Special to the Journal
On Monday November 27, the City of Revere launched the voting phase of the Shirley Ave Participatory Budgeting process, through which community members who live, work, and spend time in the Shirley Ave neighborhood can vote to determine how $560,000 of municipal funds will be spent on public realm improvements in the area.
Community members may view the project proposals and cast their vote at www.shirleyaveideas.com/feedback. Voting will be open until December 31, 2023. After voting, community members may share a screenshot of the submission page to the project team (email to [email protected]) to be entered in a raffle which includes Shirley Ave art, merchandise, Charlie Cards donated by Women Encouraging Empowerment, and up to 100 free smoothies from local business F+J Juice Bar Café.
The funds for the public realm improvement process are a combination of $260,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, $15,000 of public art funding from New England Foundation for the Arts, and a recent $285,000 award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Housing Choice Grant which supports quality of life improvements in communities that have produced a certain amount of housing in the last 5 years and adopted state-supported best practices.
The Shirley Ave Participatory Budgeting process is part of the work being implemented collaboratively through the Revere Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), a public-private partnership that includes City of Revere, Women Encouraging Empowerment, The Neighborhood Developers, and Mass General Hospital. MassDevelopment’s TDI program is a 3-year place-based community development program that supports the implementation of local priorities.
“The City of Revere is always looking for creative ways to get community input, and we hope this participatory budgeting process can be a model for future projects throughout the City. But creative community engagement takes time, money, and the support of our community partners.” said Tom Skwierawski, Revere’s Chief of Planning and Community Development, “We couldn’t have done this without the leadership of the TDI, which provided us with resources and capacity to do this, and we are grateful for the willingness of our funders to be patient and flexible throughout this process. We encourage anyone with a stake in the community to take the time to vote, and we look forward to implementing the winning projects next year!”
The voting website and community engagement platform, CoUrbanize, is being paid for through a grant that local non-profit Women Encouraging Empowerment (WEE) received from MassDevelopment’s TDI Program.
“One of the very special things about Shirley Ave is how diverse the community is. We are so excited to invite you to be a part of this project so that the feedback can represent you and your diverse opinions and priorities!” shared WEE Executive Director Olga Tacure. “Public space helps define how we all see our neighborhood and it should represent the community that lives and works here. With your help, and through this collaborative project, it will.”
Through the participatory budgeting process, community members have the opportunity to rank 18 public space projects and 10 public art proposals. Community rankings will be averaged to produce an overall ranked list, and the top $560,000 of community projects will be funded through the money set aside for participatory budgeting. Proposed projects range in scale from new public spaces like a splash pad or community garden to added amenities like more lighting and public Wi-Fi and include some out-of-the-box thinking like grants to support block parties and opportunities for digital art… and even art distributed through a vending machine! For a full description of project proposals please read further below.
The Participatory Budgeting project team will be hosting a series of public open houses at the following times and locations:
December 12, at 10:30 am in the community room of the Hyman Towers at 50 Walnut Ave
December 13, at 6 pm, hosted virtually on Zoom: http://bit.ly/47FCZJu
December 14, at 6 pm in the offices of Women Encouraging Empowerment at 50 Walnut Ave
Participatory Budget project information and voting will also be made available at the Revere Art Community Meet, Greet, and Show event to be held on December 19 at 5 pm at Las Delicias Colombianas, 86 Shirley Ave, Revere, MA.
If you are interested in volunteering at these events or have questions about the participatory budgeting process, please contact Revere TDI Fellow Laura Christopher at [email protected]. Community members may also follow @Shirley_Ave_ on Instagram and tune into City social media (including @cityofrevere on Instagram and City of Revere on Facebook) to stay up to date about project updates.
