Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the comprehensive redesign of the City Hall campus last week. The plan also means that Boston Winter will no longer take place on the plaza.
“As we prepare to celebrate Boston City Hall’s 50th anniversary this summer, we are recommitting to our vision and moving forward with our plans to make City Hall the civic heart of our city,” said Walsh in a statement. “These improvements are not only necessary for the long-term viability of City Hall and the plaza, but are an important part of our plan to make these spaces a destination. I am proud of the significant progress we have made over the last several years towards this goal, and am excited to see our vision for these spaces come to life, which will serve us well for years to come.”
The next step will include infrastructure improvements to City Hall and the North side of City Hall Plaza. The city plans on reopening the north entrance of City Hall, which has been closed for 17 years. The city will also be conducting a survey this summer of plaza conditions, both above and below ground, combined with destructive infrastructure testing this fall, to prepare for construction that is expected to begin in 2019.
The city has selected Skanska as the Owner’s Project Manager and is in the final stages of contract negotiations with Sasaki Architects for the Design Firm to move this project forward towards the next phase of design and construction.
Last year, Walsh unveiled improvements to the third floor lobby of City Hall, which included a new welcome desk, security enhancements, a coffee shop, an accessible and interactive self-service information kiosk capable of multiple language translations, new art installations and the replacement of interior lighting with energy-efficient LED lights. In 2016, the mayor showed off the new architectural exterior lighting outside City Hall that livens up the building and increases public safety.
To learn more about plans for City Hall, please visit RethinkCityHall.org.
That is sad so now we get nothing in the 8 months of cold winter u really think people are gonna be out there Just sitting in the winter get real
Frank, I agree. I think the Boston Winter market and skating rink was one of the more popular uses of the plaza, along with the outdoor concerts.
Just thinking out loud,only in the City of Boston would an entrance to the City Hall be closed for 17 years?
GREAT! NOW<WHAT IS THE NEXT REDESIGN?