Mayor’s Column: Imagine Boston, Imagine North End

By Mayor Martin J. Walsh

Every spring, the City of Boston releases our Imagine Boston Capital Plan for the next five years. It outlines where our city’s budget will be focused, our longer-term plans, and our priorities. Essentially, the capital plan details what initiatives and projects in your neighborhood and across the City that we’ll be investing in to make Boston’s future brighter.

From the North End, to Mattapan, to Allston-Brighton, to Back Bay, it’s my priority to create growth and opportunity for every Bostonian in every neighborhood. Boston will be at its best when all its residents have the support and opportunity they need to thrive. Investing in initiatives and projects that bring shared growth, success, and greater equity is critical for our city to reach its full potential. Our Capital Plan invests in Boston’s strongest asset: our people. Boston is a city that’s world class because it works for the middle class, and our budget’s priority is to keep supporting the working families that make Boston great.

Here in the North End, we’re investing in some exciting initiatives and projects that we hope you and your neighbors will enjoy for many years to come.

We are investing in shared community spaces around the neighborhood starting with $2.8 million in renovations to the Paul Revere Mall, including improved site furnishings, pathways, landscaping, and utilities, as well as restoration work on the fountain and monument.

We are also investing $6.16 million for improvements to Lagone Park and Puopolo Playground, including enhancements to the playground, basketball court, baseball fields, softball field, bocce, lighting, drainage, and plantings. Christopher Columbus Park will also receive a $260,000 investment to improve, including repairs to drainage systems and paved pathways.

An investment of $3 million will be put towards the design of the new North End Community Center, ensuring that our centers are updated and serve the community in the best way possible.

We know the how important it is to invest in our youngest residents, and I am proud that we have entered the final phase of construction of the Eliot School at 585 Commercial Street as part of our $34.3 million investment. The renovated building will provide additional classrooms supporting the Eliot School’s expansion as a K-8 School.We’re also allocating $2.5 million to invest in the reconstruction of North Square, a project that also includes the installation of public art.

Our longer-term investments are intended to lift up our neighborhoods in ways that take into account the needs and wants of the community. With this Capital Plan, we’re preparing our city for the next year, and the years forward.

What’s the next step for the Capital Plan? I have submitted the City of Boston’s budget to the Boston City Council, where your City Councilor will review the proposed budget. Once the budget is approved, it will go into effect. This is the budget for fiscal year 2019, meaning the budget will take effect in July 2018, and run throughout the next 12 months.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to look through the budget proposal, online at budget.boston.gov. Together, I look forward to investing in our neighborhoods, and our people.