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Boston's Morning Newsletter
A look inside the Boston Museum of Science's big renovation plans
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
The Bruins are still alive. Game 6 will be back at the TD Garden this Friday, just as Jeremy Swayman promised.
But first, the news:
A major makeover for the Boston Museum of Science is beginning this week. Over the next two years, the museum plans to replace its windowless, brick-walled Cahners Theater with a bright, 10,000-square-foot event space. Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie told WBUR’s John Bender the new convening space will “greatly expand” their ability to host small conferences, special events and galas — all with a 270-degree view of the Charles River.
- Inside: The space — dubbed the “Public Science Common” — is slated to open in 2026. It will have a 700-person capacity, floor-to-ceiling windows, and technology and accessibility upgrades. The renovation won’t expand the current footprint of the museum, but will give its river-facing facade quite a makeover.
- The big picture: Ritchie took over as the museum’s president in 2020 with a focus on making it more accessible to the public. And he puts the value of the renovation in lofty terms. “The brutalist architecture of the early ’70s, of which the current theater is a part, basically did not have a window to the world,” he said. “It had a sense that, ‘Oh, the answers are all on the inside. You come inside and find out that science is awesome.’ We’re turning that on its head, and saying you have many of the answers.”
- Speaking of accessibility: Listen to Radio Boston‘s new segment on how the museum is trying to get all kids interested in STEM.
While you were sleeping: Gov. Maura Healey wrapped up her keynote address at the Vatican’s climate conference this morning — and she also made some news. Healey announced the launch of a new Climate Careers Fund, a philanthropic effort to support climate workforce training. According to Healey’s office, the fund aims to raise $10 million, led by impact investment nonprofit Social Finance.
- What will it actually do? Healey’s office says the fund will offer “no-cost” loans to support people in job training programs for clean energy fields, like heating technology and EVs. It will also help them pay for things like child care and transportation.
- The big picture: Officials estimate Massachusetts needs to grow its clean energy workforce by nearly 30,000 workers to meet its near-term emissions reduction goals.
Budget struggles: Worcester Public Schools has proposed eliminating 163 teaching positions, as districts around the state struggle to balance their budgets. Superintendent Rachel Monárrez says most of the cuts will be through attrition, not layoffs. The Telegram & Gazette has a breakdown of the proposed cuts here.
- Zoom out: School districts from Boston to Pittsfield are moving to cut positions as federal pandemic relief funding runs dry.
The big new Trader Joe’s location in Boston’s Back Bay has an official opening date: next Thursday, May 23. It will be the fourth Trader Joe’s in Boston proper, joining existing locations in Allston, the Seaport and a tiny store at 899 Boylston St., a few blocks down the street from the new spot.
- Booze you can use: Unlike the current Back Bay store, the new Trader Joe’s also has a license to sell beer, wine and liquor.
Closing: Marian Manor, a South Boston nursing home that first opened in 1954, will close in the coming months. According to a spokesperson, high renovation costs, nursing shortages and a failure to strike a deal to redevelop the site prompted the closure. The facility is now working to ensure all current residents are moved to new nursing homes of their choosing.
Save the date: Professional cliff diving returns to Boston’s Seaport this spring. Twelve men and 12 women will jump into the harbor from as high as 90 feet from a platform atop the Institute of Contemporary Art as part of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
- The June 8 event — which is the tour’s only stop in the U.S. — is free to attend. (Hopefully, the weather is a little warmer than last year.)
P.S.— WBUR has a new weekly politics newsletter! Launching next week, our short-run Mass. Politics newsletter will keep you informed on what’s happening at the State House, break down this fall’s ballot questions and explain why it all matters — in less than 400 words. (Because, we know, politics can get exhausting, especially in an election year.) Sign up now to get our first issue next Monday.
