Weston & Sampson is working with the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and Public Facilities Department through the lead architect, Leers Weinzapfel Associates, to support the redevelopment of two parcels that abut Chelsea Creek in East Boston. The project includes the construction of a new police station and open space in an area of impacted historic fill. Weston & Sampson provided pre-characterization environmental services, geotechnical services and environmental response actions required by MassDEP under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).
Geotechnical considerations included urban fill, environmental contamination, buried foundations and debris, and organic layers overlying native clay and till deposits. Ground improvement was recommended for support of new foundations and slabs in lieu of deep foundations and over-excavation and replacement of existing fill. Redevelopment is restricted by an underground electrical transmission easement with high voltage lines extending north beneath Chelsea Creek.
Environmental issues include two very different phases of fill, each with different contaminants, as well as legacy point sources such as underground storage tanks (USTs). Weston & Sampson removed a UST and evaluated potential impacts to Chelsea Creek from site groundwater as part of the remedial design. We are working with the design team to achieve site closure in conjunction with site redevelopment.