Marty Walsh calls to designers for new City Hall plan

This should stir things up A Man ,
''Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s plans to reinvigorate Boston City Hall and City Hall Plaza took another step forward this week with a call for designers interested in creating a master plan and programming for the hulking concrete building and its vast, barren brick-and-concrete outdoor space.

The cost of the master plan is expected to run about $500,000. It follows the mayor’s informal request in March that went outside the design community and used a Twitter campaign to solicit the public’s suggestions for the redesign of the plaza and new potential uses.

Walsh announced plans to “re-envision” the plaza to make it a more inviting and attractive civic space for residents and visitors during this year’s State of the City address in January.

The master plan will identify areas for improvements at City Hall and the plaza, including possible public-private ventures, historic considerations and approaches for reuse, according to the solicitation issued by the city’s Public Facilities Department. It will look at existing conditions, including land use and zoning, and develop detailed cost estimates for the recommended work and programming.

“(The) vendor will coordinate with city representatives, other stake holders and (a) community advisory council on all aspects of project,” the advertisement states. “(The) scope of work will include a visioning exercise, identifying goals and objectives, best practices for municipal services and civic spaces as they relate to Boston City Hall and the plaza.”

Changes proposed for plaza improvements may be separated from City Hall improvements and expedited.

No one from City Hall was available yesterday to speak about the new request for designer qualifications, according to Walsh spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin.

The plaza spans 200,000-plus square feet of open space in an L-shape that includes a stage on the north side. The city estimates its daily foot traffic at 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The city received about 30 formal ideas for the plaza from its March request that it’s continuing to review, McGilpin said. It had welcomed ideas including leasing options, design improvements and public-private partnerships.

It since has implemented a few ideas that were cost-efficient, including placing 40 Adirondack chairs on the plaza last week. An additional 20 tables and chairs will be added in the next few weeks for people to eat lunch or relax, McGilpin said.''

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