Every spring, the city of Boston releases our Imagine Boston Capital Plan for the next five years. It outlines where our city’s budget will be focused, our longer-term plans, and our priorities. Essentially, the capital plan details what initiatives and projects in your neighborhood and across the city that we’ll be investing in to make Boston’s future brighter.
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Mayor Marty Walsh outside of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library and Curtis Hall Community Center.
From Jamaica Pond to the Curley K-8 School, it’s my priority to create growth and opportunity for every Bostonian in every neighborhood. Boston will be at its best when all its residents have the support and opportunity they need to thrive. Investing in initiatives and projects that bring shared growth, success, and greater equity is critical for our city to reach its full potential. Our Capital Plan invests in Boston’s strongest asset: our people. Boston is a city that’s world class because it works for the middle class, and our budget’s priority is to keep supporting the working families that make Boston great.
Here in Jamaica Plain, we’re investing in some exciting initiatives and projects that we hope you and your neighbors will enjoy for many years to come.
Last year, we completed a $10 million renovation to the Jamaica Plain Branch Library, the city’s most-visited library after our Central branch. This year we’re continuing to invest in Jamaica Plain’s well-loved resource, with a $200,000 investment to create and install permanent artwork at the library.
We’re also investing in Jamaica Plain’s schools, with a $840,000 investment at the Curley K-8 school, rebuilding the bridge and walkway that connects the two buildings.
Jamaica Plain has beautiful open spaces throughout the neighborhood -- and this budget invests heavily in those spaces. We’re investing $4.77 million for the revitalization of pathways around Jamaica Pond, along with improvements to accessibility and pond drainage. We’re investing $600,000 for structural repairs to stone walls near Bussey Brook on South Street and in the Arboretum. We’re also investing $679,000 in the restoration of Olmsted Park, including woodland restoration, stair stabilization, and landscape improvements. Finally, we’re investing $1.74 million in renovations to Parkman Playground, including upgrades to the pavilion, entrance, and perimeter of the park.
Our longer-term investments are intended to lift up our neighborhoods in ways that take into account the needs and wants of the community. With this Capital Plan, we’re preparing our city for the next year, and the years forward.
What’s the next step for the Capital Plan? I have submitted the City of Boston’s budget to the Boston City Council, where your City Councilor will review the proposed budget. Once the budget is approved, it will go into effect. This is the budget for fiscal year 2019, meaning the budget will take effect in July 2018, and run throughout the next 12 months.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to look through the budget proposal, online at budget.boston.gov. Together, I look forward to investing in our neighborhoods, and our people.