This hearing on Docket #1335, sponsored by Councillors Flynn, Fitzgerald, and Culpepper, addressed the prolonged closure of the Blackstone Community Center pool in the South End. No representatives from the Boston Public Schools (BPS), Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), or the Mayor's office attended despite invitations. Community leaders and advocates testified about the pool's importance as a racial justice and public safety issue, the lack of public facilities in the South End, and the need for an independent engineering study to determine repairs. The committee committed to rescheduling a community-based hearing and continuing advocacy for funding.
Good morning for the record. My name is Aaron Murphy, at large city councillor, and I am the chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Human Services. Today is September twenty-fourth, and the exact time is ten oh four AM. This hearing is being recorded.gov backslash city dash council dash TV and broadcast on Xfinity Channel Eight, RCN channel eighty-two, and FIOS channel nine sixty-four. Written comments may be sent to the committee email at CCC dot HS at Boston.gov and will be made part of the record and available to all counselors. Individuals will be called on in the order in which they signed up and will have two minutes to testify.gov for the link, and your name will be added to the list. Today's hearing is on Docket 1335, order for a hearing to discuss the status of the Blackstone Pool and an independent engineering study on repairs. This matter was sponsored by Counselors Ed Flynn, John Fitzgerald, and Minut Culpepper, and was referred to the committee on July 8th, 2026. Today I am joined by my colleagues in order of arrival, Councillor Flynn. And hopefully more colleagues will show up. I know that we had invited the administration, obviously, to be here to discuss this important matter back at the beginning of the month on November 2nd. Brian Ford, Executive Director of Facilities Management for Boston Public Schools, Mary Skipper, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, and Mata Rivera, the Commissioner, Boston Centers for Youth and Family was sent back on September 2nd. Invites, um, unfortunately, there is no one here from the administration yet. Maybe they will show up. Hopefully, we'll see as the meeting goes on. But while we wait for our community panel, I'm going to hand it off to the lead sponsor, Councillor Flynn. Thank you, Councilor Murphy, for chairing this important hearing. Thank you to Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald for joining me as co-sponsors on this hearing order and as fellow South End City Councilors as well. Let me just give a little bit of history of the Blackstone School and where it's located, if I may. The Blackstone School is located almost in the heart of the South End. It's located next diagonal to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross Church across the street. Basically from Ruth Barkley Apartments, which is the BHA Old Cathedral Apartments. Also up the road a bit is Castle Square, which is another low-income residential community that's predominantly an Asian community. It's walking distance to Roxbury, Roxbury as well. And in what walking distance to Chinatown. I highlighted the demographics in and around the Blackstone School, Blackstone Pool, because I do think it's important. I do think it's important for us to acknowledge and know where it's at. It's surrounded by communities of color. And I I felt that's important to bring that up because it's one of the only public swimming pools that has been closed for an extended period of time in the heart of the black community in Boston, historically, the heart of the black community in Boston was always the South End in Roxbury. Many people don't have access to swimming lessons. To have a vacant swimming pool in the heart of the communities of color and to leave it unfixed for an extended period of time is simply unacceptable. I know our colleagues from the Boston Public School Department and the Boston Center of Youth and Families were invited today to this important hearing. I do want to be respectful, but I am disappointed in the administration's decision not to send anyone to today's hearing due to a scheduling conflict for transparency. This public hearing was noticed, which means it was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd at 125. Invitations went out immediately to city officials, inviting them on how we can work together, how we can communicate effectively, how we can fix a swimming pool in the heart of communities of color. Their import is critical. Several days ago on Friday, BPS was notified, apparently, or the Red Sox were notified, apparently, that there would be a public event at the same school we're trying to fix, where the Boston Red Sox would come to the Blackstone School for some infrastructure work and for a celebration. The Blackstone community wanted me at the event because I spend a lot of time at the Blackstone School. I have a wonderful relationship with them. But I had to tell them I couldn't be there because I'm sharing this important meeting. And they said, Well, Ed, what you've had this meeting scheduled for the longest period of time. Why would the City of Boston schedule a meeting on the Blackstone School at the same time? Why would the City of Boston schedule an event with the Boston Red Sox at the same time as you are as your hearing? There's frustration all around on this decision. But who gets hurt is the residents of the South End. They don't deserve this. So many residents have reached out to me and said and said, let's work together so we can reopen this. Maybe it takes an independent engineering study to get it done. We also know that. Ruth Barkley apartments.