Vision
The HYM Investment Group’s (“HYM”) vision for Suffolk Downs has been planned around the goals of connectivity and accessibility for this currently underutilized site. The design is arranged around a strong open space and public realm framework that provides an opportunity to reconnect the East Boston and Revere neighborhoods that surround Suffolk Downs. The redevelopment will create a new neighborhood with an active, lively and appropriate mix of uses (including retail, residential, office, lab, hotel, and other uses), connected and supported by new publicly-accessible open space, neighborhood retail, and civic spaces. The redevelopment of Suffolk Downs provides a unique opportunity to create an engaging open space system, create additional housing, spur economic development, and improve connections between several adjoining neighborhoods as well as the surrounding waterfront, open space and other natural amenities. Our redevelopment vision for Suffolk Downs is guided by the following key goals:

Mixed Use Walkable Neighborhood

The redevelopment will offer a dynamic mix of uses including commercial, lab and innovation uses, a variety of housing types, street front, neighborhood retail, as well as an extensive publicly-accessible open space network. The mix of uses will be interspersed throughout the Suffolk Downs site and thoughtfully connected by a cohesive internal network of new urban streets, walking paths, bicycle and accommodations that also connect to the neighboring East Boston and Revere communities.

Open Space and Parks

The project will reconnect East Boston and Revere with an approximately 40-acre publicly-accessible open space network that represents approximately 25 percent of the overall project site area. This new open space system will have both active and passive recreation areas, integrate beautiful on-site wetlands and complement the neighborhood’s natural assets of Belle Isle Marsh, Revere Beach and Constitution Beach.

Neighborhood Retail

Neighborhood street level retail will be a core element of the mixed-use development. Retail will be concentrated at two new retail squares, Belle Isle Square in East Boston and Beachmont Square in Revere, which are located at the two MBTA Blue Line stations, and which will also be connected through the larger site along a new “Main Street” retail district, located in the center of the redevelopment. Our retail tenant strategy will be focused on creating a strong diversity of retail uses and attracting local and regional retailers to serve on-site residents and businesses as well as meet the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods. The neighborhood retail program is anticipated to include restaurants, coffee shops and cafes, as well as a grocery store, pharmacy, specialty gyms, bicycle shop and entertainment venues.

Economic Development

The redevelopment will promote new economic opportunity and development through the creation of commercial clusters, including office, lab and retail uses as well as a new innovation node at Beachmont Square.This new mixed-use district will attract employers of growing industries and create a truly dynamic work environment for the residents of East Boston and Revere. Over the course of development, jobs varying from construction, to research, to tech will provide opportunities for the local workforce and generate local and state tax revenues.

Transit Oriented Development

Adjacent to two MBTA Blue Line stations, Suffolk Downs will be a true, transit-oriented development which features a strong mix of uses. Two important retail squares adjacent to the Suffolk Downs and Beachmont MBTA Blue Line stations will provide for pedestrian-friendly access to public transit and create multi-modal transportation opportunities, including Hubway stations, which encourage the use of alternative transportation to access Suffolk Downs.

Resiliency And Sustainability

From the beginning of our master plan design process, resiliency and sustainability design principles have been on the forefront. Incorporation of forward-thinking climate change and resiliency strategies intend to address future sea level rise and other impacts of climate change, along with specific measures for individual building development through green building design.