barnard place park breaks ground!

Barnard Place Park broke ground on Monday, July 26, 2021! Attending the ceremony left to right: Jen Statsky, Karen Zirkle (Rep. David Biele's office), Rita Fritch, Patricia Tobin, Jean Kelly, Jen Salman (BPP Director), Emily Giannini (BPP COO), Councilor Ed Flynn, Patricia Shea, Courtney Goode (GLS), Evan Spencer (BPP CEO), Councilor Michael Flaherty, Dave Pelissier (BPP CFO), Kayla Murgo (GLS)

Dave Pelissier (BPP CFO), Jen Salman (BPP Director), Kayla Murgo (GLS), Courtney Goode (GLS), Evan Spencer (BPP CEO), Emily Giannini (BPP COO)

Thank you Councilor Ed Flynn!

Big Thanks to councilor Ed flynn

Barnard Place Park Kickoff!

As we begin our exciting adventure to build Barnard Place Park we want to give special thanks to Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn. Ed met with us on Barnard Place in 2018 to listen to the challenges our neighborhood faced over the years with caretaking an abandoned parcel of land and our wishes to create a safe, enjoyable open space. He informed us of a Community Meeting at the Tynan School to discuss the option of constructing a public park with Community Preservation funding. We attended the meeting and began the process of moving forward to make this dream a reality.

Barnard Place residents worked on the conceptual design with COGdesign throughout 2019. It was important for us to include a memorial bench in memory of longstanding Barnard Place residents Boston Firefighter Scott Salman & Arta Fritch, as well as honor the history of our surrounding community. We believe we have achieved a design that will bring thoughtfully landscaped open space to promote relaxation, honor the people who were the fabric of this area for decades, and include a recreational bocce court to pay homage to the Italian families who lived and played bocce here many years ago. We are excited to bring recreational bocce to the park as a way for the community to have some fun and get to know one another.

It has been quite an interesting experience. We have met many wonderful people who have helped us along the way. We wouldn't be kicking off Barnard Place Park without Councilor Flynn's vision and support. We are eager to break ground and take this project all the way to the ribbon-cutting ceremony!

Thank you Councilor Michael Flaherty!

Community Preservation Award from Councilor Flaherty

Barnard Place Park made possible by generous donations

How Barnard Place Park will benefit the public

Our open space will provide enjoyment of nature, relaxation, a low-impact recreational experience and bring people together to engage with one another. By purchasing the land to revitalize the area, we are creating a pleasurable open space which will reassure the future preservation of this environmentally important land.

Social Benefits

Recreational bocce court contributes low-impact fun and physical well-being
Relaxation and restorative atmosphere contribute to mental well-being
Welcoming place for people with disabilities, elderly and children
Visual beauty enrichment
Provide ecological awareness and hands-on experience, via teaching/learning opportunities, to the inner city neighborhood.
Engagement in the community
Increase appreciation of natural surroundings
Contribute to an overall healthy environment

Environmental Benefits

Protect existing area vegetation.
Incorporate additional native and native-compatible plants, trees and shrubs.
Provide a protected, natural habitat for small animals, insects and birds.
Provide a food-source center for pollinators such as bees and butterflies thereby increasing the available, natural habitat for their reproduction.
Reduce toxins and improve breathable air quality by providing natural air-filtration.
Reduce congestion by providing and maintaining an open, green-space.

Community Benefits

Provide people of different cultures and abilities with a sense of community
Reduce alienation and loneliness
Create volunteer opportunities for community involvement
Honor the history of the neighborhood
Support a sense of pride in the community

GOODE LANDSCAPE STUDIO JOINS BARNARD PLACE PARK

Our very special thanks to Jennifer Kimball, Executive Director, Valeri Burns, Project Manager, Darrah Cole, Senior Horticulturist and Designer - Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and Amanda Foran, Landscape Architect for their expertise, professionalism and dedication in working closely with us to create the original Barnard Place Park conceptual designs. COGdesign continues to be a major resource and support system for our project.

Mayor Walsh Recommends Barnard Place Park for Community preservation funding

Find out more

History of the barnard Place Park Project

What is the Barnard Place Park project?
The City of Boston previously owned a 2,000 sq. ft., vacant, parcel of land on Barnard Place. In 2018, City Councilor Ed Flynn, along with Joseph Backer of the Department of Neighborhood Development and Christine Poff, Director of Community Preservation, held a community meeting at the Tynan School to discuss an opportunity to build a public park with a South Boston nonprofit residents group as a Community Preservation project.

After caring for the land for more than three decades, the Barnard Place residents were very interested in developing it into useable, open space. Over the past two years we have established a nonprofit organization, secured Community Preservation funding, purchased the City's parcel, and have begun the pre-construction work to break ground in the Spring of 2021. We are well on our way to realizing Barnard Place Park to share with the community!

COMMUNITY MEETING - SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

The Barnard Place residents hosted an on-site community meeting to discuss the Barnard Place Park project in detail. We give thanks to our special guests Christine Poff, Director, Community Preservation, State Representative David Biele, Darrah Cole, Horticulturist, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and Pattie McCormick, Associate Director of Development, Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club for their support, along with the neighborhood residents who took time out of their Saturday morning to join us.

Neighborhood residents gather for the Barnard Place Park community meeting.

Pattie McCormick and neighbors listen to Evan Spencer present the Barnard Place Park project.

Christine Poff, Director of the Community Preservation addresses the crowd.

Christine Poff listens to a resident's question about the Community Preservation Act.

Representative Biele, Christine Poff and neighbors listen to a resident speak.

Horticulturist Darrah Cole shares a laugh.

Comments and Questions

BARNARD PLACE PARK - 501(c)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

603R East Second Street, South Boston, MA