NABB Board - NABB: In Your Backyard - $4m Capital Improvements for Copley Square, but what and how?

NABB Board - NABB: In Your Backyard - $4m Capital
Improvements for Copley Square, but what and how?
City of Boston is working with architectural firm to rethink Copley Square
By Jon Chesto Globe Staff, Updated December 16, 2020

    Copley Square had a major renovation in the 1980s, transforming it into more of a green space.
    BLAKE NISSEN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

NABB January 2021 Board Meeting
                        Case for Supporting Copley Square Park

                  Boston Public Library + + Copley Square Park

                                               + YWCA

Window of opportunity for Copley Square Park

1. Boston Capital Plan Capital Improvements for $4 m Copley Square PARK
   (funded by Bonds)
2. $ available to spend, opportunity to request additional funds, which would
   be necessary for a complete redesign
3. 2 Supportive & Engaged City Councilors Bok and Flynn
4. Sympathetic Parks Commissioner, Commissioner Woods
5. Parks Department seeks input – everyone can comment in public meetings
   and write letters
6. NABB has two representatives (Jackie & Margaret) on the 20 person
   Steering Committee, five from City      We can have influence with support
   from you
7. Sasaki hired for planning and design

And a
                  Window of opportunity for Dartmouth Street
  To look at Copley Square Park and the BPL McKim Building Dartmouth Street
                                 Entry together

1. Copley Square is an extremely important space, surrounded by 3 historic
   buildings on the National Building Register
2. Planning concurrent with overlapping steering groups and significant public
   outreach
3. Design and Planning Teams communicate potential for comprehensive plan
4. Both projects seek input – everyone can comment in public meetings and write
   letters
5. Sasaki hired by Parks planning and design Shepley Bulfinch with designLAB
   architects hired by the BPL
6. We have a golden opportunity, let’s make the best of it!

Dartmouth Street separates the BPL from Copley Park
Both project teams ask if street closure makes sense.

NABB: In Your Backyard –
Capital Improvements for Copley Square, but what and how?

The recent survey about Copley Square received 164 responses from NABB
members between January 8 and 15, 2021. Below is a summary of the main
findings:

Question 1
Regarding the possible closure of Dartmouth Street, the responses were clearly
against closure. Slightly over 70% of respondents disagreed with this design
proposal. Over half indicated strong disagreement with permanent closure.

Boston Public Library McKim Master Plan Look at improvement for Dartmouth Entry
Poll from public meeting 12-15-2020 (recorded and posted on BPL site) 45 responses

            file://localhost/.file/
            id=6571367.43069746

Question 2
When asked how the allocated $4m should be spent, slightly over 80% of
respondents felt the current park should be renovated or partially upgraded as
opposed to a total redesign. More than half were in favor of a partial upgrading/
changes to the existing park design.

25 Respondents

Question 5
When asked about which design aspects to include in the park, many of the top
responses focused on improving the green spaces and other existing features of the
Copley Square today:

    88% : focus on trees
    81% : seasonal plantings
    77% : fountain
    75% : focus on lawn
    75% : improvements/changes to benches
    58% : retain sculptures
    49% : park open visually in all directions

Questions? Comments?

Before review of images from the park

John Singleton Copley in Copley Square On Farmers Market Day

Site Plan Prepared for a Boston Book Fair Event

Book Fare

92.9 WBOS Concert

NEW LED Lighting replaced non-working original lamps

Copley Fountain on a winter night

Upper level fountain with view to
farmer’s market and across the park

Copley Fountain from Boylston Street

Seasonal Tables and Chairs (stored over the winter)

BosTix Booth corner of Boston and Dartmouth Streets

Door to the World temporary installation

Farmer’s Market 40th Anniversary 2020

Light Show

Light Show

Summer afternoon around the fountain

Lawn replacement or restoration (2-4 months) follows damage from
   Light Shows, First Nights, Marathons, Tents covering the grass

Significant Lawn requiring of the soil

Significant Lawn replacement & improved drainage

Fountain area protected by fencing to allow the grass to grow

Fountain in the morning shadow of tall buildings to the south

Skateboarders enjoying the challenge of the fountain

               Hanging out on the lawn

View across the upper fountain across the Park to the Fairmont Copley Plaza (built in 1812)

Report Graffiti and trash to 311

Vehicles on paving to serve the farmers market
Parks Department vehicles deployed from the Boston Common
Parks Department needs sufficient funds to maintain our parks

Park sought for photo shoots

Tents kill the grass Vehicles damage the paving

Lawn repair in process

Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay Associates, Inc.

Sasaki Fountain

1983 Illustration of winning design by Dean Abbott of Clarke & Rapuano, Inc.

Copley Square Park Key Dates
Development and Transportation Committee meeting
January 26th 5:30 pm Zoom email
DTCnabb@nabbonline.org for link

Copley Square Park public meeting February 11th via
Zoom (see enews) Written comments to Abigail Chatfield
abigail.chatfield@boston.gov with a copy to the
JYessian@nabbonline.org.

                 140 Clarendon
See enews for confirmation of a first week in
February public meeting

Margaret wrote the book on the subject of Copley Square.
It is posted on the Friends of Copley Square website now

To view these slides or download
email Jackie foe a Google Docs link