Awards

D.F. Pray Recognized with BPA Award

The Speedway / Photos courtesy of D.F. Pray

Boston – D.F. Pray recently joined industry colleagues at the Boston Preservation Alliance Awards to receive the 2022 Preservation Alliance Award for The Charles River Speedway project. For over 30 years, the alliance has presented awards to people and projects that demonstrate the highest level of commitment to Boston’s historic character.

“The Charles River Speedway project was a unique program that is testament to the quality workmanship required to thoughtfully restore historic structures,” noted Scott W. Pray, president of D.F. Pray. “The team dedicated to this project since 2014, from the state and city agencies, design, engineering, construction, community engagement, curation, etc. were all invested in transforming this vacant, dilapidated structure and giving it new life to serve the community.”

Courtyard

In 2014, The Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) selected The Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) to preserve and redevelop The Speedway through the agency’s Historic Curatorship Program. AHF proposed converting the complex into a public resource that would support local entrepreneurs, serve as a community gathering space, and connect the neighborhood to the Charles River.

D.F. Pray was engaged as general contractor for the transformation of the 19th-century trotting horse stable and metropolitan park police station and jail. The historic buildings and their central courtyard were transformed into a space that is now home to a mix of independent businesses and nonprofits.

The Speedway was also recognized by Preservation Massachusetts with a 2022 Robert H. Kuehn Jr. award honoring the extraordinary projects that meld collaborative partnerships with creative and innovative ideas for the rehabilitation and active reuse of historic buildings.

“The Speedway is proof that any property, no matter how challenging, can be brought back to life with the right team. AHF went above and beyond to collaborate with the neighborhood, find partners and financial resources, and deliver a restored, vibrant resource to the community,” said Allison Frazee, executive director, Boston Preservation Alliance.