~ Boston has opened the Steven P. Odom Serenity Garden, a new public park in Mattapan honoring a 13-year-old Dorchester resident who was killed by gun violence.

The garden is next to the Morton Station Village housing development on Hopkins Street. It includes a natural stone patio, a water fountain and pillars engraved with inspirational words and poetry Odom wrote in eighth grade at the James P. Timilty School. Native and pollinator-friendly plants, along with butterfly motifs and a purple color palette, are part of the design.

Mayor Michelle Wu said the garden would offer a place to gather, reflect and remember people lost to violence. Parks Commissioner Diana Fernandez Bibeau said the space would preserve Odom's memory and voice for future generations.

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Odom's parents, Ronald and Kim Odom, said the project would make their son's memory part of the neighborhood. They said they hoped visitors would read his poems, sit, reflect and find inspiration in his words.

The site was formerly occupied by a Boston Police Department station. The Mayor's Office of Housing worked with the community to redevelop the land for affordable housing while setting aside space for a park. The parcel was transferred to Boston Parks and Recreation for permanent care and maintenance in January 2025.

The design was shaped by public meetings and surveys that began in 2018. RBLA Design, LLC, designed the garden, and Woodall Construction Co. built it. The project budget was $456,123, including $50,000 from the city's five-year Capital Plan; construction costs were funded through a Community Preservation Act grant.

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