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City of Boston Announces Launch of Coastal Resilience Project at the Mario Umana Academy

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BOSTON - Thursday, November 6, 2025 - The City of Boston's Office of Climate Resilience is announcing a new step forward in Boston's climate resilience efforts, launching the process to design coastal resilience infrastructure and a waterfront park to protect the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston. On Monday, the City released a Request for Proposals, in which the City will award up to $640,000 for design, engineering services, and community engagement support for this project. Identified as a critical flood pathway in the 2017 Coastal Resilience Solutions for East Boston (Phase I) Plan, this project will address current and future flood risk for the school and East Boston. The project will be led jointly by the City of Boston's Office of Climate Resilience and Boston Public Schools.

"Across city government, we are focused on supporting our youth and investing in our schools," said Chris Osgood, Director of the City's Office of Climate Resilience. "We are looking forward to partnering with the Umana School community to design a waterfront park and resilient infrastructure that enhances the school today and helps protect it for generations to come."

"This project represents a powerful opportunity to integrate climate resilience into how we design and care for our learning environments," said Katherine Walsh, Director of Planning, Engineering, Sustainability, and Environment for Boston Public Schools. "At the Mario Umana Academy, we're safeguarding critical school spaces and investing in the environments where our students come to learn and grow every day. By bringing students and educators into this process, we can connect classroom learning to real-world sustainability solutions, empowering our young people to see themselves as leaders in building a more resilient Boston."

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The Mario Umana Academy, located at 312 Border Street in East Boston, falls within a state-designated environmental justice block group. The City seeks technical services to complete engineering assessments and site investigations, landscape design, and permitting, as well as support engagement with students and teachers from the Mario Umana Academy, the East Boston community, and public agencies to identify resilience strategies that effectively protect the area from coastal flooding. This guidance will inform the City's development and implementation of comprehensive coastal resilience strategies designed to achieve near-and-long-term flood risk reduction consistent with the community's needs. Beyond flood protection, the project aims to benefit East Boston by improving stormwater management, reducing the urban heat island effect, enhancing connectivity along and access to the East Boston waterfront, and creating climate education opportunities about Boston's changing coastline.

"The City is once again demonstrating, on City-owned land, that we are leaning into the work of building a resilient future," said City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata. "This project will protect thousands of my East Boston neighbors, from students and educators at the Umana to families living along Border Street, from the devastating impacts of coastal flooding and storm surge. It shows what it looks like when we lead with climate justice, prioritize our most vulnerable communities, and invest in solutions that strengthen both our shoreline and our shared future."

"The Coastal Resilience Project at the Mario Umana Academy is an important step in protecting not only a school building, but the broader East Boston community," said State Senator Lydia Edwards. "As climate impacts become more frequent and more severe, it is our responsibility to invest in infrastructure that keeps our students, families, and neighborhoods safe. I'm grateful to the City's Office of Climate Resilience and Boston Public Schools for their partnership and commitment to this work, and I remain proud to advocate for resources that strengthen and safeguard East Boston's future."

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"Coastal resilience is critical to the East Boston community as our waterfront becomes ever more vulnerable to increased storm events and flooding," said State Representative Adrian Madaro. "The Mario Umana Academy stands along a vital part of our harbor front. I'm glad to see this coastal resiliency project get underway, which will not only serve to protect the Umana and its students, but also bolster protections for the surrounding neighborhood, all the while preserving an important coastal habitat for all to learn from and enjoy."

"At the Umana, we believe in preparing students to lead in a changing world," said Principal Akia-Nua Francillon. "This investment will protect our school community and turn our waterfront into an outdoor classroom where students can explore climate resilience, environmental stewardship, and innovation right in their own neighborhood."

"Parents on the School Site Council have been pushing for a resilient, welcoming waterfront at our school for years," said Eugenia Corbo, a 5th grade parent. "Seeing this dream finally take shape means a lot for our school community and our neighborhood. This funding will make the Umana waterfront safer, stronger, resilient, and beautiful."

Between 2017 and 2022, the City of Boston completed coastal resilience plans for Boston's 47-mile coastline, including neighborhood-level planning studies in East Boston, Charlestown, Downtown/North End, Dorchester, and South Boston. New infrastructure at the Mario Umana Academy will be designed to connect to the ongoing Resilient Border Street Waterfront project. Together, the two initiatives will create a comprehensive flood defense network that protects residences, businesses, and critical infrastructure. This project will help inform the City of Boston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Coastal Storm Risk Management Study, which will secure up to 65% of the construction funding needed to protect the city's waterfront from flooding.

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