Reuse of Former BELD Site Subject of Public Meeting

Braintree residents are encouraged to turn out to a public meeting Wednesday night at Town Hall to discuss plans to redevelop a former Braintree Electric Light Department site on Allen Street.


BELD previously generated electricity at the 1.7 acre site in East Braintree, at 44 Allen St. The property was transferred to the town in June 2011 and for the past several years town officials and architects have been examining what to do with the land.

The property has been dormant for two decades, according to a press release from the mayor's office. It was once the site of grist and saw mills as well as shipbuilding and coal plants. 

Now the town is considering ways to sustainably reuse the land, including adding "a modest number of housing units." A Monatiquot Riverwalk is also part of the plans. The town received a grant from the National Park Service two years ago to help design the riverwalk.

“This location lends itself to high end positive redevelopment," Mayor Joseph Sullivan said in the release. “Done right, this land will become valuable once again."

A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment has been completed, as well as a structural analysis of the existing buildings on the site, according to the mayor's office. 

The project is led by the Boston-based architecture and urban planning firm of
Gamble Associates, in partnership with CityVisions Associates. The initiative builds off of the community engagement effort that was undertaken by the Community Design Resource Center-Boston in 2010.  

The interactive public meeting will be held in Cahill Auditorium at the Braintree Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.  

For more information, contact Christine Stickney, Director of Planning and Community Development, Town of Braintree at (781) 794-8232.