Bill Richard – with the encouragement of his family – stepped to the podium to share his excitement about the Fieldhouse+ and invoke the legacy of his late son Martin. Seth Daniel photo
With the steel bones of the transformative Fieldhouse+ project on Mount Vernon Street rising three stories above him, Congressman Steve Lynch paused during a topping off-ceremony on Monday morning, faced the building, and then addressed what many in the crowd of about 250 people sensed themselves.
“Make no mistake, Martin Richard’s spirit is the driving force behind and within this building,” said the former ironworker in noting that many of the union workers on this job share the sentiment that it’s a special project.
The ceremonial rite was carried out by a crew from Ironworkers Local 7 who hoisted the steel beam in place after many in the crowd, including Martin Richard’s parents and siblings, had signed it As tradition dictates, an evergreen tree and an American flag – along with a POW-MIA flag – are also affixed to beam.
Richard, who was 8 years old when he was killed in the 2013 Marathon Bombing, remains an inspiration for the Richard family in their giving back to causes all over the city in the name of “peace,” with the crowning achievement being this Dorchester facility, located next to the Ruth Batson Academy.
Congressman Steve Lynch signed the beam during the topping off ceremony as Bill Richard, state Sen. Nick Collins and BGCD Director Bob Scannell looked on. Seth Daniel photo
The project is a partnership between the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD), the Martin Richard Foundation, and the City of Boston. The $70 million, 75,000-square-foot complex will include sports fields, basketball courts, cooking facilities, and ample space for young people and children to participate in programming. Its opening is projected for next spring.
“Projects of this scale by two non-profits for this purpose is pretty uncommon,” Bill Richard said at the ceremony. “A building that will house many non-profits together to deliver the highest and best services with a commitment to inclusion, that’s crazy talk. But that’s exactly what is going to happen here.”
He added: “Martin had a gift for dreaming big. He always has been and remains the inspiration and the motivation for the work that we do. Thank you for helping me, Denise, Henry and Jane keep his spirit alive. We know his presence will be felt when we open up the doors next year.”
The ceremony marked not only a construction milestone, but also a sentimental moment, Lynch pointed out. “What has been left unsaid today borders on the spiritual. When you talk about the Richard family and how they turned a painful moment in their lives into this – all of that pain into something that would bless others. To do that is sublime. It’s not expected of human beings, so when it occurs we want to celebrate it.”
Kevin Deabler, of RODE Architects, noted that he was a little shell-shocked standing next to the structure in real life after having seen it for years in drawings and small-scale models.
Bob Scannell, president and CEO of BGCD, said the Fieldhouse+ is going to change lives for kids in Dorchester and beyond, whether that means BGCD members or Boston Public School students.
“Bill Richard says he had a crazy idea for this 10 years ago; maybe it’s weird, but I didn’t think he was crazy at all. I thought he was a man with a vision,” said Scannell.
“We already serve more than 4,000 youth from Dorchester and beyond in our three buildings, and with the Fieldhouse+ we will surely double that number in a very short amount of time. It will be a place of possibilities where youth of all abilities and backgrounds who come through that door will be able to dream of things that they didn’t before.”
Mayor Michelle Wu (above) said they have an agreement in place with the operators of the Fieldhouse+, in particular for the neighboring Ruth Batson Academy, which is slated to receive a full renovation as a 1,000-seat high school. During school hours, the Fieldhouse+ will be for exclusive use by Batson students.
“This is just the beginning of what will be a transformative partnership, and the city cannot wait to see it come to fruition,” she said.
State Reps. Dan Hunt and Chris Worrell, along with state Sen. Nick Collins and District 3 Councillor John FitzGerald, also spoke about the facility’s impact.
BGCD CEO and president Bob Scannell. Seth Daniel photo
Meanwhile, Dan Marr – of the Marr Companies – retold his family’s commitment over the years to BGCD, since its opening day in 1974. It was also pointed out that he worked at the original Marr Club project on Deer Street, and now also the Fieldhouse+ some 52 years later.
Seth Daniel photos
Dave Hughes, Mike Joyce of BGCD, and Dan Marr of the Marr Companies.
Jake Lacey, front, and PJ Preskenis, back, of BPS Facilities Department, signed the final beam.
Henry Richard, the late Martin Richard’s older brother, signed his name on the beam during the topping off ceremony.
Dorchester’s Bill, Denise, Jane, and Henry Richard celebrated the topping off of their dream project, the Fieldhouse+.
Rep. Dan Hunt, a key legislative supporter of the project, stepped forward to sign the ceremonial beam. Seth Daniel photo
