Greater Boston's next big waterfront park

Also: Wu's property tax warning; Mass. prepares for Idaho abortion ruling [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 25, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 90. Good Morning Boston, It's not quite another heat wave, but the temps will [reach up to 90 today and tomorrow](. Before you [head to the Common for free food]( and [a splash in the reopened spray pool]( let's wade into the news: - A proper(ty) predicament: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to temporarily tweak the city's residential-to-commercial property tax ratio is still waiting on [action from Beacon Hill](. So, what happens if it dies on the vine, as the legislative clock winds down this summer? [During her monthly Radio Boston appearance yesterday]( Wu shared some new draft projections on what the action — or inaction — would mean for Boston's homeowners and businesses. - Catch up: Wu's [proposal]( — modeled after [a similar move 20 years ago by the late Thomas Menino]( — would effectively allow Boston to raise property tax rates for businesses for three years. The reason, ironically, is because of a [projected decline in office values]( caused by remote work and high interest rates. Due to [state restrictions]( on the difference between cities' residential and commercial property tax rates, Wu's office says that decline could lead to "crushing" property tax increases for homeowners. - Option A: If nothing changes, Wu said yesterday homeowners could see a 33% spike in their property tax bill, according to her office's projections. Meanwhile, older and relatively less expensive [Class B]( and [Class C]( office buildings would see a 13% drop. - Option B: If state lawmakers do approve her plan, Wu says homeowners would still see a 9% increase in property taxes, while Class B and Class C commercial properties would get a lesser 8% decrease in their bill. (Wu did not address newer [Class A]( office towers, which would "likely see an increase in taxes" under her plan, [according to the Boston Municipal Research Bureau]( her office declined to share the full projections yesterday.) - Option C: Could the city just slow its spending and raise property taxes by less than what's allowed [under Prop 2½]( [Several business-friendly groups]( have called for this approach. However, Wu said it would be unprecedented. "We always take the full 2.5% increase, because that is what we are allowed to do and inflation is often much higher than that," she said. "And if we were to not take it, we lose that for all time, and that actually undermines the city's ability to spend and serve residents in the future." - Coming in 2025: The city of Lynn is turning [a former landfill]( into a waterfront park. Officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today for [the planned 22-acre Lynn Harbor Park]( located behind the Lynnway Walmart. Mayor Jared Nicholson told WBUR's Dan Guzman the city is aiming to open the first phase next spring. - When completed, the park will include walking trails, basketball courts, an amphitheater and more than 500 trees. The area around the park is also slated to get 4,000 new units of housing. "What this park does is assures that there will be open space for our residents amidst all this development," Nicholson said. - What's next: Phase one will include the basics, like the park's trails, parking and maybe a gazebo. Future phases will include shoreline restoration and things that require electrical work, like the courts and amphitheater. - The NHL's top goaltending tandem is breaking up. Hours before [last night's dramatic finish to the Stanley Cup]( the already-eliminated Boston Bruins [traded goalie Linus Ullmark]( to the Ottawa Senators for two players and a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft later this week. - The big picture: While the Swedish goalie won 2023's Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, he split time this season and was eventually superseded during the playoffs by fellow goalie Jeremy Swayman. Bruins management [has said]( signing Swayman to a contract extension this off season is their priority. - Heads up: Stuart Street in downtown Boston is closed in both directions between Washington and Tremont streets this morning, due to [a four-alarm fire]( that broke out last night at the former Jacob Wirth building. Boston Police [say]( the closure is expected to impact the morning commute and access to Tufts Hospital. P.S.— If you've been meaning to sample the Cambridge restaurant scene this summer, tonight's your chance. Taste of Cambridge returns for the first time since the pandemic today from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at University Park near MIT, featuring food, drinks and (importantly) ice cream from several dozen eateries, from Tallula to Naco Taco. [Check out the full list of vendors and buy tickets here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Mass. moves to protect emergency abortion care ahead of Supreme Court ruling in Idaho case]( Gov. Maura Healey's new executive order is driven by a pending case over whether Idaho's abortion ban conflicts with federal law requiring certain hospitals to provide "necessary stabilizing treatment" in emergency situations. [Read more.]