOGETHER THESE EFFORTS HAVE TAKEN CAP FROM THE SET OF QUESTIONS TO A WORKING MODEL . NOW WE WILL HEAR NOW WE HAVE A GROWING PIPELINE OF BUSINESSES, A STRONG PROGRAM PARTNER IN PLACE AND A FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURE NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD RESPONSIBLY. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO FILOMENA TO PROVIDE A DEEPER OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM. FILOMENA. YES GO AHEAD MA'AM. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING MEJIA. CHAIR DURKAN VERSUS THE MEMBERS. UM SO MY NAME IS FILOMENA THE NFL COULD YOU IT'S TRICKY ONE UM AS YOU ALL ARE VERY WELL AWARE AT THIS POINT I'M THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AKA CAP. UM, AND I WAS, UH I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE TEAM SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2024, UH, HAVING PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, UH BUSINESS INCUBATION AND PROGRAM OPERATIONS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. UM AND IT HAS BEEN A TRUE PRIVILEGE TO TRANSITION MY CAREER INTO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, UM AND TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS ONE WHERE STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND SYSTEMIC UM, SYSTEMIC CHANGE HAS REALLY BEEN AT THE CORE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON UH, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I AM BORN AND RAISED IN BOSTON. SO THIS IS UH, WORK THAT REALLY DOES FEED MY SOUL, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY I ASK THAT YOU, UH, ARE ABLE TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND THE $500,000 OF NDA FUNDS IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAP PROGRAM. UM, AT ITS CORE, THE CAP PROGRAM SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES SEEKING TO PURCHASE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THEY OPERATE OUT OF. SO OWNER OCCUPIED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IS A KEY ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM. AS DONALD NICELY DISPLAYED, THE IDEA OF CAP IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AROUND MUCH LONGER THAN MYSELF AND THE CHALLENGES IT CONFRONTS HAVE DEEPLY BEEN EMBEDDED IN THE REALITIES OF SMALL BUSINESSES EVEN LONGER THAN THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND HOW TO SOLVE THEM. UM, AND OFTEN THESE THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE ARE TREATED AS FIXED CONSTRAINTS RATHER THAN PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED LIKE ALMOST LIKE UH IT'S JUST IT IS WHAT IT IS. MOVE ON. UM AND SO UM I APPLAUD THAT AT EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS OVER YOU I HAVE SUPPORTED ME AS WELL AS CAP SMALL BUSINESSES LENDERS TO KIND OF TWIST THE UM THE NARRATIVE TO BE LIKE WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT WE CAN SOLVE FOR UM AND SO SMALL BUSINESSES NO MATTER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NO MATTER THE INDUSTRY ARE FACING RISING COSTS, THEY'RE FACING DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES AND THEY'RE FACING STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND CAPITAL THAT THEY NEED TO CONTINUE TO STAY COMPETITIVE AND TO GROW, UH, ALL OF WHICH INCREASES THEIR RISK OF CLOSURE. AND WHEN THESE BUSINESSES CLOSE WE DON'T LOSE. WE LOSE A LOT MORE THAN JUST STOREFRONTS. BOSTON LOSES LOCAL JOBS. BOSTON LOSES ECONOMIC ACTIVITY . BOSTONIANS LOSE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL GOODS AND SERVICES AND WE ALL LOSE BUSINESSES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL FABRIC OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WHILE LONG TERM LEASES ARE A KEY TOOL OR OPTION FOR SOME SMALL BUSINESSES IN CREATING THE STABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY THEY CRAVE, UH, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IS A PATHWAY THAT PROVIDES A DEEPER LEVEL OF CONTROL CONTROL OVER OCCUPANCY COSTS, CONTROL OVER LONG TERM PLANNING AND OVERALL CONTROL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BUSINESS ITSELF. UH WHICH. TRANSFORMS A FIXED EXPENSE LIKE RENT INTO AN ASSET. IT OPENS THE DOORS TO LONG TERM WEALTH BUILDING DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR LEAF A TRUSTED CDPHE UH, WITH DEEP EXPERTISE AND SMALL BUSINESS LENDING, CAP PROVIDES ADVISORY SERVICES, CAPITAL READINESS, UPSKILLING, PROPERTY. OWNERSHIP TRAINING AS WELL AS CREDIT AND COLLATERAL ENHANCEMENTS UH, WHICH COLLECTIVELY STRENGTHEN THE FINANCIAL POSITIONING OF UH FUNDAMENTALLY STRONG BUT OFTEN OVERLOOKED SMALL BUSINESSES IN . PRACTICE CAP. APPROACHES FINANCE ABILITY FROM A DIFFERENT STARTING POINT ASSUMING VIABILITY AND THEN STRUCTURING TOWARDS IT AS OPPOSED TO ASSUMING RISK AND SCREENING BUSINESSES OUT BECAUSE OF IT. UH, OVER THE PAST 16 MONTHS CAP HAS MOVED FROM DESIGN INTO EARLY IMPLEMENTATION. WE ACTUALLY. HAVE UH NUMBER OF BUSINESSES ACTIVE IN OUR IN OUR PIPELINE SEVERAL HAVING IDENTIFIED THE PROPERTIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO UH, PURCHASE OR MOVE INTO UH ,PURCHASE AND MOVE INTO UH AND ARE BEGINNING TO ENGAGE WITH LENDERS, IT'S TIME WE AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING THE CAPITAL SNACK AND PARTNERSHIPS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THESE ACQUISITIONS. UH, BY CAPITAL STACK I MEAN TOOLS LIKE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND LOW INTEREST DEEPLY SUBORDINATE LOANS DESIGNED TO LEVERAGE AND UNLOCK AND ATTRACT PRIVATE LENDERS TO COME AND PARTICIPATE. UH, WE RECOGNIZE A BIG FACTOR IN BEING ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITY UH, STARTS WITH ENSURING YOUR CUSTOMER IN OUR CASE, THESE SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF TWO THINGS HOW IT. >> CAN BENEFIT. THEM AND ALSO HOW THEY CAN GET HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE. UM THAT IS WHY FROM THE START WE'VE BEEN INTENTIONAL IN MAKING ACCESSIBILITY ONE OF OUR CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES. UH, BY ACCESSIBILITY WE REALLY MEAN FIRST AND FOREMOST ALL CORE MATERIALS WRITTEN MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE MOST COMMON LANGUAGES. UH, I USE WILL BECAUSE OUR WEBSITE HAS NOT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED YET. OUR PLATFORM HAS NOT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED BUT THEY ARE UM, BEING DESIGNED AND TRANSLATED INTO THE COMMON LANGUAGES UM THAT OUR BUSINESS OWNERS SPEAK. AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE WRITTEN LANGUAGES, UH, WRITTEN MATERIALS WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE WITH ENTREPRENEURS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. SO LIEF AND MYSELF UM, BESIDES ENGLISH WE UH CAN SPEAK HAITIAN CREOLE, SPANISH, FRENCH AND. ARABIC UH WE ARE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR BUSINESS AS MANY BUSINESSES AS POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF BOSTON'S NEIGHBORHOODS ARE AWARE OF THE PROGRAM AND HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US. AND WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH LEVERAGING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS UM, AS WELL AS CITY NETWORKS LIKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS MANAGERS, MAIN STREET ORGANIZATIONS, UM AND OTHERS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BUSINESSES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DO THIS ALONE. CAP PROVIDES A DIRECT HANDS ON GUIDANCE FROM INTAKE THROUGH READINESS ASSESSMENT TO LENDER CONNECTIONS UH, LED BY A DEDICATED CITY STAFF MEMBER MYSELF AT THE TIME UM BUT IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP ALSO WITH WITH LEAF. SO UM WHILE CAP IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF WE SUCCEED IN GETTING SMALL BUSINESSES TO INTERACT WITH US, SUCCESS