Bus stop to be moved
BRIGHAM CIRCLE—Construction on Brigham and Women’s Hospitals (BWH) new garage project has begun with the removal of old fir trees and excavation of the site.
Residents can also expect the MBTA bus stop on the corner of the 15 Francis St. site to be moved soon.
The Brigham Green project will create an underground parking garage in front of the Peter Bent Brigham building at 15 Francis St. and landscape the area into green space with benches and open space. The project is slated to be completed by April 2014.
The loss of the trees is “heartbreaking,” said Mission Hill resident Allison Pultinas. She said she believes the trees might date from the building of the 1913 structure.
“The Brigham Green project visually improves the look of the 15 Francis entrance, but at what cost?” she said.
The trees were removed last month, BWH spokesperson Tom Langford told the Gazette.
“A tree specialist was hired and he said that if we tried to move the trees, they would not survive,” Langford said of the project’s preservation efforts.
Langford added that the trees will be replaced, along with the addition of many new trees.
The bus stop next to the project site will be moved about 100 feet northeast on Huntington Avenue to accommodate construction either this month or next, Langford added.
The move would impact the location of the 39 bus stop, but not its schedule, MBTA Joe Pesaturo confirmed last week. No changes are planned for the Green line stop.
A new, larger and covered bus stop will eventually replace the current bus stop, Langford said.
A rendering of the finished Brigham Green project includes the landscaped lawn over the 400-space garage and a new, covered bus stop. (Courtesy Illustration)