Brookline resident Michael Dukakis walked the Emerald Necklace with Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 19. The pair toured the 1,100-acre park chain and its ongoing restoration work.
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy announced the visit on Monday, Sept. 21, calling Dukakis a longtime supporter and Life Trustee. The nonprofit said Dukakis explored ongoing developments along the Necklace during the outing with Mauney-Brodek.
Construction is well underway on one of those developments. Phase One of the Charlesgate Park Revitalization Project will transform the bridge over Interstate 90, reconnecting the Back Bay Fens to Charlesgate Park for the first time in decades. The project calls for more than 100 new trees and major stormwater upgrades to protect the Muddy River from pollution.
Crews have been building the roadway base for the new Charlesgate West crossing over I-90, according to the Muddy River Master Oversight Committee. A new shared-use bridge is going up on top of the original stone abutments from the historic bridge designed by H.H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted.
Charlesgate Park sits at the intersection of Boston's Back Bay, Fenway and Kenmore neighborhoods. Olmsted designed it as a link connecting the Emerald Necklace, the Charles River Esplanade and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The revitalization aims to give pedestrians and cyclists safer, greener access through the area.
The Conservancy is offering two public events this fall for residents who want to see the park system up close:
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Final September tour of the Charlesgate construction site, described as a walking tour of the changes underway.
- Saturday, Oct. 3: The annual President's Walk of the Emerald Necklace, a six-mile trek from Franklin Park to Charlesgate in the Back Bay.
Details for both events are available at emeraldnecklace.org or by calling (617) 522-2700.
