Unveiling of North Square Reconstruction Project

BOSTON, MA: On September 23, 2019, we celebrated the unveiling of the finished North Square reconstruction project in the historic North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston Public Works Department, the Boston Arts Commission, neighbors, and other stakeholders gathered to praise the project as “an investment in public space, public art, walkability, sustainability, and historic preservation.”

The landscape design and public art incorporated into the revitalized Square relied on stakeholder input, including schools, local businesses, historic sites and residents. This extensive community engagement resulted in a thoughtful design that not only addressed accessibility needs in the Square, but also developed a theme which honors the history of the neighborhood while recognizing the needs of the future.

City Councilor Lydia Edwards embraced the project as a way “to celebrate our democracy, our history and to make sure it’s permanently here for generations after us to celebrate and acknowledge what we did here together as a City.”

A popular tourist destination, North Square is home to the Paul Revere House National Historic Landmark, numerous other historic buildings, and The Freedom Trail. The City of Boston retained BETA to prepare design concepts and subsequently construction documents for the North Square reconstruction project. The fully constructed project incorporates geometric modifications for improved pedestrian and traffic circulation, pavement rehabilitation, new granite curbing and crosswalks, widened sidewalks, and landscape design elements such as new ornamental lighting, planters, and inclusion of sculptural elements provided by A + J Art + Design.

This gathering space enters a new chapter, blending old with new, and has already seen renewed tourist attraction to the area. BETA Group is proud of our role in preserving the history of this landmark space, revitalizing economic growth for local businesses, and ensuring the neighborhood’s history will be retold to future generations.