fort point dudley maverick ashmont fenway jackson
common boston 08 @Jackson Square
May  9 - 11, 2008
Just one of six "Common Points" around Boston: Fort Point, Dudley Square, Maverick, Ashmont, Fenway, Jackson Sq

An historic effort is underway to not only add life to Jackson Square; but to also rejoin two Boston neighborhoods.  Blocks surrounding the Boston & Providence Railroad were once filled with housing, and with breweries taking advantage of Stony Brook.  However, plans in the 1950s for an extension of I-95 razed eight acres of buildings in the valley that now make up Jackson Square.  Grassroots activism from communities on both sides of Jackson Square defeated plans for the Expressway; in its place the city built Southwest  Corridor Park and the T's orange line.  However, the damage had been done – Roxbury and J.P. were divided by the train tracks, empty lots, dilapidated industrial buildings, and 6-lane Columbus Avenue.  In 2004, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) requested proposals to re-create Jackson Square.  Non-profit and private entities from neighborhoods on both sides, including Urban Edge, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, the Hyde Square Task Force, and Mitchell Properties, teamed up to form Partners for Jackson, and will soon begin construction on mixed-use buildings and landscaping that will re-knit the city's fabric, putting the square back into Jackson Square.

All events are free and open to the public. Some events have limited space, marked as such in the schedule below. We suggest that you pre-register to confirm your spot by emailing jackson@commonboston.org with the specific event(s) of interest.

Friday, May 9
  • No Events Scheduled
Saturday, May 10
  • 11:00AM-12:30PM – Cuisine at the Crossroads: A Culinary Food Tasting + Cultural Walking Tour of Jamaica Plain
    Begin the tour inside the Jackson Square T Station
    Tours led by Nadine Nelson of Savor Boston and Discerning Taste

    Jamaica Plain is Boston's salad bowl offering a rich diversity of cultures which represent their culinary heritage through the specialty food shops, ethnic eateries, independently owned coffee and tea shops, bakeries, cooperative markets, and destination restaurants burgeoning the nooks and crannies of an enchanting enclave of Boston.

    This event is full.


  • 12:30PM-1:30PM – Egleston Power Station / Boston Neighborhood Network
    3025 Washington Street
    Tours led by Scott Payette of Scott Payette Architects and Dan Moore of Boston Neighborhood Network
    Limited space - pre-registration recommended

    Egleston Power Station

  • 2:00PM - 4:00PM – "Putting the Square Back in Jackson Square" TOUR
    CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN
    Led by the Partners for Jackson Square
    Begin the tour in the Community Room of 20 Amory Terrace.
    Limited space - pre-registration recommended
    Tour stops will include:Amory
    • Amory Residences Presentation by architects Mostue & Associates
    • DIY Center Presentation by Tim Love, Utile Inc.
    • Jackson Square Youth & Family Center Presentation by Leers Weinzapfel Associates and ADD Inc.
    • Southwest Corridor Park and Jackson Square T Station Tour by the Boston Redevelopment Authority
    • Hyde Square Task Force Tour by the Hyde Square Task Force
Sunday, May 11
  • No Events Scheduled

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