More Than 100 Allston-Brighton Residents Protest Lack of Funding for Jackson Mann

More than 100 Allston-Brighton residents and elected officials rallied Tuesday to protest the lack of funding for the Jackson Mann Community Center in the city’s proposed budget.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled the five-year capital budget last week. It does not include additional funding for the Jackson Mann project in 2027 but allocates nearly $6 million for continued planning and redevelopment.

The project has been stalled since 2019, when the building was deemed suitable for demolition. Since then, the city has conducted multiple studies to assess the site’s financial and programmatic feasibility.

Boston City Council President Elizabeth A. “Liz” Breadon, who represents Allston-Brighton, organized the rally to demand $65 million for a design study and redevelopment of a new community center at the site.

Speaking at the rally, Breadon urged the city to move into the design and construction phase.

“We’ve had a programming study, we’ve had a sighting study, we’ve had a land use study and different test fits for different uses of this space,” Breadon said. “It’s time to put up and put our money where our mouth is and build.”

State Sen. William N. Brownsberger and state Reps. Michael J. Moran and Kevin G. Honan, who represent Allston-Brighton, attended the rally, along with all four at-large Boston City Councilors.

Brandon D. Bowser, a member of the Jackson Mann Community Council and a former teacher at the Jackson Mann K-8 School, said the absence of a functioning community center has strained private nonprofits in the area.

“It is unfair for the YMCA in Oak Square and West End House to be over capacity and serving two neighborhoods and over 70,000 people,” he said. “For all these reasons, the Jackson Mann Community Council is asking for a fully funded community center built here on site, included this year in our fiscal budgets.”

In an interview, Bowser called the city’s $10 million allocation “disappointing,” citing increased commercial development in Allston and Brighton — specifically pointing to the recent increase in commercial lab investment.

“I think that it’s really important — as we’re building the future of our neighborhood economically, we reinvest that also in the community,” he added.

Galen Mook, a resident and bike advocate, said the neighborhood lacks political influence.

“City Hall does not recognize the benefits that Allston-Brighton gives to the city,” Mook said.

He argued that the area’s large population of students and immigrants — many of whom are not registered voters — reduces its political leverage.

“We are last in line because we do not have a voting base that is noisy enough to make its way up to the mayor,” Mook added.

A Boston city spokesperson said Boston is “working to make Boston the most family-friendly city in the country, and our public assets are especially critical to making Boston a home for everyone.”

The spokesperson defended the $10 million allocation, saying it is sufficient to begin design work. A housing feasibility study for the site, commissioned last June, is expected to be released later this month.

Many residents at the rally described the Jackson Mann site as vital for intergenerational programming.

Rita L. Vaidya, a longtime resident, said her children once participated in soccer programs there and emphasized the need to preserve access for future families.

“Jackson Mann is located here in the heart of Allston, and it deserves the investment to keep it beating for the next generation,” Vaidya said.

Earlier Tuesday, the Boston City Council’s Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the capital budget. Breadon pressed Chief of Operations Dion Irish on why the project was not funded at the same level as community centers in other neighborhoods.

“Why is it not connecting that we in this neighborhood of Allston-Brighton need a community center?” Breadon said.

“$10 million doesn’t mean a damn thing if we don’t have a commitment to go start-to-finish and have a five year program to build a new community center,” she added.

Irish said the city remains committed to building a new facility. However, at-large City Councilor Erin J. Murphy said in an interview that the budget does not reflect that commitment.

“The administration said, ‘Well, I hope when you’re at the rally you say that the administration is fully committed,’ but the dollar signs show that it’s not a full commitment,” Murphy said.

Elected officials urged residents to continue advocating for the project by contacting the mayor’s office and attending budget hearings.

“We’re only at the start of the beginning. This fight is a marathon, not a sprint, so I really need all of you to be engaged and to continue to be engaged in this fight,” Breadon said.

—Staff writer Thamini Vijeyasingam can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @vijeyasingam.

—Staff writer Kevin Zhong can be reached at [email protected].