Extreme Makeover: Copley Edition | The HUB

The HUB is a rundown of the stories people in Boston are talking about. Patch publishes the HUB every weekday.

Good morning, Boston! Today is Friday, April 30. We're talking about the city pulling a fast one on residents of one street, police officers getting paid and a new quarterback in New

But first...

Copley Square will be getting a full-on makeover. In short, the drastic resdesign would flip the brick plaza and main lawn to make it more conducive for concerts and other events, Anissa Gardizy at The Boston Globe reported.

It also means more greenery smack dab in the middle of the city, as well as a place designed to catch folks just passing by on their daily trek through Boston.

The Globe has the renderings showcasing how Copley would be transformed into a hub for large events and social gatherings — a welcome reminder that such things on the horizon.

Check it out

Can a neighborhood get some notice? Residents on a West Roxbury street are miffed after what they say was the city changing the name of their street two weeks ago without any notice. Yea, you read that right: What had been West Roxbury Parkway for decades now has signs that call it Park Front Road, according to WCVB's Ted Wayman. It appears to be the smaller West Roxbury Parkway to the right of the longer one in the Google Maps image below

It seems like every police story has a political twist to it now, especially in Boston. The Boston Globe's Danny McDonald and Ryan Huddle reported that 30 officers made more than $300,000 last year, thanks in part to overtime. The backdrop of the story is the mayoral race, where police reform and spending is a major topic. By the way, can we put the union's Twitter account on timeout? This doesn't seem like the hill to die on.

As rooftop restaurants go, they picked a good spot for it. The Taj is reopening next month as the Newbury, and it announced a rooftop bar called Contessa will open in June. The hotel is set alongside the Public Garden and will serve "Italian food and Back Bay views," writes Rachel Leah Blumenthal at Eater.

And the Pats have a new QB! For the first time in the Bill Belichick era, New England took a quarterback in the first round. Mac Jones out of Alabama could be starting for the Patriots as soon as this season. Take a hot second to learn more about him at The Athletic.

What I'm reading today: We've got a chicken shortage in America. The pandemic is partially to blame, but so is our insatiable desire for chicken. Think about it — how much chicken has your family eaten in the last two weeks? Reis Thebault has more at The Washington Post.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — A chance of showers, mainly before 7am. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. At night — Showers likely, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Have a swell Friday.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.