May 12, 2008

Dear Members of the Suffolk Community,

This is an exciting time for Suffolk University as we move along with plans for a new building to house art studios and classrooms at 20 Somerset St. and the renovation of the former Modern Theater to provide housing for our students.

These campus improvements and the 10-year Institutional Master Plan are under review, and the public has been asked to comment through June 18, 2008.

We hope that you will add your voices to those commenting on these plans, which will have the benefit of:

• Providing the New England School of Art & Design with the state-of-the-art facility it deserves and relocating it from leased space in Park Square
• Bringing the University closer to its goal of housing a greater percentage of our students
• Providing a framework for documenting our campus development goals and keeping stakeholders informed through the Institutional Master Plan 
  

We have been working on Suffolk’s latest Institutional Master Plan for more than a year and have developed an open, mutually beneficial relationship with neighbors both on Beacon Hill and in the Downtown Crossing area. We meet regularly with a task force that helps us understand and ameliorate the concerns of residents and businesses in the area. It has been an informative process that has given the University a valuable new perspective.

The Institutional Master Plan documents and documents specific to the Modern Theater and 20 Somerset developments are available for review on the University Web site, through the Facilities and Planning Office pages: http://www.suffolk.edu/offices/17926.html.

Public comments are an important part of the BRA approval process and are taken seriously, so please let your voices be heard with regard to the University’s plans.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority will continue to receive comment letters through June 18, 2008.  Please feel free to forward any comments to:

Gerald Autler, Project Manager
Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston City Hall
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201

Or via email at

Gerald.Autler.BRA@cityofboston.gov

Thank you, and please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions.

John Nucci, Vice President

External Affairs