Walsh Bros. breaks ground on Brigham Women's Hospital patient parking garage: design provided by hdr and halverson

The landscape of one of Boston's busiest intersections is changing as ground was broken on a major construction project at Brigham Circle. Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is building a new 400-space underground parking garage at the corner of Francis St. and Huntington Ave. The garage will be topped with a landscaped park, the Thea and James M. Stoneman Centennial Park, named in honor of the principal donors for the park. Construction manager is Walsh Brothers; HDR and Halvorson are the project designers. BWH president Betsy Nabel, mayor Thomas Menino, Boston city councilor Michael Ross, state representative Jeffrey Sanchez, and Thea and James Stoneman all took part in the ceremonial groundbreaking on the site of the future park. "As one of the country's leading academic medical centers, Brigham and Women's Hospital has a responsibility to provide good access for our patients and to be a good neighbor for our community," said BWH president Elizabeth Nabel. "This project -- with its parking garage and park - helps us fulfill both of those responsibilities." The underground patient parking garage will provide much needed parking in the Longwood Medical Area. It will also improve traffic flow by reducing the number cars attempting to park on neighborhood streets. Additionally, the project includes a parking area for 76 bicycles and an improved, covered MBTA bus stop at Brigham Circle. The park will replace the previous concrete and asphalt driveway, restore the historic grandeur of Brigham Circle as a western gateway into the city of Boston and provide a place for hospital employees, patients, visitors and neighbors to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The project is creating the equivalent of 100 full-time, year-round construction jobs. The new park and parking garage are set to open in the spring of 2014. About Walsh Brothers: A fourth generation-managed, family-owned firm, Walsh Brothers is known for contributing to the advancement of the construction industry and the community through community involvement and philanthropy, project innovation, leadership and collaboration and environmental stewardship. Over its 110-year history, the firm has had a major impact on Boston's skyline through construction of some of the city's largest and most complex buildings in the healthcare, research, academic, cultural, and arts markets. To find out more about Walsh Brothers visit us at www.walshbrothers.com.