Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined the Chinatown community, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi, Jr. to announce that a design team has been selected to renovate Mary Soo Hoo Park, also known as Chinatown Gateway Park. The design team, Stephen Stimson Associates of Boston and Falmouth, MA, was awarded a $50,000 design services contract yesterday at the BRA?s Board of Directors meeting. The BRA will now host three public meetings to finalize the design with the community before the work begins. The Mass. Turnpike Authority, which owns the land, has committed $160,000 toward the cost of the renovations.
?I?m delighted to be here today as we move forward with plans to renovate Mary Soo Hoo/Chinatown Gateway Park,? Mayor Menino said. ?Now that we have a design team in place, we will work with the community to finalize the design. It won?t be long now until we will have an improved park space that will be welcoming for people of all ages, with a playground for children and a connection to the Greenway and the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood.?
In August 2009, Mayor Menino announced that the park would now be called Mary Soo Hoo Park, in honor of the late longtime resident, community activist and Chinatown Caf? owner. On August 5, 2009, the BRA released a Request for Proposals for design consultant services to renovate the park. The purpose of the design services is to update the park?s amenities and play space ? specifically addressing the site design issues of accessibility, landscape, irrigation, pavements and drainage, sculptural play elements, site lighting, site furnishings, and park signage ? while also visually and physically connecting the site to the adjacent Chinatown Park of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the Chinatown Gate.
Five proposals were received and were reviewed by a seven member selection committee. Members included representation from: the BRA - the site?s original developer and currently facilitating/funding the redesign; Boston Parks - responsible for past maintenance and site management; Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy - committed to future site maintenance and management as a part of the adjacent Chinatown Park; Mass Turnpike Authority - current owner of the site and funding a portion of the construction of the new design.
?Our transportation agencies should always be looking to make investments like the one we're making today in the Mary Soo Hoo Park ? investments that strengthen communities, improve public health and lead to a brighter future,? said Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi, Jr. ?We are excited to partner with the City of Boston to enhance this important neighborhood and connection to the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.?
Stephen Stimson Associates met all of the qualifications and criteria set forth in the RFP and demonstrated a cohesive team with great knowledge of the park and surrounding community in their interview. The interview also confirmed their excellent design and process skills, where they focused in on each of the significant design challenges within the current park: repair and enhancement of the park?s vegetated environment; attention to the park?s context and the importance of connections through the park to neighboring spaces; engaging the adjacent vent structure as a park feature; highlighting design opportunities for cultural activities, community education, multi-generational play, and site interpretation.
The Chinatown Gateway Park was originally built in 1983 as a complement to the installation of the adjacent historic Chinatown Gate. The new design is estimated to take approximately 8 months with the public meetings beginning in December 2009. Construction is expected to start in summer 2010.
