Installed in summer 2021, public art and new signage at the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse enlivens the “front door” of this park. (Credit: SRP Signs)
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is stewarding the revitalization of Blessing of the Bay Park in Somerville. In 2018, MyRWA completed a community-led vision process for the Park’s improvement, where residents expressed their desire for enhancing the park’s natural areas and views, connections to the water, accessible paths, and open programmable space for local events and gatherings. The plan was endorsed by the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and City of Somerville, who remain active partners in this exciting revitalization effort.
Blessing of the Bay Greenway
The park improvement most prioritized by community members during the visioning process was safety and accessibility for people walking, biking, rolling and strolling. The Blessing of the Bay Greenway Project will advance the development of a greenway - a corridor of open space linking diverse natural, cultural, and scenic resources - at Blessing of the Bay Park along Shore Drive in Somerville, improving community safety, accessibility and green infrastructure.
The Mystic River Watershed Association received funding from the City of Somerville’s Community Preservation Act to complete design development and permitting for the greenway, which is scheduled to take place between Summer 2024 and Summer 2025. Community members will be invited to learn about and engage with the project during three engagement periods spanning Fall 2024 and Winter 2024/25.
The first community meeting for the project was held virtually on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 at 6 PM. During the meeting, details were shared about the project’s background and an initial concept for the design was presented.
Presentation Video Recording - Click Here
Presentation PDF (High Resolution, 128 MB) - Click Here
Presentation PDF (Low Resolution, 24 MB) - Click Here
This website (mysticriver.org/blessingofthebay) will be updated with new information regarding the project as it becomes available. For questions, comments, or general inquiries regarding the project, please contact Karl Alexander, Greenways Program Manager for the Mystic River Watershed Association, at karl.alexander@mysticriver.org or 617-865-6580.
History & Community
Named for the ship commissioned by Governor Winthrop in the 1600's, Blessing of the Bay Park and Boathouse is one of the few waterfront parks in Somerville and the location of MyRWA’s annual Herring Run and Paddle Race. It's also home of Paddle Boston's kayak and canoe rental. Get out on the river and check back here for updates on the park’s progress.
Progress Timeline
2009: DCR completed its Master Plan for the Mystic River, which includes the completion of a continuous river cooridor path system and shoreline restoration to improve recreational experience and the river’s ecology.
2016: Friends of the Healy School published the Healy Mystic Master plan, identifying goals to improve accessibility and visibility for pedestrians between the Healy School and Blessing of the Bay Park, as well as foster a stronger identity in and around the neighborhoood’s social infrastructure.
2018: Created in 2018, Blessing of the Bay Park’s concept design will guide future revitalization of the park and is based on feedback from hundreds of residents who live, work and play near this waterfront park. Since then, MyRWA and our partners have made incremental changes to improve the aesthetic and ecological value of Blessing of the Bay Park.
2019: The Department of Conservation and Recreation repaved the path that connects the park along the river to Route 16. With the help of local youth, MyRWA installed a temporary art piece on the boathouse that highlighted the tree species found in the park.
2020: The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation implemented the first phase of improvements: the state repaved some of the paths to improve circulation and accessibility for people on foot and on wheels, planted more than 20 trees and replaced broken benches.
2021: A wave of improvements at Blessing of the Bay! MyRWA worked with many partners to install public art and new signage at the boathouse. Work began to create a 13,000 square foot native meadow where the park meets the underpass at Route 28.
2022: Visit the growth of the first native meadow at the park which expected to be fully mature in 2024. As an added bonus, check out the firefly sculptures floating above the flowers!
2023: Vegetative management was completed along the southern half of the park’s shoreline, including the removal of invasive species and the planting of native species. We also began the design development of the Blessing of the Bay Greenway, which will improve the park’s safety, accessibility and green infrastructure.
Resources
Click here to view a final report from the conceptual design process. Select diagrams and images from the report are shown below.
Top: Cross section of the park design; Bottom: Renderings of envisioned improvements to the park’s shoreline and a new greenway around its perimeter along Shore Drive (Credit: Offshoots Productive Landscapes)
Blessing of the Bay Park is critical to Somerville’s ecology and habitat for local plants and animals. The Revitalization Plan supports the City’s Pollinator Action Plan and efforts to improve its tree canopy. (Credit: Offshoots Productive Landscapes)
Partners
Partners include the City of Somerville, the Somerville Community Preservation Act, Commonwealth Places/Patronicity, Groundwork Somerville, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Solomon Foundation’s Greener and Greater Boston program.
Contact
For questions or general inquiries, please contact Karl Alexander, Greenways Program Manager for the Mystic River Watershed Association, at karl.alexander@mysticriver.org or 617-865-6580.
