On Friday, August 21, 2026, Roxbury Community College (RCC) marked the grand opening of a new 10,000-square-foot public park with a ceremony and community cookout. RCC spent over a year transforming an underused plot of land into green space for Roxbury. The project was made possible by $450,000 in Community Preservation Act funding from the City of Boston and additional RCC financing. Attendees at the event voted on potential names for the park, which will be announced next week.
“We know that Roxbury has experienced the effects of being an urban heat island, and that access to green space is not distributed equally,” said Dr. Jonathan K. Jefferson, President of Roxbury Community College. “Creating more accessible green spaces is therefore not simply an aesthetic improvement. It is an investment in the health, well-being, and quality of life of our community.”
A 2023 RCC and UMass Boston-led project found temperatures in Roxbury average ten degrees higher than in other parts of the city, and another study found Roxbury has half the green space per 100 people as West Roxbury. Adding smart surfaces like grass can reduce temperatures and benefit residents' mental, physical, and social health, according to research cited in the project's planning.
“RCC has a longstanding commitment to green and clean energy,” said Dr. Richard O'Bryant, Chairman of the RCC Board of Trustees. “The project is also an important example of what happens when institutions like the city of Boston and RCC work together to serve Boston residents and strengthen Roxbury.”
Other dignitaries in attendance included State Senator Liz Miranda; Diana Fernandez Bibeau, Boston Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Deputy Chief of Open Space; and City Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who presented Dr. Jefferson with a resolution in recognition of the new park and RCC’s relationship with the city of Boston.
Over the past year, RCC has worked with the city and Boston Public Schools to expand dual enrollment opportunities. RCC partnered with Boston International Newcomers Academy, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, and Margarita Muñiz Academy to secure the College’s first Early College designation. RCC hosted the swearing-in ceremony for Commissioner Marshall and supported the city’s efforts to help Boston residents get to World Cup games.
Other RCC environmental projects include the solar canopy built over Parking Lot 1, the courtyard greenspaces between buildings, the garden along the passageway, RCC’s Center for Smart Building Technology, the College’s clean energy workforce programs, and campus sustainability efforts.
The contractors involved in the project were ICON Architecture & Greg Lombardi Design, Inc, Accenture I&CP, and Canniff Company.