( [Mass. moves to protect emergency abortion care ahead of Supreme Court ruling in Idaho case]( Gov. Maura Healey's new executive order is driven by a pending case over whether Idaho's abortion ban conflicts with federal law requiring certain hospitals to provide "necessary stabilizing treatment" in emergency situations. [Read more.]( [WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange strikes plea deal with the U.S.]( Under the deal, Assange faces a sentence of 62 months, equivalent to the time he has already served in Britain. He is expected to be released and to return to Australia following the court proceeding. [Read more.]( [WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange strikes plea deal with the U.S.]( Under the deal, Assange faces a sentence of 62 months, equivalent to the time he has already served in Britain. He is expected to be released and to return to Australia following the court proceeding. [Read more.]( [Healey puts $15 million behind Boston's office-to-housing push]( The Healey administration is putting state funds toward Boston’s push to incentivize large-scale office buildings owners to convert into housing. The $15 million contribution is one-time funding, though the housing bill in the Legislature includes additional capital for conversions. [Read more.]( [Healey puts $15 million behind Boston's office-to-housing push]( The Healey administration is putting state funds toward Boston’s push to incentivize large-scale office buildings owners to convert into housing. The $15 million contribution is one-time funding, though the housing bill in the Legislature includes additional capital for conversions. [Read more.]( [Why firefighters burn hundreds of acres in the Green Mountains each spring]( Dozens of prescribed burns take place each year in Vermont. The point of these fires is to help wildlife, but they could help prevent uncontrolled forest fires going forward, especially as droughts become more common and the fire season shifts earlier. [Read more.]( [Why firefighters burn hundreds of acres in the Green Mountains each spring]( Dozens of prescribed burns take place each year in Vermont. The point of these fires is to help wildlife, but they could help prevent uncontrolled forest fires going forward, especially as droughts become more common and the fire season shifts earlier. [Read more.]( [Defense rests in trial of Karen Read; closing arguments set for Tuesday]( After the final three witnesses testified, the judge told jurors they’d heard all of the evidence. Closing arguments will be held Tuesday, with one hour for each side, before jurors begin their deliberations. [Read more.]( [Defense rests in trial of Karen Read; closing arguments set for Tuesday]( After the final three witnesses testified, the judge told jurors they’d heard all of the evidence. Closing arguments will be held Tuesday, with one hour for each side, before jurors begin their deliberations. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Tanya Nixon-Silberg asked 14 mothers of color what phrases they heard growing up and what they say to their children now. The result is [a textile project exploring what it means to decolonize parenting]( — now on display through July 14 at MassArt's SoWa gallery.  - In an effort to host the “greenest ever Games” this summer, Olympic organizers in Paris chose not to install air conditioning at the Athletes Village. The response from many competing countries — including Team USA — has [not exactly been chill](.  - While Fall River native Lizzie Borden remains infamous more than a century after her controversial murder acquittal, Elizabeth Garver Jordan — the pioneering journalist that helped elevate the trial into a legendary cause célèbre — has mostly fallen into obscurity. A new collection from Penguin Classics is [aiming to change that](.  - Big record companies are suing artificial intelligence song-generators — including the Cambridge-based company Suno — over copyright infringement claims. [Read more here]( about the heated AI debate. What We're Reading 📚 - A new twist in the saga of Shelby Hewitt, high school imposter ([The Boston Globe]( - Apple Original Podcast on Iconic Mexican Singer Juan Gabriel to Debut July 1 ([The Hollywood Reporter]( - The Jack Schlossberg method ([Garbage Day](  Tell Me Something Good [Duran's 1st career walk-off caps furious rally at festive Fenway (MLB.com)]( With members of the 2024 NBA champion Celtics in the house, Fenway Park had a playoff atmosphere before the first pitch was thrown in Monday’s series opener. The atmosphere and dramatics were enough for manager Alex Cora to rank the victory at No. 1 this season. [Read more.]( [Duran's 1st career walk-off caps furious rally at festive Fenway (MLB.com)]( With members of the 2024 NBA champion Celtics in the house, Fenway Park had a playoff atmosphere before the first pitch was thrown in Monday’s series opener. The atmosphere and dramatics were enough for manager Alex Cora to rank the victory at No. 1 this season. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common walks through t[he money woes that are top of mind for Boston's under-25 crowd](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [A triumphant victory for the Murphs.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.