Weston & Sampson selected as the lead consultant for the Peddocks Island Development Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Weston & Sampson selected as the lead consultant for the Peddocks Island Development Plan Boston, MA – August 20, 2018 – Boston Harbor Now announced today that Weston & Sampson Design Studio has been selected as the lead consultant for the Peddocks Island Development Plan. The project is funded by a partnership between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and will be managed by the non-profit civic organization Boston Harbor Now. The goal of the plan is to activate the second largest island in Boston Harbor as a thriving waterfront destination within the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. Peddocks Island is one of 34 islands and waterfront properties within the Park System.

“Boston is rich in history and has access to an impressive quantity and quality of outdoor spaces. Few locations rival Peddocks Island for opportunities to combine our region’s local heritage with outdoor activities. This plan will establish the Island as a world-class 21st-century park,” said Kathy Abbott, President and CEO of Boston Harbor Now.

Weston & Sampson will lead a 12-month process that will engage the public and strengthen partnerships that support a transformational visitor experience. The plan will include a sustainable model for redevelopment that has the potential to support future operations on Peddocks Island.

“Located just a short ferry ride away, the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park provides residents and tourists with excellent recreational opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy,” said Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy. “Peddocks Island is an incredible natural resource, and the Baker-Polito Administration is proud to work with great partners like Boston Harbor Now and the National Park Service to continue our efforts to showcase and reinvigorate the island.”

Weston & Sampson has most notably worked on Mayor Thomas M. Menino Park in Charlestown and will be joined on Peddocks Island by a team of professionals who have both local and national experience. Joining the team from New York will be real estate and economic development consultants, HR&A Advisors, who most recently were the lead consultant for Imagine Boston 2030. Additionally advising on the project will be the Counselors of Real Estate, who worked on the original 1999 Peddocks Island Reuse Feasibility Study.

Additional consultants to the Weston & Sampson team will include One Architecture & Urbanism and Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture, Inc.

“We have an opportunity to plan for a dramatic transformation of an island that accentuates the qualities of this unique place. Peddocks feels miles away from city life, but within a few minutes a visitor can experience a carefree island spirit blended with creative activation and reuse opportunities for historic Fort Andrews,” stated Michael Creasey, Superintendent, National Parks of Boston.

About Boston Harbor Now

In April of 2016, Boston Harbor Now launched as a new non-profit civic organization with a bold mission: to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for Boston’s harbor, waterfront, and islands. Boston Harbor Now works with public and private partners to expand access to open space and recreational, educational and cultural opportunities harbor-wide, to plan for and build an integrated and expanded water transportation system, and to foster economic development and growth that is resilient to sea-level rise and the effects of climate change. Boston Harbor Now plays a unique role as the non-profit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park raising funds to help the National Park Service, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the City of Boston and hundreds of youth and community organizations to build visitor amenities and recreational infrastructure like campsites and trail networks, to provide interpretive, educational and cultural programs and volunteer opportunities, and to provide free access for children and families from low-income communities.

About The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

Beaches, wooded parks, parkways, and reservoirs – All of these places make up the Massachusetts State Parks. You can find a place to go in all regions of the Commonwealth from Pittsfield to the Boston Harbor Islands. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR, Mass Parks) is one of 12 managing partners of this national and state park and owns and manages more than half of the islands including Georges and Spectacle Islands as well as the other four islands that are serviced by the public ferry.

About National Parks of Boston

The National Parks of Boston is an organizational unit of the National Park Service that includes Boston’s three national parks: Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site, and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

Contact Meera Deean, Director of Planning Boston Harbor Now Office: 617-223-5401 mdeean@bostonharbornow.org

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