Could piping plovers be causing the delay of Curley Community Center reopening?

Update:

We reached out to the City of Boston for an update, and we received the following statement from a City of Boston spokesperson:

“Boston Centers for Youth & Families is committed to reopening the Curley Community Center as soon as possible, and is excited to share its new facility features and programming that Boston families deserve. BCYF is getting ready to fully open the Curley in the next couple months. Before then, BCYF will begin engaging the public about program offerings and tours of the new building.”

Basically, BCYF is finalizing permits and internal operations. So the waiting continues.

Original Post:

A large family of piping plovers has made the beach behind the Curley Community Center, aka the L Street Bathhouse, their new home.

What are piping plovers, you ask? They are sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebirds that are on the threatened and endangered list. The number of piping plovers is increasing in the world, but they do need active management for the population to grow.  (Sounds like it’s growing behind the L. We hear there are up to 10 plovers on the beach.)

So could this “situation” be causing the delay in the much-anticipated reopening of the Curley Community Center? Could be. This could technically cause a delay in environmental permitting due to the sea birds protected status.

The renovation of the Curley Community Center began in 2020 but was then delayed due to the pandemic. The initial timeline for completion of this project was November of 2021.  Needless to say, that date has come and gone, and the project is still not complete – leaving valuable neighborhood services for families and seniors in limbo. So what’s the deal?

First, it was reported by the Dorchester Reporter that the City of Boston and contractors are in a court battle over who’s responsible for the missed deadlines and costs over budget. Some involved believe that costs could exceed over half-a-million dollars.

Supply chain delays were also blamed back in February, and key equipment for internet/wifi services still needs to be installed.  No official date has been announced by the City of Boston yet.  And as the spring is quickly going by, and the new piping lower situation, it has us wondering if the Curley Rec will be open by the summer of 2023.  Fingers crossed.

The new-and-improved community center will feature a fitness center, a new dance studio, a senior center, locker rooms, and three multi-purpose community rooms.

You can sneak a peek at the community center here. 

You can learn more about piping plovers here.