FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 17, 2023
Contact: Steve Smirti, Communications Director (ssmirti@medford-ma.gov), 781-885-4296
Medford Breaking Ground on Accessibility Renovations and Upgrades to Gillis Park
Improvements to Baseball Field will enable greater access for community
Multiple Park Renovation Projects scheduled for this Summer
(MEDFORD)—The City of Medford will break ground on a $1.4 million renovation project that will upgrade accessibility features, improve the baseball field, and add new park amenities to Gillis Park, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced. A brief ground-breaking ceremony is being held on Monday, July 24 at 9 a.m. at Gillis Park. All are welcome to join.
The project, funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) Program, American Rescue Plan Act (PARC), and Community Preservation Act (CPA) monies, will address two key issues: drainage and accessibility from the street. Additional upgrades include:
· Creating an accessible entrance to the park from the street/sidewalk
· Full reconstruction of the baseball field (including drainage upgrades)
· Construction of an accessible loop pathway around the field
· A new picnic area (accessible from the new path)
· A new outdoor adult fitness area (accessible from the new path)
· New and accessible bleachers and seating
· Replacement of the existing concession stand with a new concession stand
· Bringing the existing crosswalk along Fulton Street into ADA compliance
Contractors also recently broke ground at Hickey Park, on a project that will reconstruct the basketball and tennis courts. Through CPA and ARPA funding, $219K is allocated to the project. The courts are now settling and will be ready for use at the end of August or beginning of September.
“Renovating and upgrading our parks and recreation facilities has been a priority of my administration and I’m thrilled that we are seeing such substantial progress on these critical infrastructure projects,” Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said. “Thanks to the incredible work of our Planning, Development and Sustainability Team, along with our Department of Public Works and Engineering Department, we’re able to make tremendous improvements to so many of our community open spaces.”
Other projects breaking ground over the next few months include phase 1 of Carr Park and water facility updates to Capen Park. This initial phase of the Carr Park project will include an accessible path that circles the entire park field, reconstruction of two baseball diamonds, a woodland area cleanup and invasive plant removal, fully dedicated pickleball courts, and more.
Community outreach to inform the design for phase 2 of Carr Park will commence this summer. This phase includes a four-season playground, obstacle course and fitness area, teen swings, two basketball courts- one of which covered with the intent to install solar panels on the roof, a shaded pavilion with seating, a skate park, additional invasive plant management, and more. Funding for the second phase comes from a $1.5 million federal earmark secured by Congresswoman Katherine Clark, as well as ARPA and additional grant funding.
The City has completed renovation work at the Tufts Pool deck, installing the new water mushroom and making drainage upgrades. Later this summer, work at Morrison Park Playground will be completed. That project, totaling $400,000, will bring a new preschool-aged play area to the playground, which includes a sandbox, swings, balance balls, and a new fishnet climber. The entire site will be resurfaced with an accessible poured-in-place rubber surface. Porous rubber surfacing will also be used to protect the roots of the large pin oak tree at the park.
The City, through CPA, CDBG and ARPA grants, invested $5 million in upgrades and renovations to our open space and recreation facilities. You can see a complete list of all Park projects here.
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Steve Smirti
Director of Communications | Office of Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Medford City Hall
85 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA 02155
781-393-2529 (office)
781-885-4296 (mobile)
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
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