FOR CAP IS DEPENDENT ON THE CAPITAL TOOLS AND THE SERVICES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE. UM BEING ABLE TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES ARE READY TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OWNERSHIP UM, AND ALSO THAT THE FUNDS THAT WE DO END UP DEPLOYING ARE DEPLOYED ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY STRETCH THEM AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE AS MANY TRANSACTIONS AND AS MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES. AND AS WE APPROACH SMALL BUSINESS MONTH WHICH IS THE MONTH OF MAY, WE'RE HAVING THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO CAP WILL ENABLE US TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAM AND BEGIN CLOSING ON SOME TRANSACTIONS. THAT'S WHY AGAIN I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND THESE FUNDS UM, THESE FUNDS THAT WILL BE CRITICAL TO HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES STABILIZE, STAY AND GROW IN BOSTON THROUGH COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. AND SPECIFICALLY THESE FUNDS WILL SEED A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE POOL UM, WHICH IS BRIDGING UPFRONT EQUITY AND COLLATERAL GAPS UH INTO CLOSE I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM WILL SERVE AS A PROOF POINT OF. HOW PARTNERSHIP DRIVEN BLENDED CAPITAL MODELS CAN ALSO BE SCALED TO ADDRESS BROADER FINANCING GAPS. UH, ACROSS OUR INTEREST OF COURSE, AS WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM BUT IN GENERAL, UM, THESE TYPES OF I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROGRAM AND THE STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REPLICABLE AND SCALABLE IN OTHER INSTANCES. SO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I WILL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUES FIRST IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL AND I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR ENRIQUE POP PAN. UM SO COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE. FLOOR SEVEN MINUTES. THANK YOU. UM, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, PHILHARMONIC PHILHARMONIA. PHILOMENA. >> PHILOMENA FILE. COULD YOU THOUGH THAT'S PRETTY IT'S NOT AS HARD. >> AS ME TO CALL ME PHIL COUTU. OKAY. >> ALL RIGHT. UM, AND CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, AS I SAID IN THE OPENING, I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. UM, IS THIS $500,000 IS IT THE INITIAL SEED MONEY FOR THIS OR HAVE WE EXPANDED FUNDS IN THIS ALREADY IN THIS? IS THIS A NEW VERSION? I KNOW WE'VE DONE THE WORK BEFORE BUT IS THIS FUND IS THIS A FIRST LIKE SEED MONEY FOR THE FUND. SO SO FAR. >> I MEAN ARE YOU OKAY OKAY UH SO FAR THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO CAP ARE HAVE BEEN FUNDED THROUGH THE BAR GRANT. >> THAT WAS THE. FIRST THING THAT WAS ACCEPTED IN 2024. UM AND THEN IN TERMS OF MONEY THAT'S COME FROM THE CITY TOWARDS CAP THIS WOULD BE YES THIS WOULD. BE THE FIRST OKAY AND I AND I THE DIRECTOR YOU MENTIONED THAT ABOUT THE OUR. INTERIM CHIEF. UM WHAT DID I SAY I'M SORRY MY BAD I THINK. I DON'T YOU CALLED ME A DOCTOR I WAS OKAY. UM CHIEF UM BECAUSE IN RESPECT OF MY NAME CHIEF, UM, YOU MENTIONED UH ACQUISITIONS THAT THE CITY HELPED WITH. ONE WAS BARREN, UH, OVER IN HYDE PARK, WHICH IS GREAT. I WAS JUST TOUCHING WITH HIM YESTERDAY AND IT'S IT'S ALSO VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MUCH MORE ENGAGED IN INVOLVED. RIGHT LIKE HOMEOWNERS. RIGHT. OR YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO OR WHEN YOU OWN THE BUILDING HOW MUCH MORE INVESTED? HE'S NOW ONE OF THE LEADING MEMBERS OF HYDE PARK MAIN STREET TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT BRIDGE FEST IS AMAZING AS IT IS EVERY YEAR. AND I DO WONDER IF YOU KNOW THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD HE JUST BEEN HAD A LEASE, RIGHT? I MEAN THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS HE WAS FINDING HIMSELF AT A PLACE WHERE HE WAS TAPPED OUT WITH CASH THAT WAS NOT MUCH MUCH HE COULD DO AND HAVING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS I WOULD ALMOST LIKE TO SAY THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY ALLOWED FOR THAT STACK TO BE PUT TOGETHER VERY SUCCESSFUL. YEAH. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS NEW BUT I THINK WE HAVE A PIPELINE OF POTENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT WE CAN SORT OF REPLICATE THIS MODEL WITH. IT'S EXCITING AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AROUND HEAD AS WELL. YEAH ANOTHER SAMPLE. AND DOES JUST SOMETHING TO OUR COMMUNITY. YEAH AND I GO THERE I ENJOY I LOVE THE FAMILY NATURE WHICH IS KIND OF ONE OF THE PILLARS OF OUR CITY MAKING IT FAMILY FRIENDLY. AND SO THIS IS VERY EXCITING WHEN THAT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. YEAH LEWIS AND CRAIG ARE SO COMMUNITY YOU'RE ALWAYS SAYING LIKE WHENEVER YOU NEED ANYTHING TO USE THIS FOR COMMUNITY SPACE AND OFFERING IT TO COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THERE AS WELL, SO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO THINK ABOUT EXPANDING THAT BASE. I REMEMBER GOING IN AROUND HEAD FOR AN EVENT AND SAW UM A YOUNG MAN WORKING THERE WHO WENT TO COLLEGE WITH UH, MY SON. YEAH. SO IT'S JUST VERY MUCH THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT WAS BROUGHT. CAN YOU TELL ME UM WELL, SO THIS IS $500,000. IS IT FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR OR IS IT JUST FOR NOW? WHAT IS THE IDEA ABOUT HOW FUNDING FOR THIS FUND WILL CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE? YEAH. >> SO UH, THIS 500,000 IN PARTICULAR IS GOING TOWARDS OUR DOWNPAYMENT ASSESSMENT ASSISTANCE TOOL UH, WHICH IS UH ESSENTIALLY A FORGIVABLE LOAN. UH AND THE IDEA OF THOSE FUNDS ARE THAT THEY'RE VERY GRANT ESQUE AND YEAH IN IN NATURE SO THERE'S NOT MUCH LIKE TO BE FAIR AND TO BE HONEST THERE'S NOT MUCH RECYCLABILITY OR SUSTAINABILITY TO TO THAT PARTICULAR BUCKET. YEAH. UM WHAT WE DO HOPE TO DO IS THAT IF WE FIND A CASE BECAUSE AGAIN AS NEEDED IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE MODEL AND THE LOGIC MODEL THAT WE'VE BUILT ON THE BACK END OF YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DECIDE HOW MUCH WOULD NEED TO BE SUPPORTING EACH SMALL BUSINESS IN EACH TRANSACTION. UM, IF WE DO FALL INTO A CASE WHERE PRINCIPAL REPAYMENT SO 0% INTEREST BUT PRINCIPAL REPAYMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO THAT BUSINESS SO THEY GET THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE BENEFITS BUT THEY ARE OVER TIME INSTEAD OF FORGIVEN THAT BALANCE THEY REPAY IT. THAT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT FEEDS BACK INTO THE PROGRAM AND CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A EVERGREEN ASPECT. UM AND WE ALSO DO THAT SAME WITH OUR LOW TO NO INTEREST POCKET OF FUNDS UH, WHICH ARE NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY BUT THEY HAVE A SIMILAR KIND OF UH, LOGIC TO THEM. AT WHAT POINT DOES THIS GRANT BECOME FORGIVABLE FROM LIKE A LOAN? WHEN DOES THAT TRANSITION HAPPEN? THE FORGIVE ABILITY UH SO WE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH UH THE LENDING COMMUNITY, UH, AND WE HAVE USED THEM WE'VE REALIZED THAT THEY'RE A PRETTY BIG BARRIER TO MAKING THESE THINGS A REALITY. UH, AND SO WE'VE TRIED TO NOT PUSH THEIR BOUNDARIES TOO MUCH. WE TRY TO TAKE THEIR LEAD ON STRUCTURE AND HOW THEY GO ABOUT DOING THEIR BUSINESS. UH, AND RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION, ONE THING THAT THEY ALWAYS THEY TEND TO DO WITH SMALL BUSINESSES IS DO FIVE YEAR MORTGAGES. UM, SO FIVE YEARS AND AT THE FIFTH YEAR THERE'S A DECISION POINT RIGHT. ARE WE GOING TO EXTEND THIS FOR ANOTHER FIVE AND YOU KNOW REFINANCE IT OR ARE WE GOING TO PAY OFF AND REFINANCE IT EITHER THROUGH CASH OR ANOTHER ENTITY. UH AND SO OURS IS FORGIVEN OVER THAT SAME FIVE