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Recent Updates!

Gift from Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation Inspired Major Support at Moondance Gala

On September 23, 2023 at the Esplanade Association’s Moondance Gala the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation (SFF) announced their $5 Million Leadership Gift for the construction of Charlesbank Landing. Over the evening, significant funds were raised and matched for a space in the new year-round park welcome and community center in honor of our Co-Founder Jeryl Oristaglio. By night’s end, support for Charlesbank Landing had increased from 75% to more than 81% of the project fundraising goal.  

Read more about the gift here!

Richard and Susan Smith Family FoundationExecutive Director Lynne Doblin, Trustees Nicolas Dulac, Jessica Knez Dulac, Charlesbank Landing lead Architect Maryann Thompson, Debra Smith Knez, and James Audrey Foster Executive Director Jen Mergel (left to right)-Lindsay Ahern, Elevin Photography.

Public Meeting 6/22 Meeting Materials

Thank you to everyone who participated in the public meeting for Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade!

To watch the recording of the meeting, please click on the link below.

Para la traducción al español, haga clic en el enlace siguiente.

Meeting Materials Here

Translated Materials Here

Photo of Maryann Thompson at the meeting discussing site plans.

Legislation Passed

On July 31st, 2022 the House and Senate voted unanimously to adopt the legislation that authorizes the Charlesbank Landing project to move forward. On August 10th 2022, Governor Baker signed the legislation. We extend our gratitude to Senators Sal DiDomenico and William Brownsberger, and State Representative Jay Livingstone for shepherding it through the process and to Former City Councilor Kenzie Bok for her unwavering and continual support throughout. 

Page Sections

Charlesbank Landingon the Esplanade will transform an area of the park that has been largely closed off to the public since the 1990s into a welcoming destination, providing space for a wide variety of uses for visitors. In the summer of 2022, Legislation was passed and signed by the Governor, creating the opportunity for the Esplanade Association to activate a neglected, but invaluable, 2-acre site in the park.  

The project will support community needs with the creation of a new, yearround, universally accessible “landing” for the Esplanade and includes numerous indoor and outdoor spaces designed for recreational, civic, artistic, educational, and cultural activities. It will provide wide-ranging environmental improvements focused on climate change mitigation and sustainable practices.  

The Esplanade Association is responsible for funding the project and managing the operation of Charlesbank Landing over the next several decades. The total value of this gift will exceed $20M and represents one of the largest gifts to the Commonwealth’s state park system in history.  

All renderings are created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated 2/22/2024.

Latest Project Renderings

A transformative project for the future of the Esplanade 

Where will it be on the Esplanade?

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated August 10, 2023

Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade will be located at the former site of Lee Pool, in between the Longfellow Bridge and Museum of Science, and adjacent to the Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields, Alfond Memorial Spray Deck, and the future site of Gronk Playground.

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated October 5, 2023

Charlesbank Landing will provide all-season park amenities for civic, educational, cultural, and other connective uses, including new landscape areas, community rooms, informational displays, Wi-Fi, light café fare, and multiple universal restrooms.

What can I do there? 

ENHANCING OUR MISSION

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated August 9, 2023

VISITOR EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENTS

Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade will offer exciting new amenities for park visitors.
  • Universally-accessible building featuring a staffed Welcome Desk, and information about the park and its programs presented in multiple languages.
  • Public bathrooms (open year-round).
  • Café with indoor and outdoor seating.
  • Roof deck providing unique views of the Charles River.
  • Free public Wifi.
  • Outdoor nature play area and new green space.
  • Multi-purpose sports courts.
  • Classrooms/community meeting spaces on two floors.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade will provide multiple environmental benefits — consistent with the goals of Imagine Boston 2030, Climate Ready Boston, and the Esplanade Association’s Climate Action Statement.
  • LEED®-certifiable, energy-efficient, and sustainably managed building.
  • Solar panels as a primary energy source.
  • Nearly 2 acres of landscape improvements including a bioretention rain garden and dozens of new trees.
  • Green roof and vertical wall garden.
  • State-of-the-art stormwater management system.
  • Green transportation improvements including new pathway connections and bike racks. 

