BIG News for Egleston Square’s Peace Garden

Article from The City of Boston, October 19, 2024:

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Parks Department Announce Acquisition of Egleston Square Peace Garden

“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. “

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