The A Street park spans 1.6 acres in the Fort Point neighborhood of South Boston and is bordered by Richards St, Medallion Ave and W 1st St. The park features a dog park, a tot playground, 8 community gardens, water fountains, a half court basketball court and a flexible field that can accommodate youth soccer.
The park opened in the summer of 2014 as part of designated green space defined within the 100 Acres Master plan for Fort Point and as a permanent public benefit in exchange for development rights by developer, Commonwealth Ventures, along with USPS, P & G Gillette, Synergy and Gerding Edlen (and their successors). The private group is responsible for maintenance and capital repair of the park. On May 23, 2017, Mayor Walsh hosted a Coffee Hour at the A Street Park to celebrate the park’s acceptance as a Boston City Park. A Street Park became Fort Point’s first City Park. On June 15, 2019, Martin’s Park opened marking Fort Point’s second park, an inclusive park and playground adjacent to the Boston Children’s Museum along the Fort Point Channel.
A Street Park programming and online permitting is managed by the Boston Parks & Recreation Department.
A Street Community Gardens
Eight community gardens face the Medallion side of the park.
In July 2014 a lottery for the gardens occurred and eight names were drawn for the plots and eight names for the waiting list. The lottery repeated in March 2018 for the 2018 to 2020 season and in November 2020 for the 2021 to 2023 garden season. The next lottery will be scheduled for November 2023.
When a gardener gives up a plot, the next name on the waiting list receives the plot. The garden plots are held for three year terms to allow a greater number of gardeners to participate. When a waiting list gardener receives a plot, a new three year term begins, avoiding complete turnover every three years. All seed, plants, tools and hoses are responsibility of the gardeners. Community gardens are gardener managed. View complete list of A Street Park Community Garden Lottery Terms 2020.
The first gardener on the 2014 waiting list received a garden in 2015, the second and third received gardens in 2016 and the fourth and fifth in 2017. The first four gardeners on the 2018 lottery waiting list received plots for the 2019 to 2021 seasons. On November 15, 2020 the remaining three (one moved away) waiting list gardeners lottery received gardens with one new gardener for the 2021 to 2023 garden and four gardens for 2022-2024 season. All wait list gardeners will receive a plot within three years or less. The next lottery will be in November 2023.
Community garden lotteries are announced via FPNA email list and the Fort Point Boston blog.
