BOSTON — The state has designated Boston Medical Center and its partners for the redevelopment of the Shattuck Hospital campus on Morton Street in Jamaica Plain, officials said Wednesday.
Boston Medical Center will begin refining its proposed redevelopment plans based on considerations such as public feedback and funding availability, officials said.
The announcement follows the Commonwealth’s June 2022 Request for Proposals (RFP) and an internal evaluation process. The RFP was informed by extensive engagement with neighbors, elected officials, a community advisory group, advocates, and other stakeholders.
“The Commonwealth’s vision for this site, which is statutorily deed-restricted for public health use, is an innovative campus that promotes health, reduces barriers to treatment, integrates physical and behavioral health care with supportive housing, and prioritizes connections to the natural environment,” state officials said in a statement on Wednesday.
The BMC Team’s initial proposal includes two facilities with 326 treatment beds, 200 units of permanent supportive housing, 205 units of family supportive housing, 120 emergency housing beds, and seven-plus acres of green and open space.
The proposal does not represent a final plan for implementation and will be subject to further discussion with state and community representatives.
“The vision for this site was developed with our partners in the community, the providers on the front lines of our housing and health care systems, and leaders in this cross-agency collaborative effort,” Mary Beckman, Senior Advisor of the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. “This project will ensure that this campus improves connections between patients and critical care, particularly for the chronically unhoused and those struggling with substance use disorders.”
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Goldstein said in a statement that the proposed redevelopment of the Shattuck site “leans in to the Commonwealth’s commitment to utilize this space to improve public health.”
“The vision creates a multiuse campus that embraces housing first, promotes harm reduction, and meets people where they are and will effectively and efficiently provide the most vulnerable community members with the resources they need,” Goldstein said.
“At BMC, we understand the compelling need to reshape how care is delivered to impact the complex crisis of mental illness and substance use disorders, and the resulting challenge of homelessness,” said Alastair Bell, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Boston Medical Center Health System. “People suffering from these conditions require a new model of care—one that offers an integrated continuum of services, delivered by leading experts devoted to long-term solutions. We are proud to partner with esteemed community-based organizations on this novel healthcare-and-housing model.”
In a related project, the Commonwealth is in process of relocating Shattuck Hospital services to the East Newton Pavilion in the South End. Construction of the Newton Pavilion facility is expected to be completed in 2026.
To learn more about the Shattuck Campus at Morton Street please visit the state’s project website.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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