Urban Renewal Goes on Trial at City Council Hearing on BRA Extension

“The Boston Redevelopment Authority faced the latest obstacle in its quest for a 10-year extension on its urban renewal powers, answering questions posed by a skeptical Boston City Council Thursday morning.”

“‘From my perspective, there is a strong reason why the legislation for urban renewal was written with an expiration date and a sunset clause,’ Council President Michelle Wu said. ‘Because these tools are extraordinary governmental tools, giving the BRA additional authority above and beyond the normal set of planning and development tools, we have to be very careful about matching our authority to the need, and it needs to be as narrowly tailored as possible.'”