Although under Parks Dept. jurisdiction, few playgrounds in Boston have such a devoted constituency as Mozart Playground’s Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF).

This was evident at the Mozart Two planning meeting held in-person at the HSTF headquarters on March 25.

Mozart Playground – as it became clear – is more than just a place to run around and play in, but a destination with a performance stage and more.

According to Ground Inc. Landscape Architects’ founding Principal Shauna Gillies-Smith, “The performance area is different from almost any other playground in the city.”

Perhaps disappointingly, there was no organized band of six-year-olds with their crayoned list of demands in the audience. Although little kids were not overlooked by Ground Inc.

Associate Principal Yinan Liu, with Studio Director Olivera Berce and Gillies-Smith, instead emphasized in their three options Mozart as a “destination playground, a playground for all ages.”

The concept of a playground for all ages is unique, but over the past 40 years Mozart has evolved as a space where six-year-olds, teenagers, young adults and seniors playing dominoes have mixed under the shade trees. Ground Inc. has recognized that shared space idea in three concepts.

Shown to an audience of HSTF students and neighbors, all three concepts were based on three stationary areas – a playground for little kids, a basketball court for young adults and teenagers, and a performance stage next to the corner sculpture “Reach.”

According to Dept. of Parks & Recreation (DPR) project manager Kevin Bogle, the budget is $1.7 million with an additional $475,000 raised through a state parks program. The $1.7 million will be put in the fiscal year ’28 budget for a planned construction start in 2029.

The plan is to coincide playground completion with the opening of Blessed Sacrament apartments and cultural center; groundbreaking for which is scheduled for April 30.

A portion of the funds, $175,000, has already been allocated (thanks to District 6 City Councilor Ben Weber) for the Ground Inc. fee for design and construction management.

The most basic of the three concepts, “Desire Lines” shows a larger stage area, an improved basketball court, and a new updated playground and play equipment all connected by walkways: two from Centre Street and one from Mozart Street.

Two- to five-year-olds will have their play area in the far corner with the swingsets, and ages five-to-twelve will have a new space in the present play area at Centre Street.

The present popular Centre Street seating area with its tables will be moved back within the fence of the playground.

Concept two calls for a more active playground with play areas for all ages throughout the playground.

The third concept, called the Art Walk, seemed to be the most popular because it emphasized what most in the audience wanted: Mozart Playground as a destination.

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Performance area, art circle and play areas were all integrated around a much larger performance stage.

Play equipment in the present playspace would be created as whimsical animals within an art circle. This was an idea raised at the Dec. 6 meeting.

Art Walk, with its art circle, dramatized what HSTF director Celina Miranda said was “Fundamental: an Afro-Latin space.”

The art circle would be centered in and around the current playground, and the first art installation would likely be the Jan Pablo Duarte bust.

The centerpiece would be the reinstalled Afro-Latin Music and Dance mural along the side-wall behind the stage.

Mozart as The Destination Park seemed to resonate strongly among the audience: “It can only be Mozart Park,” as one speaker said.

“Special,” “Unusual,” “Not a regular park,” other speakers said.

HSTF member Athena Cruz suggested a decorative “art gate” be built at Mozart Playground.

Another HSTF member, Dicardo Encanarcia, wanted flags of the Caribbean nations around the playground.

Mozart Playground clearly is not and won’t be anything like your grandfather’s playground.

The next planning meeting is scheduled for May or June.