YEAR PERIOD EQUAL EVERY YEAR. HOW MANY BUSINESSES DO YOU ENVISION BEING ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS $500,000 IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR VERY EXPENSIVE PROPERTY. AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS UM, WHAT WILL THE APPLICATION PROCESS BE LIKE? HAVE WE ALREADY IDENTIFIED BUSINESSES THAT WE THINK ARE THAT WE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS? YEAH. >> SO THE 500,000 IN PARTICULAR IT'S LIKE A VERY COMMON QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE IT BEING ASKED AND I RECOGNIZE YOU KNOW AN ANSWER WOULD BE NICE. UM BUT IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE SOME OF THE DEALS WE SEE ARE LITERALLY THE 200,000 RANGE 200 AND 300,000 AND THEN OTHERS ARE LIKE $5 MILLION. UM AND SO. LIKE YOU'RE SAYING LIKE THE HELP COULD BE EITHER LIKE 5000 10,000 PROBABLY NOT 5000. IT'S THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WILL FALL PROBABLY AROUND 10 TO 20% 10 TO 15% UM OF ANY TRANSACTION. SO WE. THAT'S A $5 MILLION PROPERTY 10% OF THAT IS 500 IF MY MATH DOESN'T WORK IS A WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE. BUT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE 500 WOULD LIKELY MORE LIKELY THAN NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT FIVE OR SO TRANSACTIONS. OKAY. UM AND WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART TO YOUR QUESTION? >> HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED BUSINESSES AND WHAT WHAT WOULD THE PROCESS BE FOR APPLYING AND ARE YOU GOING TO PUBLICIZE IT AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PUBLIC SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT EXISTS TO APPLY FOR YEAH. >> UH SO SO FAR WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING. >> IT. THROUGH MAINSTREET ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH UM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, HEARINGS OR CONVERSATIONS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE'VE. >> HAD. OVER 36 BUSINESSES COME AND TALK TO US. I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A. LOT OF. >> YEAH. >> OF THOSE 36 WE'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN TEN OR SO THAT ARE READY TO SHARE THEIR FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITH THAT HAVE MAYBE UH IDENTIFIED UH A REALISTIC OPPORTUNITY MEANING THE PROPERTY ITSELF. UM AND WE HAVE FOUR THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO CLOSE IN THE SUMMER. >> OF TWO YOU MAY NOT DO AN OPEN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT'S LIKE. IT'LL BE OPEN AND OPEN AND ONGOING SORT OF OPEN AND ROLLING IT. IT WILL BE HELD LIKE A BIG FACTOR OF WHY WE'VE TAKEN ON AND PROCURED LEAF. UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW THESE THINGS FUNCTION BUT CAN I KEEP GOING? YOU CAN. FINISH UP BUT. >> UH, BIG REASON THAT WE HAD TO GO WITH, UH, AN OPERATING PARTNER. >> OR AN. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT IS BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY AND BEING ABLE TO COLLECT FINANCIAL INFORMATION HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UM, AND SO THAT PLATFORM IS NOT YET LIVE UH, BUT ON OUR WEBSITE BOSTON.GOV BACKSLASH CAP THERE IS AN INTAKE FORM WHICH DOES UH. ACT RIGHT NOW AS THE STARTING POINT. >> I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS FOR OUR BUSINESSES AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS WORK AND I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO GET INUNDATED AND HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET FINANCING PARTNERSHIP WITH PHILANTHROPY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO SEE THIS CONTINUE. THANK YOU. JUST THE BEGINNING. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU THANK. YOU MADAM. >> THANK YOU COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. UM COUNCILOR FLYNN YOU HAVE SEVEN MINUTES. THANK YOU. >> SO I'M JUST FOLLOWING UP ON MY COLLEAGUE'S, UM, LINE OF QUESTIONING SO THE THE $500,000 IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S ALL THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT IS THIS A IS THIS A KIND OF A ONE TIME PROGRAM OR AFTER THE $500,000? UH, WOULD YOU BE COMING BACK LOOKING FOR MORE MONEY TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM? JUST WANT TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU THOUGHT. SO I MEAN, THERE'S GOING TO BE ONGOING FUNDRAISING, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM. I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO STOP HERE, BUT WE NEEDED TO HAVE THESE FUNDS TRANSFERRED OVER FOR US TO TAKE ON THESE, UH, POTENTIAL CLOSINGS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP THIS SUMMER. BUT THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING THE INITIAL STAGE. OKAY, SO OF THAT $500,000, WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM? THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT. BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT. FROM THE PLANNING. DEPARTMENT FROM THE BPD. YEP. OKAY. UM WELL THE THE BOSTON. REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY STILL EXISTS AND STILL HAS FUN. SO IT'S COMING FROM THERE OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S STILL THE FORMAL NAME IS THE BE ALL RIGHT. UM. SO THAT $500,000 COMING FROM THE VRA, WHAT PART OF MONEY DID THAT DID THAT COME FROM? I HAVE TO GET BACK. YEAH. THAT WAS IT. WE'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE TOP OF THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN ASK WE CAN GET YOU. THAT ANSWER. >> SO I BELIEVE THAT THE VRA BOARD. VOTED ON THIS. SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM. IS THAT AUTHORIZATION TO YEAH. TO MOVE IT OVER. YEAH THEY WOULD NEED TO APPROVE IT BUT BUT WAS IT FROM A PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WAS IT FROM UM A PROJECT THAT RECEIVED FUNDING I MEAN AND THEN IT WENT INTO A GENERAL GENERAL POT OF MONEY. YEAH WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE THEM BACK. THAT'S FINE, THAT'S FINE. UM. AND ARE YOU ARE YOU SEEKING HOW WOULD YOU SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM THE NOT FROM FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON THIS? UM SO THE. PRIVATE SECTOR UH, THERE'S LOTS OF NONPROFITS SO THEY'RE PRIVATE BUT THEY ALSO ARE KIND OF MISSION DRIVEN SIMILAR TO THE CITY AND SIMILAR TO OUR UM, CDPHE PARTNER WHO ACTUALLY IS ALSO A NONPROFIT. AND SO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS COME IN AND HELP WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FILLING GAPS WHERE UH, MAYBE ATTORNEYS ARE NEEDED ACCOUNTANTS, UM, REALLY GETTING THESE BUSINESSES ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO BE CAPITAL READY. UM, YEAH. TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND THEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR MEANING BANKS ARE UM, ENGAGED BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WE. STRUCTURED OUR SUPPORT IS TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE PRE-QUALIFYING THAT THIS BUSINESS OWNER IS NOT ONLY READY FOR OWN UH. PROPERTY OWNERSHIP THAT BUT THE BUSINESS OWNER IS NOW FINANCIALLY THEIR STORY MAKES SENSE. THEY'RE THEY'RE. >> ABLE TO AFFORD. WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND IT'S COMING FROM THE MOUTH OF ANOTHER LENDER COMMUNITY LENDER BUT COMING FROM THE MOUTH OF SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS THE SAME LANGUAGE AS THEM UM, AND THEN THE BANKS THEY ALSO ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN MARKET RATE, UM SETTING UP MARKET RATE MORTGAGES. WE ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 70% MORE OR LESS OF OF EVERY TRANSACTION IS GOING TO COME FROM A COMMERCIAL LENDER. AND THE COUNSELOR DURING THIS TIME AS AS UM COUNCILOR WE'RE USING AS DURING THE EARLY PHASE. SO ONCE YOU FILL OUT AND THEY TAKE FORM