The Department oversees the designation of Historical properties and landmarks within the City of Boston. The Historic Districts Commission reviews property renovation in specific districts in order to maintain community character and preserve the historical nature of the area. The Boston Landmarks Commission functions as the City's stewards of historic buildings, places and neighborhoods. Many other preservation efforts have taken place. Some of them are detailed below:

Recent Activities in the Washington Street Theatre National Register District
Major progress has been made for the Washington Street Theatre District since the 1995 listing of the Modern Theatre, Opera House, and Paramount Theatre on the 11 Most Endangered List of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The stunningly restored Opera House opened in July 2004 with "The Lion King." The Modern Theatre building has been stabilized, its exterior has been cleaned, and reuse options for the Modern continue to be explored at the direction of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). Emerson College has recently embarked on the development of major rehabilitation plans for the Paramount and the adjacent Arcade Building which formerly housed the Bijoux Theatre. The Paramount will be rehabilitated, the Arcade building will house a restaurant and theatre-related uses such as rehearsal space and a scenery shop, and there will be Emerson student residences in a new rooftop addition set back from Washington Street over the Arcade Building.

Fenway Park National Register Listing
Now that the Boston Red Sox organization has announced they will stay at Fenway and pursue the park's substantial rehabilitation, the Sox organization is working with the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) and the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) to list historic Fenway Park on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's list of properties worthy of historic preservation. The listing will afford the historic ball park to apply for federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits. The 2006 season at Fenway Park will open with a rehabilitated .406 Club and the extension of roof deck seating in the right and left fields.

Aberdeen Architectural Conservation District
The BLC added an eighth historic district to its list of locally designated properties in 2002. The district was officially activated in the spring of 2005. Aberdeen, located in Brighton, is roughly bounded by Washington Street, Commonwealth Avenue, Leamington Road, Chiswick Road, Chestnut Hill Avenue, South Street, Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill Avenue, Beacon Street, and the Brookline town line. Aberdeen is the city's first locally designated streetcar suburb. Comprised of substantial single family houses in the romantic eclectic styles popular in the late nineteenth century as well as early twentieth century apartment buildings, Aberdeen reflects the evolution of the city's outlying neighborhoods.

Article 85, Demolition Delay
Working with neighborhood representatives and city departments, the BLC implemented a new policy in the summer of 2005 which requires applicants seeking to demolish buildings more than 50 years of age that meet the criteria for a public hearing to hold a public meeting in the impacted neighborhood which explores alternatives to demolition prior to appearing at a BLC hearing. Demolition delay is in its tenth year of implementation and the BLC staff currently reviews approximately 100 cases per year, with approximately 20 requiring a public hearing annually.

Intensive Survey for Dorchester/Mattapan
The Massachusetts Historical Commission has allotted funds that will allow the BLC to initiate an intensive survey of Dorchester and Mattapan, the first steps towards which are anticipated during the winter/spring of 2005/2006. The intent of the survey is to identify threatened buildings in areas of Dorchester and Mattapan with priority given to buildings that pre-date Dorchester's annexation to Boston in 1870, specifically buildings associated with early settlement patterns including residences, barns, outbuildings, and carriage houses. Areas of Dorchester and Mattapan that have been under-represented in previous historic/architectural surveys will also be part of the pending project.

Church Closings
Through the Massachusetts Preservation Coalition, the BLC continues to offer professional assistance to preserve significant churches and church complexes subsequent to the closing of 80 churches announced by the Boston Archdiocese in 2004. A "Religious Properties Toolkit" has been developed and made widely available for parishes that are remaining open and for the adaptive reuse of those that are closing. Utilizing information from the survey of Boston Catholic churches prepared by the Boston Preservation Alliance with a grant from the MHC, the BLC has been able to work with parishes to determine what complexes may qualify for designation as Boston Landmarks or listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, Landmarks petitions have been accepted by the BLC for Sacred Heart in the North End, Blessed Sacrament in Jamaica Plain and Our Lady of the Presentation in Brighton,

Boston Archaeology Program
The BLC is embarking on the catalogue-ing of its collections with an $80,000 federal grant administered through the Massachusetts Historical Commission. As of December 2005 the Boston City Archaeologist has contracted with two consultants to complete this ambitious one-year project. Other recent archaeological program activity includes survey work for Rainsford Island and planned survey work for Long Island.