A long-awaited park along the Vineyard Haven waterfront opened this week, allowing public access to the Beach Road property.

Wedged between the MV Tap restaurant and the Martha’s Vineyard Times, Boch Park was unveiled Wednesday morning at a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by its owner, New England car dealer magnate and Edgartown homeowner Ernie Boch Jr.

Set on a 31,000 square foot lot, the park has colorful flowers surrounding a circular lawn, with benches set on the edge for parkgoers to sit and enjoy the plants and oceanview. The park will be open from morning to dusk. There is no parking.

Ernie Boch Jr. hopes the park will help beautify Beach Road.

Hailey McLaughlin

Ernie Boch Jr. hopes the park will help beautify Beach Road.

Hailey McLaughlin

The Boch family has owned the land since the 1980s, and Mr. Boch inherited the property after his father died in 2003. In 2017, the idea to transform the land into a park was introduced by Mr. Boch to the town. The first brick of the park was laid down two years later, but the gate to the property has been closed.

Mr. Boch acknowledged the winding journey to opening the park at the ceremony Wednesday. 

“We had to jump some hurdles,” he said. 

For many years, the parcel of land by the water was overlooked. The last building on the land was demolished in 2016 by order of the town after years of discussion about what to do with the land. 

Developing an aesthetic view in this specific part of town was important to Mr. Boch. 

“The reason I built this is to help with the beautification of Beach Road, to offset that monstrosity that they built for the wind farms,” he said. “I encourage everybody, if they can, to beautify Beach Road.” 

According to Tisbury select board member Christina Colarusso, the park’s opening marks the start of a new chapter.

“There’s been a lot of history with everything that has gone on [on the land],” she said. “We’re turning the page and this is the new chapter. I think it’s going to be good and beautiful.”

Mr. Boch thanked various people for making the park possible.  

“I cannot say enough about Bill Davies, who’s the landscaper that does all the landscaping and the flowers and keeps this place absolutely beautiful,” he said. “Tim Toomey and Mike Holland and Michael Clemmey. They’re the core that have made this possible.” 

Mr. Boch is excited for the park to be open to the public, hoping it will be a place of peace that people can enjoy.  

“It’s a nice, relaxing place, just to kind of wind down and it’s a beautiful view,” he said. “I will keep this open as long as it doesn’t get trashed.”