Shirley Ave Participatory Budgeting:
Project Proposals Fitzhenry Dog Park and Gathering Space
$15,000 – $40,000
Funds will contribute to the renovation of Fitzhenry Square into a dog park and comfortable community space. Funding dedicated to the dog park through this participatory budgeting process will be added on top of grant funds that community partners have received to pay for basic improvements. Overall, at a minimum, the project will include a double gate entrance to protect dogs from escaping, a water fountain for dogs and hopefully humans, a low maintenance ground surface that will hold up to the wear-and-tear of dogs playing, and some kind of seating. Additional funds supported through this voting process may help to increase the quality of materials and furnishings and/or to support additional elements such as a shade structure, power on site, lighting, taller fence, or agility/play equipment for the dogs.
Additional Trash Barrels
$6,000 – $12,000
Within the “Community Ideas” phase of this participatory budgeting process, several community members called out the issue of littering and requested additional trash barrels throughout the neighborhood as well as on Beach Street, Franklin Avenue, and around Fitzhenry Square in particular. Additional heavy duty trash barrels are budgeted at $1,000 each and the budget range on this proposal allows for approximately 6-12 new trash barrels. New trash barrel locations will be selected in coordination with the City of Revere’s Department of Public Works to account for ease of pick-up as well as known best practices.
Splash Pad at 69 Shirley Ave
$250,000 – $300,000
This project would support community goals of more play and family spaces and more areas to support cooling in the summer. The largest funding cost would include bringing water to the site but additional costs include regrading the site as needed as well as adding adequate drainage, splash pad sprinklers or play pieces, seating and potentially shade, lighting, plantings and art.
Community Garden at 69 Shirley Ave
$75,000 – $100,000
Funds would support the design and construction of a community garden at this site. Because of the requirements of the funding source, the garden would function a bit differently than other community gardens in Revere. The 69 Shirley Ave community garden would be managed collectively, by YOU the community, to share in the work and the harvest instead of individual ownership over plots or small areas. Funds would support planter beds, initial crops and soil, and other critical elements such as potentially site re-grading, water access, lighting, shade, fencing, a greenhouse component, and furnishings.
Urban Forest Park at 69 Shirley Ave
$50,000 – $75,000
Design, site renovation, and plantings to prepare a small urban forest parklet at the corner of Shirley Ave and Sumner Street. Improvements are expected to include shade trees, native plantings, seating, and lighting. The site may also feature public art. This cost estimate assumes no water access on site.
Flaherty Square Renovation and Plantings
$2,500 – $15,000
This funding would add additional plantings and updated landscape design to the small triangle green space located at the intersection of Beach Street, North Shore Road, and Kimball Ave. The area has been lovingly renovated by neighbors with trees and flower bulb plantings among other improvements and this funding would allow for increased investment with the potential for fence removal or repair in addition to landscape improvements such as plantings, lighting, and seating pending a community-informed design process.
Gateway Arch or Entrance Structure to Shirley Ave
$5,000 – $80,000
This budget item would support the installation of some sort of gateway, archway, or neighborhood “entrance” element on either the MBTA bridge (beach-facing) side of Shirley Ave, the Veteran of Foreign Wars Parkway side of Shirley Ave, or both. On the lower-cost side of the price range shown, the installation could be as simple as a cable wire from which to hang banners from (as on Broadway in Revere) or seasonal decorations (as in the North End of Boston on Feast Days). At the higher end of the cost estimates, the gateway might be more permanent or sculptural as shown above.
Community Art Wall
$5,000 – $30,000
This proposal would support the preparation of a visible wall within the neighborhood commercial district for use as a “community art wall” as well as the installation of 1-5 mural projects, the exact number to be determined based on community priority given to this proposal. This wall would function as a place for youth-generated or community-led public art murals on a rotating and temporary basis. The idea has similarities to a “graffiti free wall” as requested by a few community members but would function based on invitation so that art may remain for a set amount of time for community enjoyment.
Facade mural facing Municipal Lot on the Side of Valsos Table and Bar
$6,000-$12,000
These funds would support the installation of public art proposed in the concept image above, an imitation facade or storefront to wrap around the side of Valsos Table and Bar which faces onto the Shirley Ave municipal lot.
