Beer Garden Under Southeast Expressway Scrapped Over Safety Concerns
BOSTON (CBS) - There will not be any pints being poured under I-93 in Boston. A planned Beer Garden beneath the Southeast Expressway is now scrapped over safety concerns.
It was basically a no man's land. A storage area under the highway, but the eight-acre underpass between the city's South End and South Boston neighborhoods has been reborn.
"You have to find it, but when you find it it's one of those great gems," said Ted Tye, a developer of Underground at Ink Block. "Just a nice place for people to hang out. We had people walking in with families and kids."
After successful fall events featuring artists, a beer garden, and food trucks, Norwood's Castle Island Brewing thought they found their home away from home, but they couldn't get the final green light.
The city told WBZ Boston Police had safety concerns about people drinking so close to busy traffic. Underground actually just won an award for increasing pedestrian access and connecting neighborhoods.
The lit space with lots of parking will be repurposed, and they're hopeful Castle Island will emerge in a different city spot very soon.
"We just stay optimistic," Tye said. "Change is sometimes difficult to make happen. Our attitude is be cooperative and continue to work and we'll do good things."
If you'd like to check out Underground for yourself, they're running a free fitness series on Thursdays this summer. There are also monthly dog events, and some movie nights planned.