AND IF YOU'RE NOT READY WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND THOSE TOOLS TO MAKE YOU AS I LIKE TO USE THE TERM BANKABLE. SO THERE WILL BE TIME FOR YOU UH TO GET YOUR BUSINESS READY. SO SO IF SOMEONE DID RECEIVE A IT'S A UH, SOME MONEY FOR UM FROM THIS PROGRAM. IS IT A IS IT A GRANT OR IS IT A IS IT A LOAN OR IS IT A COMBINATION OF THAT OR THE TWO. YEAH IT'S STRUCTURED UH FIRST LIKE THE SMALL BUSINESSES ESSENTIALLY DON'T RECEIVE THE MONEY BECAUSE AT THE TRANSACTION IT WILL GO TOWARDS THE SELLER I GUESS. OKAY. UM SO THAT'S KIND OF A GOOD STARTING POINT BUT IT COMES AS A FORGIVABLE LOAN. UH AND SO THE PROGRAM STRUCTURED THAT IN A WAY BECAUSE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT DONALD OR CHIEF HAD SHARED UM OF OUR PAST WAS THAT WHEN YOU GIVE UPFRONT GRANTS ONE YOU LOSE CONTACT OR YOU LOSE RESPONSIVENESS SOMETIMES. FROM SOME. OF THE GRANT RECIPIENTS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO BE RESPONSIVE. UM, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP IS ALMOST LIKE ONE POINT IN TIME AND THEN ALSO BECAUSE THIS IS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WHOSE REVENUES MIGHT ONLY BE HALF $1 MILLION AND IF YOU GIVE THEM $100,000 NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A. TACO'S TAX OBLIGATION. UH, AT THE END OF THAT FISCAL YEAR THAT WILL KIND OF ROCK THEIR WORLD IN A WAY THAT THEY DIDN'T ANTICIPATE OR PLAN FOR. UM, SO BY PUTTING IT AS A FIVE YEAR FORGIVABLE LOAN, WE'RE ABLE TO GUARANTEE THEY TALK TO US AND REPORT TO US FOR FIVE YEARS AND THERE'S UH OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO TO ALSO KIND OF EASE THAT BURDEN. >> OF. OF WHAT THEY GET. IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A LEVEL OF OBVIOUSLY COMPLIANCE AND IS STRUCTURED AROUND THAT. BUT THAT FIVE YEAR FORGIVABLE LOAN AT THAT POINT IT BECOMES A GRANT WHERE THEY THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IS THAT IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT. >> IF THEY MEET ALL OF THE. UM SO THEY PAID A FRACTION FRACTION BACK OF THE MONEY THEY RECEIVED. UM. I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT THAT WE'RE WE'RE GIVING OUT FUNDING UH TAXPAYER MONEY TOO. WELL MY MY SECOND PART OF IT HOW DO HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN BUSINESSES MANY BUSINESSES UM FAIL AT THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS HIGH PERCENTAGE HIGH PERCENT DO AS WE ALL KNOW. UM, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE MONEY WE'RE INVESTING IN A PARTICULAR COMPANY, UM, IS NOT GOING TO FAIL BECAUSE IT IS TAXPAYER MONEY. YEAH. >> SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY, HOWEVER NOT REQUIRED BUT HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT NEW BUSINESSES WOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY OR TO GET THAT 70% THAT COMES FROM A COMMERCIAL LENDER. UM, SO WE'RE. TYPICALLY LOOKING AT BUSINESSES THAT DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME YEARS BEHIND THEM SOME TRACTION. UM, AND THEN ALSO THE BEAUTY OF THE COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS THAT IT IS ATTACHED IN COLLATERALS TO PROPERTY TO REAL PROPERTY. AND SO IF A BUSINESS WERE TO FAIL THERE IS SOMETHING TO CALL ON TO REPAY. THOSE THOSE OBLIGATIONS. WELL THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL. MY TIME IS ALMOST MARKED ALMOST UP SO I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM NOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM COUNCILOR PIPPEN. YOU HAVE SEVEN MINUTES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND FOR BEING HERE. THE REASON WHY I REALLY WANTED TO BE AT THIS SPECIFIC HEARING IS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW BENEFICIAL THIS COULD BE FOR ANY SMALL BUSINESS, UM, ACROSS THE CITY HONESTLY. AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE CAP WEBSITE FOR THE FOR THE CITY LIKE THE TWO PICTURES THAT ARE ON THE TOP ARE ROUNDHEAD AND I PARK AND IT'S BARONS BUILDING IN HYDE PARK AND IT'S JUST TWO VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF GREAT BUSINESSES UH, OR PROPERTIES THAT QUITE HONESTLY PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY'RE OWNED BY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN BOSTON THAT SERVE PEOPLE IN BOSTON AND THAT ARE I KNOW MY RESIDENTS GO THERE A LOT. SO WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THESE TYPE OF GRANTS IN THE PIPELINE, IT EXCITES ME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MORE BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO APPLY FOR THAT. UH, THE LIKE THE THE. ONE THAT COMES INTO MIND IS YOU KNOW, I WAS WALKING THROUGH ROTHESAY SQUARE UM WHEN WAS IT? TWO WEEKS AGO. I WALK INTO EFFIE'S KITCHEN. BEAUTIFUL GREEK ESTABLISHMENT. GREAT GYROS. UM SHOUT OUT TO THEM BUT LIKE THEIR CONCERN IS LISTEN, THERE'S MOMENTS THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND YES, THEY'RE SELLING THEIR GREATEST AT THIS MOMENT BUT EVEN ONE THAT'S A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IS STRUGGLING TO TO KEEP UP. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS AND I'M SORRY TO IF YOU ALREADY EXPENSE AT THE BEGINNING AS I KNOW I ARRIVED A LITTLE BIT LATE IS FOR A BUSINESS LIKE THAT THAT IT FINDS HIMSELF THAT THEY'RE NOT THEIR PROPERTY OWNERS THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE STILL TENANTS. UM, HOW CAN THIS HELP A BUSINESS LIKE THAT POTENTIALLY GROUND THEMSELVES AND FIND A WAY TO JUST REMAIN IN PLACE FOR THEM FOR MUCH LONGER IN THE CITY OF BOSTON? YEAH. >> SO I GUESS PART OF THE THE WHOLE PREMISE BEHIND OR THE REASONS WHY WE WE PUT THIS TOGETHER IS BECAUSE THOSE COSTS THAT ARE RISING WELL, I'M MAKING A ASSUMPTION TOO THAT SOME OF THEIR DIFFICULTIES ARE RELATED TO YOU KNOW, THEIR MARGINS THAT SEEM TO BE GETTING TIGHTER AND MAKING THINGS WORK. UM BUT. BY OWNING THE PROPERTY AND OWNING THE OCCUPANCY COST, UH, AND BEING IN CONTROL OF THAT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME BECAUSE MORTGAGES TEND TO, YOU KNOW, AMID A RISE FOR 25 YEARS THERE'S PREDICTABILITY TO WHAT YOUR PAYMENTS ARE GOING TO BE MONTH TO MONTH AS OPPOSED TO YEARLY OR EVERY 2 OR 3 YEARS FIVE YEARS DEPENDING ON YOUR LEASE WHEN THOSE RENT PRICES ARE RESET. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THESE BUSINESSES CAN LEARN TO ANTICIPATE, PREDICT AND THEN PLAN FOR. UH SO. PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. UH KIND OF TACKLES THAT OPERATING COST PART AND THEN THE PROGRAM ITSELF AGAIN WE ARE LINKING YOU WITH LOTS OF BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS WHO IF YOU DO HAVE A PARTICULAR CONCERN MAYBE IT IS AROUND YOU KNOW, FOOD COSTS OR MAYBE IT'S AROUND UM, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE PROBLEMS OR YOU KNOW, TRYING TO YOU HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER. AND SO YOU'RE. LOOKING TO SEE HOW YOU CAN MINIMIZE THOSE TRAINING COSTS. DO WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS. >> AND PROFESSIONALS IN THIS THAT CAN HELP UH, AT NO COST TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND SO THEY CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH US THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THE SMALL BUSINESSES COME TO US AND ARE SUPER TRANSPARENT AND HONEST SO THAT WE CAN GET THE FULL PICTURE AND WITH THAT FULL PICTURE WE CAN HELP TO DIRECT. THEM WHERE WE'RE SEEING. >> LIKE WHERE THERE'S A RISK FACTOR OR THERE'S NOT UH AND THEN HELP DIRECT THEM TOWARDS RESOURCES TO KIND OF MITIGATE THAT. IT'S THOSE WRAPAROUND TYPE SERVICES RIGHT. SO THEY'RE NEVER LITERALLY LEFT ALONE. UM I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM UH TO GET THEM TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, APPLY BUT IT'S THE AFTER RIGHT . WELL ONCE THE LOAN IS CLOSED THERE'S STILL UH, SUPPORT SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FIRST YEAR IN PARTICULAR SOMEBODY'S