Traffic Calming (such as Speed Humps)
$2,000-$40,000
Several community members raised concerns about speeds on Walnut Ave, Franklin Ave, Highland Street, and Thornton Street, with more than one recommending traffic calming such as speed humps and/or other strategies described here. Funds would support the installation of one or more speed humps or other traffic calming improvements proposed and sited by the City of Revere traffic engineers and related departments.
Curtis Park Mural
$5,000-$15,00
These funds would support a new mural on the baseball outfield wall of Curtis Park at the Garfield School and/or replace the mural at the outdoor basketball court with sports or athletic-themed public art.
Sign Language Welcome Mural
$2,500 – $7,500
This budget item was proposed by a community of autistic children, their educators, and families. The idea is for a welcoming mural featuring sign language near Orr Square. Many members of the autistic community use sign language to communicate as do many other Shirley Ave community members as well. This signage can be an educational and inclusive way to beautify the area.
Art Print Vending Machine
$1,000 – $3,000
An innovative idea was proposed through the “community input” phase of the participatory budgeting process for a vending machine park. We also heard a need for more art publicly available and more opportunities for local artists to share their work. This project would be a way to meet several of those goals and begin to test the use of fun vending machines in the area. The high-end of the estimate would include funding for printing costs and/or artist stipends as the machine would dispense art for much cheaper than it costs to produce.
Block Party Community Grants
$2,500-$5,000
This budget would provide grants of up to $1,000 for community members interested in hosting public block parties. The block parties would be required to secure the necessary permits and approvals, and provide appropriate notice to the City and Revere Police Department. Grant funds may be used to support food, entertainment, furniture rentals and more. Recipients must receive pre-approval prior to events and provide evidence of expenses after the event.
Street Tree Plantings and Green Infrastructure
$25,000 – $75,000
These funds would support the addition of more street trees (and related planting areas) in the Shirley Ave neighborhood. The trees would offer benefits including shade, cooling, and beautification. Funds from this budget item may also be used to prepare “tree pits” or “tree trenches,” mulched or planted areas around the trees, so that the planted trees can thrive with minimum maintenance. Some or all of these planting areas, as well as some areas not including trees, may also function as rainwater detention or retention areas (often referred to as “bioswales”) that may capture water to reduce flooding. Street trees and bioswales are two examples of green infrastructure, a term that describes the use of plants and natural material to support community safety and quality of life.
Street Vending and Sidewalk Sales Furniture and Equipment
$25,000 – $75,000
This funding would support the design, materials, and construction of street vending furniture that can support business activity ranging from outdoor produce sales in front of existing markets to vendor carts and booths that can be used to pop-up at events and festivals. In certain instances, the equipment or furnishings may be awarded to participating businesses (in exchange for those businesses ongoing maintenance and use of the materials) through a competitive process. In others, the materials may be owned or stored by the City and/or a community partner. In all cases, street vending would need to follow local policies and approval processes.
Public Realm Event Space and Temporary Pedestrianization of Streets
$5,000 – $50,000
This budget item would support the use of public spaces such as the Shirley Ave municipal lot or the section of Shirley Ave from Orr Square to North Shore Rd) for events such as festivals, beer gardens, outdoor sports watches, and other pop-ups. The funds would be used to purchase and install items such as temporary and decorative barriers, overhead lighting or string lights, additional electrical service to sites as needed to support events, public art, temporary or reusable signage, and more.
Public Wi-Fi in Public Spaces
$2,500- $30,000
Funds would support electrical access and installation of an outdoor internet router in one or more possible locations to be further defined following community process: the Shirley Ave municipal lot, Costa Park, Sandler Square, Fitzhenry Square, Flaherty Square, 69 Shirley Ave. Funds for ongoing utility and internet service would be supported by additional City funds.
