2019 Apr 05

Reed Hilderbrand Will Lead Franklin Park Master Plan

The City of Boston has announced that it has committed $28 million from the sale of the Winthrop Square garage to revitalize Franklin Park. A strategic master plan will guide for expenditures from both Winthrop Square funds and future City of Boston Capital Plans

Reed Hilderbrand will lead the planning effort, in collaboration with Agency Landscape and Planning and MASS Design Group, to provide a vision for the park, building on existing public and private investment to inform the priorities. Supporting consultants for the team include Nitsch Engineering, Applied Ecological Services, ETM Associates, and ARUP as well as subject matter specialists Stephen Gray, Ethan Carr, Julie Africa, and others. Franklin Park Coalition will be a key partner for the team.

Reed Hilderbrand principal and lead designer John Kett notes, “A master plan for Franklin Park is an exhilarating and humbling commission. We recognize the beauty of the landscape Olmsted found and carefully reshaped for public enjoyment, and we appreciate the important role it has played in the lives of city residents for generations. We are eager to serve the communities who spend their mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends here. We are committed to envisioning a sustainable and equitable Franklin Park that contributes to a prosperous and vibrant Boston for future generations.” ​ As the geographic heart of the city, Franklin Park serves as the meeting ground of the Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods, drawing in visitors from throughout the region and around the world. The park is a signature project for the Boston 2030 Plan.