ICYMI: Woburn Resident Strives for Healthier Eating at Boston Children's Hospital

image: Paul O’Connor, surveying his construction site. Cred: Goodwin Group PR

A Woburn resident is proud to present ongoing renovations at Boston Children’s Hospital’s 12,000 square-foot food court, according to a media missive that went out on Monday.

The proverbial ribbon cutting for BCH’s new eating facility is scheduled for June, although a specific date has yet to be set.

Paul O’Connor, a longtime denizen of Woburn, serves as project manager for the overhaul, focused on offering and cultivating healthier eating habits among patients.

“We are foodies at heart, but it’s been an amazing experience seeing our vision come to life,” said O’Connor, in a statement. “The facilities planning team including Dan Baxter and leadership support of Henry Tomasuolo, Paula Quan and Bob Sullivan have helped get us there!”

The newly-updated food court plans to specialize in local and sustainable ingredients and antibiotic-free meat, with a new salad toss bar thrown in to boot. O’Connor’s also working on implementing a “Chef’s Playground” station, wherein visiting local chefs will take turns preparing the lunch menu for BCH’s 5,000 employees and patients. The “Playground” station is also slated to function as an interactive “Culinary Academy” and provide an opportunity for tapas dining date nights for parents staying at the hospital for long periods of time.

O’Connor tapped the modern-leaning design firm Isgenuity and Suffolk Construction to enact his plan, and claims the “lean” architecture style and Suffolk’s 3D digital build program saved the hospital substantial time and money on the project.