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated July 2023

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated Feb. 22, 2024

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The project will provide entirely new ways for park visitors to enjoy the riverfront.
  • Landscape elements that promote natural terrain, self-exploration, and discovery.
  • Programmable event lawn for active and passive recreation.
  • Sport courts that can accommodate basketball, tennis, volleyball, pickleball, four square, shuffleboard, and hopscotch. 
  • New lighting, benches, and views of the river and city.
  • Gathering spots including grassy areas, café seating, and an all-weather covered plaza.

ENHANCED PARK CARE AND PROGRAMMING

Charlesbank Landing will expand a successful public-private partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Esplanade Association to foster a new level of park programming and operations.
  • New indoor and outdoor areas supporting year-round inclusive programming.
  • Community space for civic, artistic, educational, and cultural programs.
  • Park operation facilities to enhance the care of trees, gardens, playgrounds, pathways, and open spaces across the Esplanade.
  • Staff presence to maximize operational outcomes, promote a safe environment, and support a vibrant mixed-use facility.

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated Feb. 22, 2024

COMMONWEALTH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

To date, 29 organizations have endorsed the project and its accompanying legislation, signifying a diverse group of stakeholders in the future vibrancy of Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade.

Additionally, Charlesbank Landing is endorsed by State Senators Sal DiDomenico and William Brownsberger, State Representative Jay Livingstone, and Former City Councilor Kenzie Bok.

If you’re interested in lending your voice on behalf of this project, please contact us at charlesbank@esplanade.org.

FUNDING AND SUPPORTERS

The Esplanade Association’s financial commitment to Charlesbank Landing includes not only the planning and construction of a new, year-round, accessible visitors center and surrounding landscape, but also at least 30 years of the entire site’s operations and maintenance costs.  

The project will include an 11,000 square foot, energy-efficient, multiuse building, an outdoor horticulture and park support yard, and all the surrounding grounds of the two-acre site. It will be funded through donations by individuals and organizations that believe this transformational project will create an outstanding public space for the people of Boston, and its millions of visitors – and recognize it is worthy of being a centerpiece of one of the most iconic, urban, riverside parks in the country.  

Created by Maryann Thompson Architects, updated Feb. 22, 2024

How will this happen? 

Fundraising has been underway over the last few years for the construction of the project and significant support has been raised through the generosity of many individuals and several private foundations. It is critical, however, that the effort continue until fully funded, both for construction and to support the operations and care of it in the future. Charlesbank Landing is no longer just a vision; it is now an inevitable part of the future of the Esplanade.  

To become part of this undertaking and help transform the park unlike ever before please contact Jim Diverio, Director of Development, at the Esplanade Association. He can be reached at jdiverio@esplanade.org or by phone at 617-837-2870. 

Special Thanks to those who understood the importance of this project early and responded with the extraordinary leadership support needed to ensure the future of this project. 

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Project Background

Charlesbank Landing on the Esplanade is the result of a decade-long effort by the Esplanade Association and theMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to establish an all-season, universally-accessible recreation destination at the long-neglected Lee Pool site on the Esplanade. A 2017 public process led by DCR uncovered community consensus goals for the project, which the Esplanade Association has carried forward withrenowned local firms Maryann Thompson Architects (‘MTA’) and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (‘MVVA’) Landscape Architects. Since 2017, the Esplanade Association has engaged 29 community-based stakeholder groups, incorporating hundreds of public comments into plans that achieve each of the consensus goals from the 2017 public process, and newly incorporate state-of-the-art best practices on inclusive design, climate change preparedness, and resiliency planning. 

CONTACT US

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

If you are interested in financially supporting the project, please contact Jim Diverio at 617-837-2870 or jdiverio@esplanade.org

QUESTIONS

For any questions or comments about the Charlesbank Landing, please email us at charlesbank@esplanade.org

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