MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND THE BOSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE ACQUISITION OF EGLESTON SQUARE PEACE GARDEN

MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND THE BOSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE ACQUISITION OF EGLESTON SQUARE PEACE GARDEN BOSTON – Saturday, October 19, 2024 – Mayor Michelle Wu today joined Boston Parks and Recreation Director of Capital Planning Cathy Baker-Eclipse and Egleston Square community members to celebrate the City of Boston’s acquisition of the Egleston Square Peace Garden and take part in a community cleanup in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing. The City’s acquisition of the parcel will ensure that the previously privately owned space can remain a community asset and gathering place. “Community members turned this vacant lot into a vibrant space, now we’re proud to preserve this space for the residents who helped transform it,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m thankful to Friends of Egleston Square Peace Garden, Egleston Square Main Streets, and all who helped advocate to make sure this area had a place they could call their own.” The Egleston Square Peace Garden was founded in 1998 by high school students who transformed the vacant lot into a memorial for young people who had lost their lives to violence. For 20 years, neighbors, business owners, and community members maintained the space and utilized the peace garden for community gatherings including concerts, cookouts, and cleanups. The parcel was previously owned by Clear Channel Outdoor, who had a permitted billboard since 1980 and leased the space below to the Ecumenical Social Action Committee (ESAC Boston) for free until 2018.

When the Clear Channel lease expired in 2018, Friends of Egleston Square Peace Garden, Egleston Square Main Streets, business owners, and community members advocated for a lease renewal until the property was fenced and placed for sale in December 2021. From 2021-2022, advocates continued to organize and worked alongside the City’s Environment, Energy, and Open Space Cabinet to pursue public ownership of the parcel.  In 2023, Mayor Michelle Wu announced in her State of the City Address that the City of Boston would acquire the land to steward and care for the park as an official City park. In 2024, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department officially purchased the lot for $300,000 supported by Community Preservation Act funds. “We’re thrilled to share that the Egleston Square Peace Garden will now be a City park, ensuring that this beloved space will remain a community asset for generations to come,” said Cathy-Baker Eclipse, Director of Capital Planning for Boston Parks and Recreation. “For over 20 years, neighbors and advocates have nurtured the Peace Garden as a place for reflection, connection, and celebration. We look forward to working with the community to shape the next chapter, continuing the legacy of those who helped build it.”  In August 2024, the billboard was removed and the chain link fence, which had surrounded the site since 2021, was taken down. Following a site assessment and clean-up, the Boston Parks & Recreation Department looks forward to hosting community design meetings to develop a new vision for the park in collaboration with its founders and stewards.  “The peace garden is the heart of Egleston Square, that’s the only green space we have in this neighborhood,” said Rosana Rivera, who has been helping run the peace garden for many years. “I'm proud that the city of Boston saw fit to preserve our neighborhood and give us a garden that all of the community may enjoy now and for future generations.” For more information about the Egleston Square Peace Garden please contact the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at (617) 635-4505. Stay updated with news, events, and park improvements by signing up for our email list at bit.ly/Get-Parks-Emails and following our social channels @bostonparksdept on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.