ICA To Expand Across The Harbor
Multicultural East Boston and the booming Seaport will soon be artistic siblings.
The Seaport-based Institute of Contemporary Art announced it will expand its facilities, but the new space will be across Boston Harbor in Eastie. The museum will spend $10M renovating a condemned space once occupied by a copper pipe shop, the Boston Globe reports. There will be 15k SF for artists to work as well as gallery space for “immersive artworks” and the history of the surrounding Eastie shipyard.
The “Watershed” will open in summer 2018 and feature harbor views in an area best known for KO Catering and Pies. Plans also call for a water taxi to run between the satellite and main Seaport location.
The ICA had previously announced, then dropped, plans to expand into an office building adjacent to its 65k SF Seaport branch.
East Boston has become increasingly desirable due to lower costs and easy access to the city thanks to the Blue Line and water taxis. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh supports the project and said it will “offer Boston a new, engaging space for art and discovery, and I welcome their investment in Boston’s diverse artists, residents and visitors.”
