Overhauling The Hallowed Streets Around Fenway Park: The HUB

The HUB is an effort to get you caught up on whatever you need to know each weekday in Boston and around Massachusetts.

Good morning! Today is Thursday, June 4. Let's get started.

3 Things To Know Today

Massive project would dramatically change the streets around Fenway Park

Long a game day and nightlife destination, the ancient blocks around Fenway Park could in a few years be filled with weekday office workers, under plans filed with the city Thursday.

A development group led by the Red Sox shared its most detailed vision yet for 2.1-million-square-foot project set on sites around Fenway. It envisions eight buildings in four spots along Jersey Street, Brookline Avenue, Van Ness Street, and behind the park’s left field “Green Monster” on Landsdowne Street. They would be filled with nearly 1.7 million square feet of office space, about 216 residential units, as well as restaurants and stores on refurbished streets. (Tim Logan, Boston Globe)

'Millionaire's tax' vote planned for next week

The so-called millionaire's tax proposal has been years in the making and is one vote of the Legislature short of being put before voters on the 2022 statewide ballot. The proposal would amend the state's Constitution to add a 4 percent surtax on all household income above $1 million. The current flat income tax rate in Massachusetts is 5 percent. (Matt Murphy, State House News via Boston Business Journal)

CARRAGGI'S CORNER: Not much to say here except to start paying attention to this story. This isn't like last time, where the initiative was put down more by a procedural obstacle than a substantive one. Voters may very well have the chance to decide whether the exceedingly popular (according to several polls last time around) proposal will become law. If it hits the ballot, expect an insane amount of cash being thrown at this from all sides — especially from those who stand to lose a lot of it if it passes.

White's Attorney Seeks Internal Affairs Files On Ex-Wife

As Dennis White awaits word from Acting Mayor Kim Janey as to whether he will be formally fired from his short-lived role as the city's top cop, his lawyers are demanding new information about White's estranged ex-wife, Sybil Mason.

In a letter to Acting Mayor Kim Janey, Dennis White's lawyer claims that the allegations of abuse Mason made against White to WBUR are false and contradict previous sworn statements she made decades ago. White's lawyer, Nicholas Carter, said Thursday he has requested Mason's internal affairs files from the city. (WBUR)

Don't miss this

It's not exactly a green light, but it's sure as hell not a red light. For the first time in its existence, the weekly color-coded COVID-risk map had no "red" communities, meaning no cities or towns were categorized as high-risk for spread. Tisbury, which was the only high-risk community last week, dropped the designation. It might not seem like much now with most people vaccinated and restrictions lifted, but ever since August we would watch every Thursday night to see how many "red" communities landed. No more. Rick Sobey at The Boston Herald has more on the milestone.

After I covered Wakefield's bitter battle that resulted in dropping its Warrior logo, I drove by Saugus High on Route 1. The relatively new building has has a big ol' Native American logo on it. I mean, this thing is massive. Check out this Change.org petition to do away with it. Frankly, knowing all the discussion around the issue, it strikes me as unnecessarily defiant. Anyways, here's a great story by Esteban Bustillos on GBH about "How Indian Mascots Affect Native American Students."

What I'm reading today: I can't vouch for the website Film Schol Rejects, but Aurora Amidon wrote a good piece there about maybe my favorite movie of the last five years: Arrival.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2pm and 3pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. At night — A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Have a swell weekend.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.