Boston Winter Is Canceled, City Hall Plaza Set For Makeover

BOSTON, MA — Loving this heat wave? Well good news for you. Mayor Marty Walsh Just canceled Winter in Boston. What's that? Winter is not coming? How's that possible? Well, how can there be winter if there is no City Plaza Hall Boston Winter festival? Ok, so the actual season hasn't been canceled, it's just the festival, as City Plaza Hall edges closer to getting a makeover at the expense of winter, the mayor announced Tuesday.

The $60 million planned changes include a total redesign of the plaza, including the introduction of a fountain and some trees. There will also be a bit of a renovation of the North Side entrance of City Hall. You'd be forgiven if you asked "what North Side entrance?" right about now. That entrance has been closed for the past 17 years.

The project also include upgrades that could allow for event organizers to use water, electricity, and data lines easier, meaning, possibly, more varied activities for years to come.

“We are recommitting to our vision and moving forward with our plans to make City Hall the civic heart of our city,” Walsh said in a statement. “These improvements are not only necessary for the long-term viability of City Hall and the plaza, but are an important part of our plan to make these spaces a destination.”

The City's partnership with the Boston Garden Development Corporation (who bring us the Seasons, and beer gardens on the plaza) as well as discussions with other event organizers that have used the space in the past have helped inform the redesign and need for upgrades, according to the folks at Boston City Hall.

The city will be working on a detailed survey this summer of plaza conditions, both above and below ground, combined with destructive infrastructure testing this fall, to prepare for construction that's slated to begin in 2019. While the resulting work will be contained to the North side of the plaza, it will impact large scale events on the plaza.

But what about Boston Seasons, which includes Boston Winter and The Patios, as part of their three year contract with the city to activate City Hall Plaza? The Patios, a local gathering spot with custom patio areas and a main pavillion, will stay open through the Fall of 2018.

Boston Winter will not operate this winter, as the city begins "extensive destructive testing" and prepares for construction. But the Boston Garden Development Corporation and the city are working on modifications for the seasons.

"We are supportive of the City's plans and Mayor Walsh's long-term vision for this unique space," said Amy Latimer, president of Boston Garden Development Corp. "We will miss the opportunity to bring Boston Winter back for a third time, but are excited to continue The Patios."

In July 2017, Mayor Walsh championed significant upgrades to City Hall's third floor lobby, the main entrance to City Hall, which included a new welcome desk, security enhancements, a coffee shop, an accessible and interactive self-service information kiosk capable of multiple language translations, new art installations and the replacement of interior lighting with energy-efficient LED lights.

Two years before that, Boston welcomed a local, minority-owned coffee shop, Recreo, to Boston City Hall.

Image courtesy Boston Mayor's Office.