Thirteen years after the Boston Marathon bombings, Martin Richard’s name is now attached to one of the most ambitious youth projects Dorchester has seen. The Martin Richard Foundation and its partners are moving ahead with The FieldHouse+, a roughly 75,000-square-foot indoor hub at Columbia Point that will blend athletics, arts and education for kids of all abilities. For the Richard family, it is a way to channel grief into something concrete, local and built to last for neighborhood youth, as per NBC Boston.
“Thirteen years this April... it feels like yesterday, in some ways,” Bill Richard told NBC Boston. In the same coverage, the outlet noted that Celtics play-by-play commentator Drew Carter will run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the FieldHouse+ campaign, tying Boston’s most famous race to a project that honors one of its youngest victims.
What The FieldHouse+ Will Include
Organizers say The FieldHouse+ will be packed almost wall to wall: indoor courts, a turf field, a walking track, a teaching kitchen, a theater, studio space and a roof garden, all within roughly 75,000 square feet, with programming shaped for children of all abilities. According to the FieldHouse+ website, the center is set to include classroom space and wraparound services for families and Boston Public Schools. Boston Planning & Development Agency materials list the site as a city-owned parcel at 315 Mount Vernon Street in Columbia Point, where the partners will lease land from the district.
Funding and timeline
According to a Mass.gov press release, the state committed $12 million at a groundbreaking ceremony on April 17, 2025. WCVB reported that the New Balance Foundation donated $5 million to support the indoor track and gymnasium, and organizers say those anchor commitments helped unlock construction funding, with an anticipated 2026 opening.
Local impact and debate
Backers say the FieldHouse+ will serve thousands of local kids, pointing out that more than 50,000 young people live within a three-mile radius and that over 1,000 Boston Public School students will have access from day one. At the same time, the project has not been free of neighborhood debate. The Boston Globe reported that roughly $43 million had been raised toward a roughly $70 million goal, even as some neighbors voiced concerns during the planning process.
Family, running and memory
“It makes our family feel that we continue to fight for him and build a legacy for him,” Bill Richard told The Boston Globe, explaining why the family has stayed closely involved with the project. NBC Boston also highlighted broadcaster Drew Carter’s planned Marathon run to help raise funds for the center this year.
Organizers say fundraising continues as construction proceeds, with city and private partners still targeting a 2026 opening for the FieldHouse+. State and local coverage has tracked the milestones, and supporters argue the center will give Boston kids badly needed indoor space to play, learn and come together under Martin’s name. Mass.gov provides the detailed breakdown of the state’s financial commitment.
