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BRA Seeks Construction Services Bids for Chinatown Gate/Mary Soo Hoo Park Improvements

Jun 23, 2010

The Board granted approval for staff to seek construction services bids for improvements to the Chinatown Gate/Mary Soo Hoo Park. In October 2009, Mayor Menino and BRA Director John Palmieri announced that the BRA had chosen a design firm, Stephen Stimson Associates, to complete the new design. Since then, BRA staff held several meetings with the community to seek their input on the final design. The new park design doubles the size of the existing park through the annexation of the southern-most portion of Chinatown Park. This park expansion creates visible connections through the site and physically connects the park with the Greenway.

The proposed park design embraces the five-story vent structure that sits at the park’s core and uses the structure to create rooms within the park. It also serves as a backdrop for the sculptural, playful elements that were designed to evoke a Chinese landscape and interpret Chinatown history and culture in the park. The park design accommodates community play spaces including chess and mahjong tables, a chalk art wall, and tai chi exercise spaces. It also includes upgraded park seating, expanded and enhanced landscape areas, flexible program spaces, and upgraded park lighting. The design was also developed to incorporate the use of sustainable materials.

The Chinatown Gateway Park was originally built in 1983 as a complement to the installation of the adjacent historic Chinatown Gate. The newly renovated park has a construction budget of $410,000 and is expected to be complete in June 2011. 

Information on the Design and Planning of the Park

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