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Remuddling Copley Square: Latest remake of Boston landmark leaves much to be desired

By Emily Rooney

“Durable,” “flexible,” and “sustainable”: Those are just a few of the adjectives Boston City Hall is using to describe the years-long renovation of Copley Square that began in July of 2023.

Scroll through the city’s pages-long breakdown of the project on Boston.gov, and even more inviting language appears, like “dynamic,” “inclusive,” “and “skate deterrent typical” - whatever that means.

Also eye-opening is the project’s $16.9 million budget and the timeline for the buildout, which claims the work will be completed in 2025.

What you won’t find on the website? Any information about how massively disruptive the construction work has been to all of Copley Square, including both sides of Boylston Street, the two blocks on St. James next to the Copley Fairmont, and Dartmouth Street in front of the Boston Public Library. And, if it’s even possible, the signage is more confusing than that for Boston’s bike lanes.

Copley Square construction mess

On the website, you’ll frequently see the word “improvements” to Copley Square. That’s an issue of contention to some observers, who have expressed concern about the vast expanse of what designers call “concrete unit pavers” – which I’ll call light colored brick - which begins right off Dartmouth Street, replacing what was once all lawn.