The future of Franklin Park 🌳

The future of Franklin Park

The massive park includes a zoo, White Stadium, and a golf course. | Photo by @____erica.____

Our city’s largest park is next in line for some major changes.

Franklin Park, one of many local landmarks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, is a green space connecting the Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan + Roslindale neighborhoods. It’s a massive 527-acre space — more than 20 times the size of the Boston Public Garden.

Despite its size and community importance, Franklin Park hasn’t seen any significant financial investments in decades. Now, thanks to a three-year long planning process with the city, the Franklin Park Coalition + community members, there is a detailed vision plan for enhancing the park.

By the numbers:

$23 million: The capital investment going towards the project.
$5 million: The amount in a trust created in 2018 to help cover park maintenance expenses.
8,000+ people: The number of community members who made their voices heard and provided feedback for the plan.

The plan priorities:

Restore and activate the Bear Dens, which are old bear cages from the Franklin Park Zoo, with new uses.
Rebuild the historic Elma Lewis Playhouse with a new stage, restrooms + seating.
Welcome visitors with a “front porch” for the Blue Hill Avenue entrance at Peabody Circle.

We can also expect upgraded trails, play areas, athletic fields, and picnic sites.

Construction on the park’s fresh new look is expected to start in 2024, though a project of this size can’t be built in a day. It will take years to implement the changes, and next steps include stabilizing historic ruins, assessing the tree inventory, and creating a park-wide ecological management plan.

Share your thoughts during the public comment period ending on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. If you need some inspiration, check out the ideas for revamping the Boston Common.

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Dec. 14

Chicken & Biscuits | Wednesday, Dec. 14-Saturday, Jan. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Modern Theatre, 525 Washington St., Boston | $15-$25 | Front Porch Arts Collective presents this raucous family comedy.
Colors of the Season | Wednesday, Dec. 14 | 8 p.m. | Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston | Free | The Berklee Symphonic Winds presents a musical journey through the spectrum, featuring the music of Frank Ticheli, Roger Cichy + Gustav Holst.

Thursday, Dec. 15

“Elf” Trivia | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | Broken Records, 85 Guest St., Boston | Free | Son of a nutcracker — the Brighton beer hall if hosting “Elf"-themed trivia for teams of two to six people.
All Fantasy Everything | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston | $30-$40 | Fantasy draft the whole world, from pop culture nostalgia to the Taco Bell drive-thru menu.

Saturday, Dec. 17

Fenway Bowl | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 11 a.m. | Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston | $30-$199 | Catch the inaugural football game at Fenway Park, with the University of Louisville facing off against the University of Cincinnati.
Saturday Open Studio | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 1-4 p.m. | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston | $0-$20 | Stop by the Bertucci Education Studio every Saturday for drop-in art activities inspired by the Gardner Museum collection.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

39º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Plan Ahead

More details are out about First Night Boston. Organizers for the annual New Year’s Eve celebration added a second performance in Copley Square on New Year’s Day, and the main stage will move to the front of the Boston Public Library this year. See the full festive schedule. 🎉 (NBC 10)

Biz

The city launched the SPACE Grant program to provide funding for up to 50 local entrepreneurs. The program is part of an effort to fill vacant storefronts in commercial areas like Downtown, Copley, Fenway + Seaport. Businesses can apply here before the Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 deadline. 💰

Development

Alexandra Partners, LLC received final approval to move forward with plans to revive the empty Alexandra Hotel on Massachusetts Avenue. The plan is to preserve the existing facade and build a 13-story condominium behind it. Construction is expected to begin next summer. (Boston Globe)

Civic

Mayor Wu filed an ordinance to establish the Office of Participatory Budgeting. The goal? To enhance public engagement + direct involvement in the City of Boston’s budget. The ordinance is awaiting approval from Boston City Council.

Community

Applications are now open for the 2023 Returning Citizens grant, which supports nonprofits that provide reentry support services for citizens returning from local correctional facilities. $1 million in total grant money will be awarded + organizations can apply here before Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.

Concert

“All the Stars” are coming to Boston — including SZA. The R&B singer will perform at TD Garden on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 as part of her first arena tour. Tickets go on sale to the general public tomorrow at 12 p.m. 🎤

State

The Bay State is introducing a new curriculum to educate teenagers on cannabis-impaired driving. The AAA curriculum is expected to be implemented in January + will include an explanation of how THC, the active chemical in marijuana, affects cognition, vision, reaction time, and perception of time and distance. 🚗 (NBC 10)

Sports

The NBA unveiled the new names + trophies for each of its major awards yesterday, and Celtics legend John Havlicek was announced as the namesake of the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Havlicek spent 16 years with the team, guiding Boston to eight championships. 🏆 (FanNation)

Tech

The Museum of Science is partnering with Roblox to launch an immersive online game where players can solve engineering challenges as they navigate Mars. The metaverse experience, called Mission: Mars, was developed with Filament Games and will be free to schools and individuals. (BostInno)

Shop

What gifts are on the radar this season? City Editor Sara is ready to pour into this Boston Skyline mug, and City Editor Jess is ready to sport this Boston crop sweatshirt. Shop these unique gifts + more at our online shop Six & Main. 🛍️

Travel

How does Scott’s Cheap Flights work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and Scott’s will notify you when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a $300+ round trip to Bermuda). 🌴*

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We’re taking you to business school

The top industries and employers in the Boston area

These are just some of the businesses that keep Boston thriving. | Photo by @emilydiercksphotography

Hundreds of thousands of people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Greater Boston area’s $531 billion economy. But have you ever wondered about the city’s heaviest hitters?

Consider this Boston Business 101 — your guide to our region’s key industries and major employers.

There are five key industries that represent ~60% of Boston’s economy, based on the most recent 2020 data from the City of Boston. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.

💼 Healthcare and Social Assistance | 147,471 employees
This one comes as no surprise, considering that Boston is home to top research and teaching hospitals.

💼 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 114,178 employees
Think: Cambridge’s strong biotech scene or the many tech startups around Boston.

💼 Finance and Insurance | 94,205 employees
This industry employs Bostonians across companies like Fidelity Investments and State Street.

Hit the link below for two more leading industries + five major companies in Massachusetts.

MEET THE MAJOR PLAYERS

Test your business knowledge: Which company employs the most people globally?

A. Amazon
B. McDonald’s
C. Walmart
D. Starbucks

SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sara.

Editor’s pick: Shakespeare, meet modern technology. My mind is absolutely blown at the fact that a local startup has encoded eight of The Bard’s famous tragedies onto synthetic DNA strands.

What text should the tech company should encode next? Let me know — my vote is for the entire second season of Fleabag.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Check out six local coworking spaces.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Jessica Burton, Sara Frazier, Sarah Leonhardt, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare | Advertise with us.

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