Piers Park III welcomed into The High Line Network | Explore the site in a virtual tour!

Piers Park III has joined the High Line Network as a new member project, and the first park located in New England. It is one of ten new projects to be welcomed to the Network, a group of infrastructure reuse projects that span coast to coast in North America, from Jacksonville, FL, to Portland, OR.  

The High Line Network serves as a support system for people and organizations that are working to bring green spaces to their communities through the reuse of existing infrastructure. The group welcomes projects that center local communities, build civic connections, support environmental resilience, and foster equitable community development.  

 “I'm excited to welcome these ten new members to the High Line Network because they represent some of the most exciting projects being developed right now in North America,” said Alan van Capelle, Executive Director of the High Line, in a press release. “These new members are smart, creative and strategic and I look forward to working alongside each of them." 

Parks already represented in the Network include many that have inspired us in the vision for Piers Park III, including the High Line, the group’s namesake, in New York, NY, Waterfront Seattle in Seattle, WA, Gathering Place in Tulsa, OK, and more. The peer-to-peer exchange offered through membership in the High Line Network will build upon the One Waterfront team’s ability to understand best practices and deliver a park that centers the East Boston community and climate resiliency. 

“The bold vision for Piers Park III is inspired in part, by many of our peers in the High Line Network. We are excited to be a part of this impressive group of leaders in infrastructure reuse,” shared Nick Black, Managing Director for The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative. “Piers Park III will be the first project representing New England within the High Line Network, and we are excited for this opportunity to learn from our peers around the country, while offering valuable insights from our own experiences in East Boston building an accessible park on Boston’s waterfront.” 

Photo Courtesy of Above Summit

 Piers Park III is currently in the community design phase, which began in early 2021. Recent community feedback led to a new design, with the update shared in community meetings November 2, 2022. The current design includes coastal community spaces, a salt marsh, a reclaimed rail line, a gravel beach, a coastal meadow, a tide pool, a fishing pier, and a kayak launch. This built on the previous draft, released to the public in February 2022. Construction on the park is expected to begin in 2024. 

The One Waterfront Team partnered with Above Summit to create a 360 virtual tour of the current conditions of the Piers Park III site. To take a closer look at the future site of the park, click here. 

To learn more about the park provide feedback, or see the timeline, visit onewaterfront.org/feedback.