Seaport District

The Seaport District (colloquially Seaport and officially the South Boston Waterfront) is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. It is part of the larger neighborhood of South Boston, and is also sometimes called the Innovation District. The Seaport is a formerly industrial area that has undergone an extensive redevelopment effort in recent years. It is bordered by the Fort Point Channel to the west, Boston Harbor to the north and east, and the historic residential neighborhood of South Boston to the south.

The section of South Boston north of First Street was targeted for massive redevelopment by the administration of Mayor Thomas Menino and the Boston Planning and Development Agency. Initially referred to as the Seaport District by the BRA, the area was officially restyled the "South Boston Waterfront" after virulent protest from natives and local politicians, including City Council President James M. Kelly. Despite this, it is commonly known as the Seaport District. The name Innovation District was also proposed.

Development in the Seaport has boomed during the early 21st century. It was considered "the hottest, fastest-growing real estate market in the country" in 2014. As of 2017^[update], it was the fastest growing part of Boston and has stimulated significant economic growth in the city.

The restoration of the Seaport began with the completion of the Big Dig. This $14.6 billion project buried the formerly elevated Central Artery I-93 Interstate which previously cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city. Additionally, Interstate 90 was extended eastward from I-93 through the Seaport and across the Boston Harbor to Logan International Airport and East Boston to connect the SPID with downtown Boston, revitalizing the area and prompting a surge of growth.

The end of the Big Dig also created a completely new transportation network for the area. The Silver Line of the MBTA provides public transportation to the area (and runs along the new expressway connecting to the airport), while the Boston Harborwalk runs along the north side of the district. The Evelyn Moakley Bridge connects the Seaport to Downtown Boston.

In May 2010, Menino announced plans for the city to develop 1,000 acres on the South Boston Waterfront as an Innovation District. Inspired by the success of the 22@ model, the mayor's vision was to redevelop the then-mostly abandoned Seaport District into a hub for Information Age jobs and a new frontier for cutting-edge industries such as clean tech, health care information technology and mobile media. It is now home to tens of new office towers, residential buildings, and "innovation labs" either proposed or under construction. The buildings are designed with critical systems above the first floor to avoid flooding from the tides.

Between Menino's announcement of an innovation district in 2010 and 2017, 5,000 new jobs were created and over 200 new companies have formed. Forty percent of the companies located in the Innovation District share space in co-working spaces and incubators. Over 1,100 housing units were constructed, including 300 innovation micro-units.

As of 2017^[update], the Seaport has 78 restaurants, 8 hotels, and continues to grow. The South Boston Waterfront area is part of the Port of Boston on Boston Harbor.