FAMILY YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ARMS WRAPPED AROUND YOU IN THAT PROCESS. SO THE BUSINESSES HAVE SUPPORT. THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TOGETHER BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT IS A LOT WHAT I HEAR FROM OUR BUSINESS OWNERS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT WRAPAROUND SERVICES I UNFORTUNATELY HAVE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE AN AMAZING BUSINESS COMES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN BECAUSE OF GOD KNOWS WHAT REASONS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONE A YEAR AND A TWO YEARS IN AND MOST OF IT IS DUE TO RENT INCREASES AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS. SO JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT FOR ME THIS IS THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY TIMELY. I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADD MORE BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT IN MY DISTRICT WHAT I'M SEEING IS A LOT OF REZONING REDEVELOPMENT AND I'VE BEEN VERY VOCALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT ,BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN VERY VOCAL AS WELL AS TO HOW DO WE PROTECT THE EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE THAT ARE ALREADY THERE. YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT MATTAPAN SQUARE WHICH ALREADY GOT WE ZONED CLEARY SQUARE WHICH IS IN THE WORKS IS NOT THERE YET BUT RALEIGH SQUARE JUST GOT REZONE TO AND THERE'S THREE MAIN STREETS CORRIDORS FOR OUR CITY WITH VERY STRONG SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ADD TO THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF OUR OF OUR BUDGET. SO MY ASK TO YOU ALL AND I KNOW YOU ALREADY DO THIS I THINK THIS IS MORE OF A. OF UH KEEP DOING IT IS KEEP WORKING WITH THE MAIN STREETS OF THOSE AREAS. BECAUSE THE MORE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SHARE. >> WITH THOSE BUSINESSES AND THAT THESE RESOURCES EXIST. I THINK THE MORE STABLE THEY'RE ABLE TO FEEL. UM, SO IF. >> YOU CAN USE IF YOU WANT USE ME AS A AS. A AS A LIAISON. UM FOR. >> THOSE BUSINESSES AS WELL I FREQUENT. THEM OFTEN. I'M JUST I'M. >> A BIG FAN OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT COUNCIL. OF COURSE. ARE I MADAM CHAIR? I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. JUST THANKFUL THAT YOU HAVE THIS HEARING SO AND THANK YOU. >> FOR THE WORK YOU ALL DO AT YOUR CABINET. THANK YOU SO MUCH I, I KNEW IF I GAVE LESS THAN SEVEN MINUTES THAT COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, REVOLTED. SO UM BECAUSE I KNOW SHE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS SO AND OKAY SO I WILL YIELD BACK SOME OF MY TIME TO HER BUT I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE I THINK THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE THIS COMING FROM THE BRE BECAUSE THAT REALLY IS ONE. >> OF. THE WAYS THAT WE CAN UM. IT'S AN ECONOMIC DRIVE. IT'S BASICALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MONEY GOING INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHICH MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. UM SO I THINK UM OBVIOUSLY UH I THINK THE REVENUE STREAM THERE IS FROM A LOT OF OPEN SURFACE PARKING LOTS AND FROM UM FROM THE PROPERTIES THAT THEY'RE VERY OWN. SO UM SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY TAX DOLLARS BUT IT IS YOU KNOW, SORT OF IN A WAY IT'S IT'S PUBLICLY FUNDED. UM SO. JUST CURIOUS, UM, HOW IN CHOOSING WHO TO PROVIDE LOANS TO HOW YOU WEIGH THE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY OF THE BUSINESS THAT'S BEING UM, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED UM AND OBVIOUSLY JUST CURIOUS MORE ABOUT THOSE SUPPORT SERVICES AS A FORMER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT STARTED A BUSINESS AT 27 I KNOW I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I WAS ENTERING INTO THAT. AND SO I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS GET THOSE SUPPORTS AND UM, AND THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO THRIVE IN THE CITY. YEAH. >> UM AND SO UH, TO YOUR FIRST POINT, HOW DO WE KNOW OR MEASURE THE COMMUNITY IMPACT OR PRIORITIZE I THINK WAS YOUR. YOUR YOUR. WORDS THE THERE'S VERY LITTLE PRIORITIZATION. WE TREAT EVERY INTAKE IN THE SAME WAY. UH, IT'S ONLY IF YOU AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. >> ARE MORE. INTERACTIVE WITH US BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORT THAT DOES FALL ON TO THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN THIS CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PROVIDING ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, YOU'RE PROVIDING DOCUMENTATION THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH YOU. UH, BUT THINGS THAT WE WILL BE MEASURING SO WE DO HAVE A REPORT THAT IT WILL BE LIKE THERE'S A REPORTING THAT DOES COME ALONG WITH WITH THE PROGRAM UM, NOT ONLY BUSINESS FINANCES BUT ALSO JOBS CREATED UM, MAYBE EXPANSION OF THEIR BUSINESS REVENUE OR OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THEIR BUSINESS POST TRANSACTION. SO HOW THEIR BUSINESS HAS GROWN. IN JOBS BUT ALSO UH, AND MAYBE YOU KNOW, HEALTH OF THEIR BUSINESS ITSELF. UM WE. REQUIRE COMMUNITY SUPPORT LETTERS TO GO WITH EACH TRANSACTION. SO WE DO DIRECTLY GET NEIGHBORS TO SAY WE WOULD LIKE THIS BUSINESS OWNER TO STAY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE AGAIN ALL OF THESE ARE PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN LESSONS IN THE. PAST WHERE IF WE DIDN'T DO. THAT, UM. PERHAPS WE'RE CREATING. ASSUMPTIONS WHERE ASSUMPTION. GOING TO BE MADE. SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I DEFINITELY I REMEMBER UM I THINK ONE OF THE MOST BENEFICIAL AND UM, INCREDIBLE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY HAS DONE IS THE SPACE GRANT PROGRAM, UM, WHICH CREATED A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND A LOT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY SPECIFICALLY FOR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES IN IN EVEN MY DISTRICT. AND SO I JUST REALLY HAVE APPRECIATED UM, THE ECONOMIC DIVERSITY THAT, YOU KNOW, DANNY'S BAR IS BRINGING TO THE BACK BAY AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE UM, THE WE HAVE SO MANY BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN SO UM, SUPPORTED THROUGH AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SIMILAR TO THE SPACE KAREN PROGRAM THERE'S THAT SORT OF WE'RE WRAPPING OUR ARMS UP IN THESE BUSINESSES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL. >> YEAH. SO THAT THAT ONE THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS UM. ARM OF OUR CABINET IN IN THAT SAME EXACT LEVEL OF SERVICE IS CONNECTED TO CAP BECAUSE THE SMALL BUSINESS TEAM IS. ALSO IN SUPPORT OF. UM OUR PROCESSES AND WORKFLOWS AND SO UH, THEY'RE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS WHICH ARE ON THE WEBSITE UH, IN OUR UH PROCURED EVERY YEAR AS WELL AS THE. STATE ITSELF HAS OVER 200 BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME WITH THEIR DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LITTLE NICHES OF WHERE THEY LIE AND IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN HELP AND SUPPORT A BUSINESS. SO UH, DEFINITELY THE. UNFORTUNATE REALITY. >> IS SMALL BUSINESSES. >> ARE UNAWARE OF HOW TO ACCESS A LOT OF THESE. RESOURCES BUT THE RESOURCES EXIST. SO THE PROGRAM IS DOING UH. A LOT OF EFFORTS TO KIND OF AGGREGATE AND CONSOLIDATE THEM IN ORDER TO MAKE BUSINESSES. THAT'S GREAT. AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE HAS ANOTHER QUESTION SO I'LL GIVE HER THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN. IT'S MIXTURE OF A COMMENT AND QUESTION. IT'S PROMPTED BY SOMETHING COUNCILOR BEN STATED BUT SO MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND I ACTUALLY APPRECIATED THE RESPONSE THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND. THESE ARE LIKE SEASONED BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND IN THE COMMUNITY FOR A WHILE WHO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT, WHICH IS GREAT. UM, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT LIKE ONCE THIS IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED PROGRAM ONCE THERE'S MORE FUNDING IS HOW DO WE GET UH, BUSINESS OWNERS TO LIKE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY TO EVEN KNOW THAT IT'S A POSSIBILITY? AND WHAT NUDGES CAN WE DO? AND I'M ALL ABOUT PEOPLE IN THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS. RIGHT. BUT WHAT ARE THE NUDGES THAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO HELP ENCOURAGE THOSE LANDLORDS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO AREN'T THE BEST LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO WANT TO AGREE TO A SALE? I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY IF WE DO THAT THAT WOULD BRING MORE OWNERSHIP DIVERSITY BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THE SMALL BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHIC IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, MORE DIVERSE THAN THE OWNERSHIP DEMOGRAPHIC. UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY COMPELLING IF WE START DOING THE WORK OF ACTUALLY WORKING. I ACTUALLY HAVE THIS YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO DO THIS WITH PLAN MATTAPAN BUT LIKE COUNCILOR PIPPEN STATED, WE REZONE MATTAPAN BUT THE OWNERSHIP LARGELY LOOKS AND FEELS A CERTAIN WAY WHERE THERE'S NOT THE SAME INVESTMENT . SO I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT AS A CITY, HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO NUDGE THEM TO EITHER SELL TO THE OCCUPANT OR TO HELP US AND DO SORT OF THE REZONING THAT WE WANT TO SEE OR YEAH, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH WITH PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE ONE LEVEL AND WE COULD BE BUILDING UP AND WE COULD BE DOING SO MUCH MORE WORK. SO JUST SOMETHING TO LIKE UH SEED TO PLANT UM, BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WHO WOULD LOVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS BUT THEY'RE YOU KNOW, THE DAD OF THE LANDLORD PROPERTY OWNER ISN'T INTERESTED IN SELLING OR THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO START THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND SO, UM, JUST SOMETHING FOR US TO BE THINKING ABOUT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND COUNCIL YOU WOULD KNOW THAT UM ,PARTY ATTEMPTING MATTAPAN WAS NOT ONLY JUST TO TALK TO THE BUSINESSES BUT ALSO HAVE THAT SAME DIALOG. YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OWNERS KNOW THAT THEY KNEW ALSO WHAT WAS HAPPENING, UH, WITH REZONING AND SO FORTH. SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING AND MAKING STRIDES. BUT I KNOW ALSO OUT OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND THOSE PROCESSES, IT'S THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE COULD HAVE UM ,WITH THOSE UH, PROPERTY OWNERS AND INITIATING THOSE IN WAYS WHERE IT'S NOT UM, JUST IN A MEETING BUT WHEN WE CAN HAVE THEM COME OUT AND HAVE SOME REAL STRUCTURED DATA FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AT TIMES. BUT I THINK IT DEFINITELY TAKES CHATTING WITH WELL. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME FOR THE NEXT PANEL. UM BUT I REALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL AND I'M INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS SO WE'LL SEE. UM, WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS FOR A VOTE AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. UM, AND JUST APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. UM, AS WE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT PANEL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY LIKE I JUST. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, ANDREW GRACE WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY WITH US. HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC PLANNING WHO'S DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN ASSISTING AND WORKING WITH PHILOMENE ON THIS AND UNFORTUNATELY HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BUT VERY UH JOB WELL DONE. LET ME JUST SAY. THANK YOU WILL DIRECT ANY REALLY TOUGH QUESTIONS THAT ARE UNANSWERED DIRECTLY TO HIM. YEAH SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AS WE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT PANEL UM WE ARE GOING TO HEAR SOME PUBLIC TESTIMONY. I THINK THERE'S ONE PERSON ON ZOOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY. UM, AND I'LL SET THE TIMER FOR TWO MINUTES. AND THEN THE YEAH, THE SECOND PANEL CAN DEFINITELY COME UP. OKAY. >> PERFECT. >> OKAY, SO, UM. WE'RE WE'RE READY TO GO WITH THE. TESTIMONY PUBLIC. TESTIMONY FROM MOLLY DONOGHUE FROM THE BOSTON PRESERVATION ALLIANCE. MOLLY, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> I AM ACTUALLY HERE TO. SPEAK ON THE SECOND DOCKET. YES. >> UM. GO AHEAD. OH, OKAY. EXCELLENT. WELL, HELLO. MY NAME IS MOLLY DONAHUE AND I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOSTON PRESERVATION ALLIANCE. WE ARE THE CITY'S PRIMARY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND PROMOTING BOSTON'S HISTORIC BUILDINGS, PLACES AND LANDSCAPES. AND WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER COMMENTS ON PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT IMPACT THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE CITY. TODAY I AM SPEAKING TO CONVEY OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE BUSSEY HOUSE IN DORCHESTER AS A BOSTON LANDMARK. THIS IS A RARE SURVIVING EXAMPLE OF AN 18TH CENTURY BUILDING IN BOSTON AND IS AMONG THE OLDEST SURVIVING BUILDINGS LEFT IN THE CITY. IT MEETS MULTIPLE CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION, INCLUDING ITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIFE OF AN OUTSTANDING HISTORICAL PERSONAGE, CAPTAIN JOHN BUSSEY FOR WHOM IT'S NAMED AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN. THE BUILDINGS OF OUR AGE, UNIQUE HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE ALL MAKE IT WORTHY OF INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK STATUS. LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION IS THE MOST RELIABLE TOOL WE HAVE IN BOSTON TO PROTECT OUR IRREPLACEABLE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL ASSETS. WE AT THE ALLIANCE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE DESIGNATION OF THE BUSSEY HOUSE AS A BOSTON LANDMARK AND WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT CITY COUNCIL MOVE TO APPROVE ITS DESIGNATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MOLLY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK OF THE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE. UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR SECOND PANEL. UM, AND THIS IS ON THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF THE BUSSEY HOUSE. WE HAVE ELIZABETH SHAW, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND JENNIFER GOGLIA UM UH THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN FOR THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN OVER 60 PAGE STUDY REPORT. UM, SO IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, UM, I FOUND IT RIVETING. SO, UM, GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK. WANT TO ALWAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, UPLIFT THE WORK OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION? IT IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO BOTH PRESERVING, UM, OUR HISTORY BUT ALSO PROTECTING THE FUTURE AND OUR CITY AND PROTECTING OUR HISTORIC BUILDINGS. UM, REPRESENTING UM I THINK IT'S 60% OF THE LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSIONS IN. >> THE CITY OR. LIKE TOUCHING MY DISTRICT. SO I APPRECIATE MAYBE GETTING THAT WRONG BUT UM, THAT YOU KNOW, THE OLDEST ONES AT LEAST BACK IN BEACON HILL AND THEN WE HAVE THE MISSION AND MISSION HILL TRIANGLE ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION AND UH, BACK BAY UM SORRY THE UH SORRY THE BAY STATE ROAD ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION COMMISSION UM AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO IN THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE PROTECTED. UM, SO JUST GRATEFUL UM, I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THIS MAYOR HAS LANDMARKED OUR BUILDINGS, UH, THAN ANY MAYOR AND WE'RE EXCITED TO AND THIS VERY BUILDING THAT WE'RE SITTING IN IS NOW A BOSTON LANDMARK. UM, SO THIS UM, AT THE CAPTAIN JOHN BUSSEY HOUSE, UM. WE THIS STUDY REPORT I WANTED TO ASK JUST A FIRST QUESTION. