We are so excited to update you on the progress of our project to Revitalize Peabody Square! Since our fundraising closed in January, we have had some significant milestones.
- Our crowdfunding campaign with Patronicity secured over $26,000 in individual donations, which means we were also able to secure the full $25,000 in matching funds from Mass Development, $10,000 from the Boston Main Streets Foundation, and additional support from institutional donors (the Martin Richard Foundation, Peregrine Group (developers of 1943DotAve) and Trinity Financial (developers of the Carruth & Treadmark buildings)). The total raised during the campaign was $76,430!
- In early 2018, Greater Ashmont Main Street’s grant writing team applied for additional funds from the Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, to underwrite the hoped for water feature incorporating the historic horse trough (which is dedicated to the Peabody family) and support the landscape and maintenance work nearby. We learned in May we had been awarded $20,000 toward this work.
- As soon as practical after the crowdfunding campaign, we issued a set of RFPs for a design/build team to work on this project. After reviewing multiple submissions, we are thrilled to announce we recently selected the team of Crowley Cottrell (formerly MCLA) & Paragon Landscape Construction to bring the community’s vision for Peabody Square East & West to reality.
- Which brings us to this week, where our combined team had our Pre-Meeting with a representative for the Public Improvement Commission (PIC), facilitated by Boston Main Streets and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services. We received guidance on the format and content of our submission, the PIC process in general, and the anticipated timeline from here to final approvals. Remarkably, everyone in the room for our meeting was a Dorchester resident!
There are several design filings and at least two public meetings still ahead, but we remain on track for substantial completion in Fall 2018 as initially projected and have reserved Paragon’s time for construction to begin at the very start of October.
Look for more updates here or on facebook/twitter @greaterashmont for the timing of the public meetings, full permitting, the construction schedule, and for our ribbon cutting celebration thereafter. Thank you for all your support so far!
Pictured, L-R: Jenn Cartee (ED, Greater Ashmont MS); Jessica Brown, PLA (Crowley Cottrell); Brendan Graham (Project Manager/Estimator, Paragon Landscape Construction); Stephanie Moura (Director, Greater Ashmont MS Board)
