On the message and order, referred on September 29 , 2021 Docket #1013, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) in the form of a Land Water Conservation Fund grant awarded by the National Park Service, passed through the Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services, to be administered by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The grant will be used for improvements at Malcolm X Park that will make paths, entrances, and play areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the committee submitted a report recommending the order ought to pass. The report was accepted; the order was passed.
Docket 1013 message, an order authorizing the city of Boston to accept an amount of $750,000 in the form of the Land Water Conservation Fund. Grant awarded by the National Park Service, passed to the Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services to be administered by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The grant will be used for improvements at Malcolm X Park. It will make parks, entrances and play areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Chair recognizes President Pro Tempore and Chair of the Committee on Environment and Parks. And you, Madam Chair, resiliency advocates. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, I've been around long enough to have seen a number of these park renovations and rehabilitations come to fruition. And it's one of the most exciting things to see. And this one is particularly exciting. Malcolm X Park in the heart of District seven, it's across from the Higginson Louis School, which is a very special bus public school. It's where my mother and my late sister taught for a number of years. And kids love this park. It's a huge park. And it's a park that has not seen a lot of love and TLC through the years until now. This is the there's been a total of, I want to say, a 6.6, $5 million in terms of what's been invested in this park for a full renovation. And this is one of the final large grants, three quarters of $1,000,000, which is going to make it ADA compliant. I think that's particularly important, particularly with the school next door, that does have a number of students who do utilize use wheelchairs. So to allow them to be able to take advantage of this great park and open space is going to be phenomenal. There are some really gorgeous stone walls there, the old fashioned, which are being preserved. This is something this is a park that the Olmstead brothers had designed. And they are keeping very much in the spirit of the Olmstead ian design. There may be some changes, but that's the tradeoff to make it more accessible and is someone who who counts himself a historian. It is more important to have accessibility than historical accuracy. But nevertheless, much of it will be in the vein of the Olmsted brothers, and it's going to have water features, it's going to have the permeated playground surfaces, which which is easier in case a kid falls down now, which is something I'm becoming more familiar with, the frequency that that occurs. And it's just a really great project. So thanks, of course, to Councilor Ed Flynn. First one at the hearing has some really great questions. Not his district, but he knows how important this is for everyone in Boston. So thank you, Councilor Flynn, for your great support on this. Let's vote on this. Let's get this done. The ribbon cutting will be a year from this upcoming summer. So about a year and a half or nearly two years from now, it's going to be a great celebration and I can't wait to attend. So I'm happy to take any additional comments. But I'm asking for passage of this docket. It's going to be absolutely transformative for a really important park in our city. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. President. Would any other councilors like to speak on. Number 1013. Seeing none. The chair moves for adoption of the committee report and passage of Docket 1013. All those in favor say any posting? No, the ayes have it. Docket 1013 has been passed. Thank you, Councilor Woo! Moving right along to docket zero 8 to 5, I believe. Correct.