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN OPENING STATEMENT. WE DID. OH YOU DO OKAY, GO AHEAD. WITH YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. OKAY. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN. AND THANK YOU TO THE. COMMITTEE ON. >> PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION FOR HAVING US. THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION WILL BE PRESENTING INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUSSEY HOUSE TODAY IN THE HISTORIC LOWER MILLS SECTION OF DORCHESTER IS WHERE IT'S LOCATED. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE BUILDING WAS PREVIOUSLY THREATENED WITH DEMOLITION IN 2007 THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED WITH THE INTENT OF DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTING A NEW CONDOMINIUM BUILDING ON THE SITE. HOWEVER, AFTER SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO THE DEMOLITION OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING, THE OWNER AT THE TIME WITHDREW HIS DEMOLITION APPLICATION AND MET WITH RESIDENTS INCLUDING CITY COUNCILOR AT THE TIME MAUREEN FEENEY. THE LOWER MILLS CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE BRE. WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF RESIDENTS, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS THE OWNER AT THE TIME COMMITTED TO TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING AND INVESTED IN REHABILITATING THE BUILDING. I'M NOW GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO JENNIFER WHO WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF NOT 60 PAGES BUT BRIEF UM BACKGROUND AND THE HOUSE. HI, I'M JENNIFER GOGLIA. ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN. FOR THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION AND I HAVE A ONE PAGE SUMMARY OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOUSE THAT I'LL. JUST RUN THROUGH. UM, SO THE. CAPTAIN JOHN. BUSSEY HOUSE AT 1203 TO 1205 ADAMS STREET IN LOWER MILLS. IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE CITY. >> OF BOSTON IS ONE OF THE FEW. SURVIVING PROPERTIES FROM THE 18TH CENTURY ASSOCIATED WITH AN OFFICER FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. AND IT IS ALSO. ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AS A RARE EXAMPLE. OF SURVIVING. FEDERAL STYLE. ARCHITECTURE AND IS. LIKELY ONE OF. >> THE 50. OLDEST BUILDINGS IN BOSTON. LAND RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE EXISTING HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1792, AND CAPTAIN JOHN BUSSEY WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND OWNER PURCHASING THE PROPERTY IN 1795. BUT IT'S. >> CALLED THE BUSSEY HOUSE BECAUSE IT REMAINED IN THE BUSSEY FAMILY FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS. UM, I BROUGHT THIS BOOK. >> WITH ME. UM, SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW IT. THIS IS OUR CITY ARCHEOLOGIST. JOSEPH BAGLEY'S BOOK. UM, THE 50 OLDEST. BUILDINGS IN BOSTON. UM. >> THE DATE OF. >> THE CONSTRUCTION. OF THE BUSSEY HOUSE WAS NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. BUT AFTER. COMPLETING THE STUDY REPORT FOR THE HOUSE, WE NOW BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD QUALIFY TO BE IN THIS BOOK. UM, AND IT WOULD BE LISTED AS THE 46TH OLDEST. BUILDING IN THE CITY. UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JOHN BUSSEY IN APRIL 1775, AFTER THE BATTLES AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD HE JOINED UP WITH HIS LOCAL MILITIA COMPANY AND FROM 1775 TO 1779 HE SERVED IN ARTILLERY REGIMENTS FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS MILITIA, MOSTLY IN THE DEFENSE OF BOSTON HARBOR . UM HE ACHIEVED THE RANK OF CAPTAIN LIEUTENANT AND SERVED IN A REGIMENT STATIONED AT CASTLE ISLAND AS OF 1777. UM AFTER THE REVOLUTIONARY. WAR, CAPTAIN BUSSEY BECAME A WELL KNOWN SEA CAPTAIN ON TRADING VESSELS DURING THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY AND HIS PRINCIPAL YEARS DOING THAT AS A SEA CAPTAIN WERE BETWEEN ABOUT 1820 AND 1826 HE WAS SHIP MASTER OF TWO PACKET BRIGS THE TRITON AND THE AMETHYST UH. WHILE THESE. KINDS OF SHIPS WERE USED TO TRANSPORT ENSLAVED PEOPLE FROM VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND TO THE COTTON PRODUCING AREAS FURTHER SOUTH, OUR RESEARCH UNCOVERED NO EVIDENCE THAT JOHN BUSSEY IN PARTICULAR WAS INVOLVED IN THE DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE. THE BUSSEY HOUSE REMAINED IN THE BUSSEY FAMILY FOR 95 YEARS UNTIL IT WAS SOLD TO THE WALTER BAKER CHOCOLATE COMPANY IN 1890 AND SOMETIME BETWEEN 1905 AND 1909 THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT COMPANY RENOVATED THE FIRST FLOOR AND THEY BUILT A FRONT ADDITION TO. CREATE UH, A READING. ROOM FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. FACTORY READING ROOMS WITH NEWSPAPERS AND BOOKS WERE A COMMON AMENITY FOR EMPLOYEES WHO IN THE CASE OF A COMPANY LIKE BAKER CHOCOLATE WOULD WORK OVER 50 HOURS A WEEK AND MOSTLY LIVED NEAR THE FACTORY AT SO THE CLASSICAL REVIVAL STORE FRONT OF THE READING ROOM WHICH IS STILL THERE TODAY UM AS NOTED IN A 1977 INVENTORY FORM FOR THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION IS ARCHITECTURALLY NOTEWORTHY ITSELF AND HAS ACQUIRED SIGNIFICANCE AS A LATER ADDITION. UH LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR. ETHEL F KILEY BOUGHT THE BUILDING IN 1940. SHE WAS A CATERER AND ANTIQUES DEALER WHO OPERATED HER CATERING BUSINESS FROM THAT BUILDING FOR 28 YEARS UNTIL SHE SOLD THE PROPERTY IN 1968. THE LONGEVITY AND SUCCESS OF HER BUSINESS AT A TIME WHEN WOMEN WERE OFTEN. DENIED LOANS AND FINANCING, IS ANOTHER NOTABLE CHAPTER IN THE 20TH CENTURY HISTORY OF THE HOUSE. UH AFTER KILEY SOLD THE PROPERTY, ANOTHER CATERING COMPANY RUN BY ELIZABETH SHERMAN OCCUPIED THE SPACE FOR MANY YEARS. IN 2007, FRANCIS DELANEY AND GREG DONOVAN PURCHASED THE PROPERTY WITH. THE INTENT OF DEMOLISHING THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTING A NEW CONDOMINIUM ON THE SITE. HOWEVER, UM AS ELIZABETH HAD MENTIONED AFTER SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION FROM THE LOWER MILLS COMMUNITY. TO THE DEMOLITION. OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING, DONOVAN WITHDREW HIS DEMOLITION APPLICATION AND EXPRESSED HIS COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING THE BUSSEY HOUSE. UH. >> THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD AGAIN IN 2010 AND A PERMIT WAS FILED TO CHANGE ITS OCCUPANCY AND CONVERT IT TO A BANK. IT WAS BOUGHT BY ART AND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION IN 2012, WHICH LATER BECAME THE BRIGHT BRIDGE CREDIT UNION. WHICH CONTINUES TO OPERATE OUT OF THE BUILDING TODAY. UM AND I WILL NOW TURN BACK TO ELIZABETH TO BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED DESIGNATION. THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION . VOTED TO DESIGNATE. >> THE BUSSEY HOUSE AS A. LANDMARK AFTER. FINDING THAT. >> THE. PROPERTY MEETS. >> THE. CRITERIA FOR. DESIGNATION AS. ESTABLISHED