City to Foot Repair Bill on Wall Near ‘Rockies’

The Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (JPNA) recently announced that the city has agreed to fund the repair of the crumbling wall behind the Samuel Adams Elementary School that abuts the open space known locally as the ‘Rockies’.

For years the wall has been in dire need of repairs and residents in the area have been advocating for the city and school department to do something about it.

The city has pledged an overhaul of the Rockies and residents felt before any work could begin the wall problem had to be solved.

Twenty five years ago this patch of vacant city-owned property along Marginal Street was slated to be developed into housing but the community joined together to lobby officials for an Urban Wild to be developed on the site.

Over the years the the Rockies was transformed by the city, through a partnership with the Jeffries Point Community, into a community garden, orchard and Urban Wild.

However, in the past few years the property has been unkempt, slightly unwelcoming and problems with the crumbling retaining wall have made it a bit dangerous.

The City’s Director of Urban Wild Development Paul Sutton told the JPNA that funds have been earmarked to begin an overhaul of the Rockies.

“The community did a lot of work over the years to champion this site,” said Sutton. “With all the other green spaces in East Boston coming together this has been the missing link.”

Sutton the Parks Department has been able to secure capital funding, several grants like an orchid restoration grant and Beautify Boston grant that can piggyback on some other funding sources to begin a redevelopment of the Rockies.

“We are planning to fix the wall to make the site more appealing and more attractive,” said Sutton. “Then we will add shrubs along Marginal Street, more shade trees and benches.”

While the site was an untamed Urban Wild the overhaul will transform the Rockies into a more beautifully landscaped park that welcomes more residents to interact with the space by adding paths and benches.

Sutton also said that the city has contracted a landscape company that will regularly maintain the park with mowing and pruning of shrubs and trees.

“The first phase will be to fix the retaining wall and begin regular upkeep and from there will start to transform the space,” he said.

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