The Charlesgate Alliance launched on January 24th, 2017, to bring positive change to the Charlesgate neighborhood. We look forward to working with you!
Mission
We are dedicated to improving Charlesgate and to knitting together the Charlesgate district. We promise to become an effective new force to defend and serve our diverse and dynamic neighborhood.
The first coverage of our project in the Boston Globe appeared in an editorial on Sunday, August 5th, 2018. Here is the response letter to the Boston Globe from Parker James, Pam Beale and Karen Mauney-Brodek.
Short-Term Goals
- Develop the notion of Charlesgate as a neighborhood – join us and donate!
- Improve the Charlesgate park areas. 21 trees adjacent to Charlesgate have been planted this Spring!
- Consider enhancements that can be made for the Charlesgate area. We hold Leadership Meetings, which are open to anybody who would like to take an active role in shaping the future of the Alliance.
Medium-Term Goals
- Create safe, pedestrian friendly, public areas – Share your ideas
- Improve Muddy River water quality
- Help public agencies like the DCR and MassDOT maintain and improve the area
Long-Term Goals
- Charlesgate revitalization
- A fully integrated Charlesgate neighborhood
- A solid, enduring Charlesgate Alliance organization
Landing Studio Designs
Landing Studio is the architectural firm hired by Charlesgate Alliance and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy in conjunction with DCR to develop concept designs for enhancements to the Charlesgate area. Funding for this project came from community residents and a matching grant from the Solomon Foundation.
You can see slideshows from our past meetings with Landing Studio or view them as downloadable PDFs.
The illustration below is a proposed design idea for what Landing Studio calls the Bowl and Bridge area of Charlesgate. For more background information, please see the slideshow of Landing Studio’s presentation at the April 9th Talk about DCR Charlesgate meeting.
There is an area of Charlesgate that we think would be great for a dog park.
The Muddy River-to-land connection could be improved.
Areas under the Bowker Overpass could be used for activities and take advantage of the ceiling that it provides.
This part adjacent to the Bowker Overpass by Newbury Street could have a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to alleviate the isolation in “The Circles” area of the current park.
Landing Studio designated areas of the park in the illustration below at the December 4, 2017, Talk About DCR Charlesgate Park meeting, integrating with the already approved Charlesgate Greenway DCR project, here called The Allee.
Achievements
- 15 lightweight chairs were donated to the Charlesgate Alliance and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy by the Solomon Foundation for the Summer of 2018.
- We received a grant for $15,000 through the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) from the Fenway Park Demonstration Project Community Benefits fund to prune trees in the Charlesgate this year.
- The SPS staging area of work trailers off of Charlesgate East north of Beacon Street has been vacated and replanted with grass.
- In conjunction with advocacy from the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, the Garden Club of the Back Bay, we succesfully worked with Chris Cook at the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to get 21 trees planted on Marlborough Street between Mass. Ave. and Charlesgate East.
- In conjunction with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and the Charles River Watershed Association, we had Charlesgate area cleanup days on Earth Day 2017 and on April 28, 2018.
- We received our first grant from the Solomon Foundation, matched by funds from our own constituency, in the Summer of 2017. This allowed us to hire the Landing Studio architectural firm in September 2017 to lead the Charlesgate Improvement Outreach Process and Concept Design, which is now in progress.
- We had a Walk Around DCR Charlesgate Park event on September 16th, 2017, and Talk About events on October 10th, December 4th, and April 9th. The final Walk Around and Talk event for the community process happened in the park on June 9th.
- Our first Wine & Cheese Tasting with Silent Auction happened on January 28th.
- The Charlesgate in Bloom fundraiser on April 28th was another community event.
Please contact us at charlesgatealliance@gmail.com if you have any questions!