Digital Art Experience
$5,000 – $40,000
These funds would support the installation of storefront digital art displays that would highlight local artists and provide exposure for their work and sales through links to online materials. If funded towards the higher end of the price estimate, this proposal would also support one or more outdoor projector to project digital art onto the side of buildings for an immersive art experience. A few expressed goals of the work are to support local artists, increase cultural awareness and visibility, and to increase foot traffic to support local businesses.
Crosswalk art and sidewalk murals
$5,000- $20,000
These funds would support public art on municipal property including the streets and sidewalks with an emphasis on key community spaces such as public squares, Costa Park, routes to schools, and entry points into the neighborhood.Exact locations would be determined by the City, in coordination with community members, but areas of focus suggested during the community input process include: near Fitzhenry Square and near Costa Park. The proposed budget also includes funds to remove and repair surfacing once murals show signs of aging.
Street Lighting
$15,000 – $100,000
This budget item would support additional lighting in the Shirley Ave area with an aim of increasing safety and the atmosphere and experience of the neighborhood. Based on early community feedback, particular focus areas may include: the continuation of street lamps on stretch of Shirley Ave west of Walnut Ave, decorative lighting in and around Orr Square and/or Costa Park, and increased lighting around Sandler Square and Beach Street especially as may relate to commuters walking home from transit.
Decorative Holiday or Seasonal Lighting
$25,000 – $100,000
This proposal would support the purchase and installation of artistic and seasonal lighting displays that may be stored and used annually as an attraction to the neighborhood. One inspiration for the proposal given during the community input process was Boston Lights, hosted at the Franklin Park Zoo.
Pedestrian Accessibility Review and Renovation
$20,000 – $50,000
Funds would support the evaluation and or improvement of City-owned Shirley Ave and surrounding public sidewalks and community spaces for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance such as additional “curb cuts” or ramps and sidewalk leveling. Two years ago, the City renovated Beach Street sidewalks to address accessibility concerns; this budget item would offer that improvement on other streets around the neighborhood as well.
Wayfinding Signage
$7,500 – $150,000
This budget item would support the installation of signage and art that helps visitors to the Shirley Ave area find their way around the neighborhood, and especially from the beach to local small businesses.
Community Storytelling Markers and Improvements to Urban Walking Trail
$2,500 – 40,000
This proposal could take many different forms depending on community feedback but the goal is to encourage visitors and residents alike to walk and to explore the neighborhood and make community history—the memories of residents and other historic and cultural events important to the place—more visible and shareable. The project may take the form of signage with art or QR codes or a more immersive digital experience.
Public Seating
$2,500 – 20,000
This budget item would support the installation of backed and/or backless seating options near transit and bus stops, commercial areas, and gathering spaces to support transit use, walking, and social connection. This budget item may include funds for outdoor dining furnishings as well.
Bike-friendly Improvements
$5,000-$25,000
This budget item would dedicate funds towards making improvements based on the ongoing Revere Bike Master Plan effort. Not only would funds aim to support connecting to regional bike routes but also for signage and markings to make bike use clear and potentially for specific bike-related amenities such and bike parking and/or “traffic gardens”— learning lots where young riders can safely learn the rules of the road and the sport of bicycling through play. For example, traffic gardens may be hosted temporarily in parking lots not in use. Funds may also support certain costs for bike-related events such as “ciclovias” or the temporary closure of streets to vehicular traffic.
Temporary or Permanent Sports Courts
$5,000-$50,000
This proposal would likely depend upon securing use of a private site for temporary or long-term use. If temporary, such as use of a private parking lot during the weekends (when it is usually empty) for basketball, the cost would be towards the lower end of the pricing estimate. If more permanent, such as an easement or multi-year commitment to use a site, costs may be higher and include non-movable basketball hoops, soccer “cages,” tennis courts, lights, seating, and more. Please note: if this budget item ranks high in community voting but no site is able to be secured by Spring 2024, the funding will pass to the next ranked budget item(s).
