3 weeks ago, we showed you the current status of the Memorial Park, which is the annual staging ground for the September 10th Opening Ceremony.
The project coordinator for the Sustainable Tourism Project assured us they current construction on the park, as part of the Fort Point Facelift project, would be finished in time for the ceremony.
But, no matter what the coordinator said, members of the public still doubted that it would finish in time, and so today, the planners called us out to the park where they officially confirmed that Memorial Park is now ready for Monday's Celebration.
Here's what project coordinator and the co-chair of the September Celebrations Committee told us:
Christy Mastry, Sustainable Tourism Project
"I can officially confirm today Friday that Monday we will be hosting the September 10th celebrations at the Memorial Park. As you can see everything is in place. The BDF had their official dress rehearsal this morning. The stage is intact; the lights were working last night. We have the planters and we have all the electrical outlets for the media to be here to tape this wonderful event."
"We knew it would be ready - when we came out here the structural components were all in place. I know everyone drone by and saw it as a mess, when you are in the construction business you kind of know day numbers of how long and man power in takes and the guys really have been working overtime but for most of the aesthetic things - the painting and the works on the stage, all the gravel which is a temporary substitution - we didn't want to lay the grass yet because we will pu putting grass plugs and we don't want people trampling on them. It was really just the gravel filler and a lot of aesthetic solutions but for the most part all the structural components have been sound for several weeks."
"If you don't walk the site itself, there is reason for doubt. You are driving by you see construction fencing, you see pallets of concrete pavers, you see loads of gravel and sand - so yes I understand that there was doubt. But it was aesthetic and it was easy to move. We came out here about a week and a half ago and we made the commitment and we have an amazing crew out here who really deserves the applause because they really have been working overtime for a lot of aesthetic work that they have to do to make the place look presentable - they move everything to the side and North and South Park Streets will be open for traffic as well, so you can drive both those streets coming on Monday."
Dianne Haylock, Co-Chair of the Celebrations Commission
"Looking on from outside one sees certain things and one had doubt and I suppose I could understand those doubts if I were not actively involved in what is going on."
"We were assured couple months ago that this thing would be ready. We've check with the STP people periodically and we were on target. We came out here and what they promise us would be in place is in place and as far as I am concern I really have had no doubts along the way because as I said they kept us very much informed as to what would be ready."
As noted in the interview, all the streets leading to the Memorial Park will be opened to the public.
Channel 7
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