Piers Park III 'a meaningful example of providing environmental justice to a community that has been short-changed for too long'

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, State Senator Lydia Edwards, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Undersecretary of Environment Gary Moran, Rep. Adrian Madaro, District 1 City Councilor Gabriela "Gigi" Coletta, and representatives from Massport joined The Trustees on Friday to celebrate $2 million in federal funding awarded to Piers Park III.

The funding will go towards park construction, slated to begin in 2023.

“East Boston has a wonderful group of elected officials in City Hall and on Beacon Hill fighting every day for our friends and neighbors in this beautiful neighborhood,” said Trustees President and CEO John Judge. “We can’t thank you enough for your leadership and support as we work to bring more green space to Eastie’s waterfront.”

Thanking local organizations for writing letters of support, including GreenRoots, Piers Park Sailing Center, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center,as well as programming partners including Veronica Robles Cultural Center, Zumix, East Boston YMCA, Eastie Farm, La Colaborativa, Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, East Boston Social Centers, NOAH, Boston Harbor Now, Boston Waterfront Partners, and The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront, Judge added, “Eastie is a neighborhood of fierce advocates.”

The effort to secure the $2M in Congressional Directed Spending (CDS) federal funding was led by Senator Warren and Senator Markey. The Senators were joined in their support by Congresswoman Pressley, and the award was included in the bipartisan omnibus federal budget signed by President Joseph R. Biden.

“After several decades and billions of dollars Boston Harbor has been transformed from one of the dirtiest harbors in the country to one of the cleanest,” said Senator Warren. “And while there is still work to be done, the harbor is now a safe and beautiful destination for everyone in the Commonwealth. But let’s be clear:  Accessing the harbor is still challenging for many of Boston’s residents. That’s particularly true for the people who live right here in this East Boston community. For far too long, Eastie has shouldered a disproportionate share of pollution and the impact of climate change.  This park is an important step toward righting this wrong.  This park is a meaningful example of providing environmental justice to a community that has been short-changed for too long.”

A total of $50M is being raised for construction and ongoing operations of Piers Park III, funded largely through philanthropic contributions from a mix of private individuals, foundations, and corporations. To date, $28.7M has been committed to build Piers Park III.

"It’s important to fund Yosemite, and Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon, but it’s also important that we have urban parks for families who live here so that they can enjoy God’s great gifts, so that they can appreciate nature just as well as those who live near those great national parks,” said Senator Markey. “Upon completion Piers Park I, II and III will be nearly 15 acres—right here, in the heart of East Boston, available for every family, and for every child to enjoy.”

When complete, the Piers Park complex will also provide more than a mile of accessible waterfront trails for walking or jogging. A community design process remains ongoing, with the second design released for public comment in February after incorporating community feedback gathered throughout 2021.

“It’s not often that you get to, in real time, in a powerful and tangible way, to see the impact of your advocacy and that's why this community project funding has been so extraordinary,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “This process is the best demonstration of the most ideal collaboration. That is: Projects that are community-driven, government endorsed and invested in.”

Working with landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, Inc., The Trustees will share a third design with the public for review and comment later this summer. Groundbreaking on the park is scheduled for mid-2023.

“East Boston has a long, proud history of charting the course for Boston’s future,” said Mayor Wu. “Its ports were first to welcome many immigrants who came to call our city home. Bringing their hopes, dreams, and families to set the foundation for all of us here today. They brought a vision for a better life. Many of those immigrants would go on to become shipbuilders, making some of the fastest vessels in the world, in the very ports where they first landed, buoying an industry that drove our city’s growth. Today’s investment will help build on their legacy.”  

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Come out to meet members of The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative team and ask questions, during our community programming this summer! Click here for a full list of upcoming events.

To review the current Piers Park III design and offer feedback, click here.

The One Waterfront Team