IN THE COMMISSION'S ENABLING LEGISLATION. THE EFFECT OF THIS. DESIGNATION SHALL. BE THAT REVIEW BY THE BOSTON LANDMARKS. COMMISSION AND OR COMMISSION. STAFF SHALL. >> BE REQUIRED FOR ANY PROPOSED ALTERATIONS TO. >> THE EXTERIOR. ENVELOPE OF THE BUILDING WITH THE GOAL OF PRESERVING THE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES. >> THAT. ARE. IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY REPORT. THESE FEATURES INCLUDE ONLY THE TWO STOREY ORIGINAL FEDERAL STYLE HOUSE AND THE 1977 CLASSICAL REVIVAL. A 1907. SORRY I MAY STATED THAT. 1877 UM CLASSICAL REVIVAL EDITION ON THE FRONT THEY DO NOT INCLUDE THE LATER RARE EDITIONS OR THE DRIVE THROUGH. PORTICO PORTICO SHARE ON THE SIDE. THE DESIGNATION WILL ALSO NOT PRECLUDE FURTHER. ADDITIONS OR NEW BUILDINGS FROM BEING CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE, AS LONG AS THE CHARACTER. DEFINING FEATURES ARE PRESERVED. THE DESIGNATION WOULD NOT REGULATE THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING IN ANY WAY, NOR WOULD IT REGULATE THE USE OF THE BUILDING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO READ INTO. >> THE RECORD. CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UM, HOW THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY BUT ALL PROPERTIES GO FROM PETITION. TO TO LANDMARK STATUS AND THE STEPS IN BETWEEN? UH, A LANDMARK CAN BE PETITIONED BY TEN RESIDENTS OR A LANDMARKS COMMISSIONER OR THE MAYOR. UM, ONCE A PETITION IS RECEIVED BY OUR OFFICE. UH, WE VET THE INFORMATION AND ,UM, WE BRING IT TO THE COMMISSION TO DETERMINE IF WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT FORTH FOR FURTHER STUDY. UM, IN THIS CASE IT WAS BROUGHT FORTH FOR FURTHER STUDY. WE CREATED A STUDY REPORT. THE STUDY REPORT THEN WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMISSION THEN VOTED. TO ACCEPT THE STUDY REPORT AND TO AND TO VOTE TO DESIGNATE THE PROPERTY. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE THE LIST OF THE TEN. NAMES OF WHO. ORIGINALLY PETITIONED THE. YES. >> WE HAVE A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL PETITION. WOULD YOU JUST. >> BE ABLE TO READ THOSE NAMES? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. RICHARD O'HARA, CAROL MOONEY, JOYCE MCCANN, MICHAEL MCCANN, NINA HARTMAN. STEPHEN UM FAMIGLIETTI. EARL TAYLOR, ROBERT CHAPMAN. FRANCIS RAGO. THERESA DOLAN AND JEFFREY GANO . OKAY. >> AND WHAT WHAT WAS THE DATE OF THE PETITION? UM, IT WAS RECEIVED BY THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION AND MARKED COMPLETE ON OCTOBER 29TH, 2007. OKAY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. UM, NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND THEN COUNCILOR FLYNN. UH, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT. THE UH. TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE SLAVE TRADE WITH RESPECT TO THIS BUILDING, BUT I MISSED THE FIRST PART. SO IF YOU COULD REPEAT WHAT YOU STATED ABOUT THAT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO, UM, OUR RESEARCH UNCOVERED THAT AFTER SERVING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR THAT JOHN BUSSEY BECAME A SEA CAPTAIN ON TRADING VESSELS IN THE 1820S. UM, AND SO WE LOOKED INTO, YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THESE TWO SHIPS THE TRITON AND THE AMETHYST AND THESE KINDS OF SHIPS. I WAS SAYING THEY THEY WERE USED UM, THIS KIND OF PACKET BRIG WAS USED TO SOMETIMES TRANSPORT ENSLAVED PEOPLE FROM CERTAIN STATES FURTHER NORTH TO THE COTTON PRODUCING AREAS FURTHER SOUTH. UM, BUT WE LOOKED INTO WHETHER JOHN BUSSEY WAS INVOLVED IN ANY OF THOSE PARTICULAR UM JOURNEYS AND WE DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT HE PARTICIPATED IN THAT DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE. THROUGH OUR THROUGH OUR RESEARCH. THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION . I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU AND WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. THE PRESENTATION YOU PROVIDED WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. I LEARNED A LOT AND SOMEONE THAT HAS STUDIED BOSTON HISTORY. I REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO YOUR PRESENTATION BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ON ON THE TELEVISION UM THEY ALSO FIND THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION VERY INFORMATIVE. UM SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU WERE DOING AND YOU'RE ALSO EDUCATING RESIDENTS REALLY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BOSTON. AND I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME BEFORE THE START OF THIS MEETING BUT I SEE WAS A SEA CAPTAIN THAT CAME IN TO MOVE INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTH BOSTON AND CASTLE ISLAND. UM, WHICH WAS INTERESTING FOR ME TO KNOW AND I'M GOING TO LET SOME SOUTH BOSTON HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT IT. UM, AND I CAN CERTAINLY DO A GOOGLE CHECK ON IT BUT DO YOU KNOW DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON UM HIS UM, TOURS IN SOUTH BOSTON, HIS WORK IN SOUTH BOSTON AT CASTLE ISLAND, FORT INDEPENDENCE. YES, IT IS IN OUR STUDY REPORT . UM YEAH. >> I CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION FROM THE STUDY REPORT. UM, SO THANK YOU. THANK BE. UH, IT SAYS THAT HE WAS IN ACTIVE SERVICE FIRST IN ROXBURY DURING THE SIEGE OF BOSTON ERA. UM AND THEN IN 1777 HE SERVED IN COLONEL THOMAS CRAFTS REGIMENT AT CASTLE ISLAND. AND IN THIS REGIMENT HE MOST LIKELY PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES THEY WERE DOING THERE WHICH WOULD BE UM RE FORTIFYING CASTLE ISLAND AFTER THE BRITISH HAD DESTROYED THE FORT IN 1776. ALSO UM FIGHTING OFF SEVERAL BRITISH SHIPS THAT HAD REMAINED IN THE HARBOR AFTER THE EVACUATION. UM AND HE MAY ALSO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ESCORTING UM MERCENARY PRISONERS FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO BOSTON. UM AND SO I THINK THE WAY THE REPORT IS WRITTEN, IT'S UM IT'S UNCLEAR THAT HE 100% PARTICIPATED IN THOSE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES BUT WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE AT THAT TIME. SO MOST LIKELY HE WAS INVOLVED IN THAT KIND OF STUFF. NOW THAT'S EXCELLENT AND UM, APPRECIATE THAT RESPONSE TO MY FINAL QUESTION. SO RIGHT NOW THE THERE'S A UM CREDIT UNION OR A BANK AND ON IN THE BUILDING. YES. UM. IS IT ZONED FOR A PARTICULAR UM FOR A PARTICULAR REASON OR A PARTICULAR UM, BUSINESS OR IS DOES IT IS IT FOR BUSINESS OR IS IT FOR RESIDENTS OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? YEAH. >> SO RIGHT NOW UM SO IT'S LOCATED WITHIN THE DORCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING DISTRICT AND ITS UM SUBDISTRICT IS LOWER MILLS NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING. OKAY. SO IT'S ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL USE. OH COMMERCIAL USE OKAY. YES OKAY. AND WE ALSO OUTLINED THAT IN THIS STUDY REPORT. YEAH. >> OKAY NOW THAT'S EXCELLENT INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED. UM I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO UM, VOTING IN SUPPORT OF THIS AND UM, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN, UM, EDUCATING RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS PANEL. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY? WELL, SEEING NO, UH, ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY THE HEARING ON DOCKETS. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WORK. I WANT TO THANK THE WORK OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR HER TRUST AND AND CARE FOR PRESERVATION IN THE CITY AND ESPECIALLY AND, UM, I THINK DIRECTOR CARTER HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB. SO JUST REALLY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF PRESERVATION IN THE CITY. UM, AND SO WITH THAT, THE HEARING ON DOCKET 0257 AND 0630 IS ADJOURNED.