Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel

Archdiocese, WS Development swap Seaport District chapels, investing $25 million in neighborhood

The Archdiocese of Boston and WS Development have swapped ownership of the old and new Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapels in the Seaport District, allowing for development of the old chapel site on Northern Avenue and ensuring the chapel’s continued presence in the Seaport District with the newly completed Seaport Boulevard house of worship. The swap represents a total investment of nearly $25 million in the Seaport District. WS Development acquired the 0.85-acre Northern Avenue site from the Archdiocese for $17,952,490, or $21,120,576.50 per acre. The Northern Avenue chapel will be demolished in the coming months to make way for a 499,400 square foot mixed-use building featuring 425,000 square feet of office/research space atop 69,400 square feet of retail, 4,000 square feet of cultural/educational space and underground parking. The Archdiocese acquired the 6,200 square foot new chapel from WS Development for $6,952,490, or $1,121.37 per square foot. The new chapel will officially open this Sunday (April 23rd, 2017).

New Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel in Seaport District opening this month

The new Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel in the Seaport District is finished and will open this month on St. George’s Day (Sunday, April 23rd). The new 250-seat chapel, located at 51 Seaport Boulevard, will replace the current chapel on Seaport Square Block D, freeing the approximately 0.85-acre parcel for development and ensuring the presence of a place of worship in the Seaport District for years to come.

Following the new chapel’s opening, the former chapel will be demolished to make way for future development. The most recent preliminary development plans for Block D, detailed in proponent WS Development’s Notice of Project Change (NPC) for Seaport Square submitted to the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) in February 2017, call for a 499,400 square foot mixed-use building featuring 425,000 square feet of office/research space atop 69,400 square feet of retail, 4,000 square feet of cultural/educational space and underground parking. In conjunction with Block D’s development, a new head house for the Silver Line rapid transit service will be constructed at the corner of Seaport Boulevard and Seaport Common with direct visual and pedestrian access to Boston Harbor, promoting public access to the waterfront. A new street connecting Seaport Boulevard and Northern Avenue, Pier Street, will also be constructed. Completion of the Block D development is expected in 2020. Detailed plans and renderings for this development have not yet been revealed.

The following are photographs of the new Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel:

Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel nears Easter opening

Exterior finishes are fully installed at Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel, and interior finishing is underway. An anonymous source confirmed that the chapel is anticipated to open in April 2017 in time for Easter. The following are photographs of Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel:

Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel exterior nearing completion, new cross installed

Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel's exterior is nearing completion, with brick finishes and slate roofing just about fully installed. Windows are installed as well, and a cross was lifted to the steeple's top in June. Work is now underway to prepare the Chapel's interior. The chapel, located at the gateway to Boston's Seaport District, could be completed this summer, with a possible Christmas opening. The following are photographs of Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel:

Chapel along Sleeper Street

Chapel along Seaport Boulevard

More information about Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel is posted below.

Exterior finish installation underway at Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel

Exterior finish installation is underway at Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel. Moisture-resistant cladding and fireproofing have been installed along much of the Chapel's completed steel frame. The future Chapel bell was installed in the future steeple on February 12th.

Chapel along Sleeper Street

Steeple

Chapel along Seaport Boulevard

Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel frame nearing completion

The frame of Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel is just about complete. Welding is wrapping up, and walls and finishes will follow shortly. Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel brings added character to Boston's growing Seaport District, serving as a unique and distinctive gateway to the neighborhood. The under-construction Chapel is being built in place of the existing Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel located on Seaport Square Parcel D, which will eventually be demolished to make room for additional development.

   

Construction starts at Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel

Construction has started on the new Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel in Boston's Seaport District, with initial excavation underway. The following is a photograph of the Chapel site:

The following is a link to more photographs by excavator The Welch Corporation.