Update
On Thursday, September 21st, fencing has officially gone up at Dorchester Heights/Thomas Park signally that construction will be beginning soon! This is a major renovation with some much-needed improvements coming to the Dorchester Heights Monument tower and surrounding park area. As for the timeline of how long the park will be closed to the public, it appears it is estimated to be roughly 18 months. We are working on a more in-depth update right now. National Parks Service is holding Dorchester Heights Monument Neighborhood Update on Wednesday, Sept 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tynan Elementary School cafeteria
Original Post from January of 2023
Nearly a year ago on March 17th, 2022, Mayor Michelle Wu, alongside the National Parks Service, announced that Thomas Park would receive more than $25 million from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to restore the iconic 1902 Dorchester Heights Monument tower and surrounding park area. When complete, the project will enable visitors to enjoy the improved public green space and spectacular 115-foot landmark on Telegraph Hill that commemorates a pivotal event of the Revolutionary War.
The rehabilitation work includes structural upgrades, masonry restoration, and improvement of the monument’s foundation, superstructure, exterior enclosure, roof, interior stairs, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. The grounds, lighting, and signage will be vastly improved for visitors’ experience.
If you’ve gone for a run, had a picnic in the lawn or walked your dog up at Thomas Park the last decade, you would’ve noticed the crumbling infrastructure on the stairs and walls— much of it roped off for years!
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner yet again, I was wondering what was going on with these much-needed renovations so I reached out to the National Park Service and received an update!
As you can imagine, either of these projects is complicated and requires specialized work to be done to specifications. Last summer, a number of site visits with potential contractors were held and when the bidding closed, there were no bidders who met the specifications within budget.
Therefore, over the last several months, the process has been revived and site visits begin next week. The goal is to award a winning bid by the end of May 2023 with construction beginning around the first part of July 2023 and continuing for approximately 18 months. While the closing of Thomas Park will be inconvenient for quite some time, its needed renovations will be enjoyed for decades to come, including our 250th Anniversary of American Independence in 2026!
Here’s a History Lesson On Thomas Park too.
Corey has lived and worked in South Boston since 2008 and is a co-chair of our neighborhood cyclist advocacy group, SouthieBikes. He’s an avid skier, runner, and cyclist always looking for ways to make Boston an ideal city to work, live and play in.
Hi Corey –
Thanks for the follow-up story. Any insight as to exactly what the criteria is in order to meet the specifications?
Thanks,
Tony C.
Tony, I believe the criteria is also known as the ‘scope of work’ and details the work which must be done by a company to fulfill their contract for this job. I don’t have a detailed list of the scope of work but a general idea. As the standards are very high for restoring a historical structure and the overall job (s) is very complex, the pool of companies that can fulfill such a contract is limited. That’s what NPS explained to me. Hope that helps!
Hi Corey, is there a contact that you can share? I would like to inquire about an update as well