Planning Advisory Council Launches Progress Report: East Boston

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In June 2025, the PAC released Progress Report: East Boston, an interactive Storymap highlighting the status of major public investments the City is making in the neighborhood.

The projects highlighted in the report are informed by PLAN: East Boston, a comprehensive neighborhood plan adopted by the Boston Planning & Development Agency board in January 2024 following six years of community engagement.

The Storymap features nine sections: Mobility, Green Space and Climate Resilience, Housing, Historic Preservation, Planning & Zoning, Education, Public Facilities, Arts & Culture, and Jobs & Business. In this blog post, we're excited to spotlight three of the many city investments included in the storymap.

Supporting Beloved Small Businesses

East Boston's many small businesses and creative enterprises reflect its residents' diversity and significantly contribute to the neighborhood's unique cultural identity. More than 90 percent of businesses in East Boston are small businesses. From restaurants to salons to creative enterprises, these businesses reflect East Boston's diverse population and are essential to the neighborhood's unique cultural identity.

PLAN: East Boston calls for expanded access to programs that support existing small businesses and creative enterprises. The Legacy Business Program is one way the City is supporting the small businesses that make East Boston feel like home. The program provides targeted technical assistance for anchor businesses of historical, cultural, or societal significance, increasing visibility while addressing unique needs like succession planning. In 2025, four East Boston businesses received Legacy Business Awards.

"The Legacy Business program was established to recognize and honor those long-standing small businesses in our communities," said Emily Patrick, Senior Neighborhood Business Manager in the Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. "Now in its third year, the 2025 recipients include four awardees from East Boston, representing women-owned, minority-owned, and LGBTQ-owned small businesses. We are so grateful to Rino's Place, Angela's Cafe, Italian Express, and La Hacienda for adding to the cultural vibrancy of East Boston, creating jobs for local residents, and building spaces where we can gather and connect with each other.  Congratulations to this years' winners."

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Angela's Cafe:  After 18 years in business, Angela's Cafe, a family-owned restaurant, continues to offer authentic Poblana Cuisine to the East Boston community. Chef Angela Atenco Lopez fell in love with the art of cooking at a young age, opening her own restaurant at 20. Lopez decided to move to Boston and in 2007 Angela's Cafe opened its doors, bringing the culinary art of the Puebla region to Boston.

Italian Express:  This beloved East Boston restaurant was forced to close its doors in 2021 due to issues related to the pandemic. With the support of the Legacy Business Grant, Italian Express will soon be back in business, planning to reopen its doors in 2025.

La Hacienda Restaurant:  When Jose Callejas and his wife Maria Salgado moved to East Boston in the early 90s they found a lack of authentic Mexican and Salvadorian restaurants in the area so decided to start their own. Thus La Hacienda Restaurant was born. Starting as a food truck, La Hacienda now has three storefront locations serving authentic Mexican Salvadorian food.

Rino's Place: Opening its doors in 1985, this family-run restaurant has been serving authentic Italian cuisine for 40 years. Originally opened by Rino and Anna DiCenso, the restaurant is now run by their son Anthony, who transformed the restaurant into what it is today.

Supporting Families

Through the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools, the City is shifting the physical footprint of the district to provide a high-quality student experience for all students by acting with urgency, transparency, and equity. In East Boston, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is undertaking major renovations at the PJ Kennedy School. This work will improve accessibility, provide fire protection, increase energy efficiency through the installation of a heat pump, and replace playground equipment.

"Under the leadership of the Mayor and the Superintendent, we have invested $21.5 million into PJK not only to modernize it, but to ensure that the building is fully accessible to our community members with disabilities–a major priority of our inclusive District," said Sarah King, Deputy Chief of Capital Planning at BPS. "We've added split system air conditioning units throughout, increased fire protection, and ensured ADA compliance throughout the entire building. We cannot wait for the school community to enjoy the entire building and all of its upgrades this fall"

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Along with the building upgrades, this project features a new 4,000 sq. foot two-story addition with a new main entrance, a new stairwell, a new elevator, and accessible toilets. Outside the four walls of the building, the outdoor area has been relandscaped - adding a playground, a new blacktop play area, a school garden, and numerous trees and plantings.

Construction is underway and is projected to be completed by School Year 2025-2026 with the ribbon cutting to take place in Fall of 2025.  Learn more.

Mitigating Climate Impacts

East Boston is vulnerable to flooding associated with major storm events as well as heat island effect in areas of the neighborhood with an abundance of pavement and a lack of tree canopy and green space. PLAN: East Boston recommends leveraging opportunities to incorporate green infrastructure that mitigates these risks.

In 2024, the City installed a rain garden at the East Boston Early Education Center (EEC). The garden was built in a formerly paved location and is planted with native plants selected by EEC staff and students. The garden prevents flooding by capturing stormwater runoff from the adjacent roof, cools the area, and enhances local biodiversity by providing habitat for birds, pollinators, and insects.

"We had a wonderful time building a rain garden alongside the students, teachers, and parents at the East Boston Early Education Center," said Rachel Luna, Principal Engineer in the Office of Green Infrastructure. "It was inspiring to see everyone get their hands dirty and learn how green infrastructure helps protect our environment. This collaborative effort not only creates a beautiful space but also addresses the community's needs by managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and creating a safe, engaging outdoor space for learning and play.  The rain garden receives stormwater runoff from the roof and treats about 1,300 gallons of water. The plants selected were based on BPS's outdoor learning plant palette and include year-round seasonal interests such as flowers, winter berries, and colorful leaves."

The project was initiated by the Principal of EEC in collaboration with Boston Public Schools Facilities Management with design and construction led by the Office of Green Infrastructure.

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