Task Force Formed for City Hall Plaza Revitalization

"It will outline the next steps for the next phase of improvements to the Plaza," Meredith Baumann, spokesperson for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, tells GlobeSt.com.

The Task Force, chaired by Trust for City Hall Plaza Chairman Robert F. Walsh, will include representatives from government, community, institutional and businesses with vested interests in the Government Center area.

City Mayor Thomas M. Menino says that the group will "build upon the success of the Plaza's phase I improvements" as well as establish next steps for the Plaza and Government Center as a whole. Part of the task force's objectives will be to evaluate existing land use objectives and standards for the Government Center urban renewal area and to identify new opportunities for strategic redevelopment opportunities among area stakeholders. The task force will also try to build support for the revitalization of the Government Center area among government agencies, institutions and businesses, area neighborhoods and the general public.

Plans for the first phase of the revitalization project, which started three years ago, include transforming the western edge of City Hall Plaza where the MBTA will build a new Government Center Station and a new blue line T entrance along Cambridge Street. The design of the station is meant to complement the Community Arcade, which serves as a venue for a farmers' market, food vendors, and cultural performances. Construction is set to begin this coming July.

The Task Force, whose planning project is being underwritten in part by the Boston Foundation, will present its final recommendations this coming June.