By Jack Krampitz

A long time coming, the city’s park system is now going full bore with an upgrade and modernization program.

It was all the way back in 2008 that the city approved a plan to rebuild and upgrade Rockwell Park. Under the guidance of then Park Department Superintendent Ed Swicklas, the $6.5 million project was completed in 2008, resulting in a beautiful reconstruction of a park that had fallen into disrepair.

At that time Rockwell Park added a new playground, a volleyball court, lights for one of the existing ball fields, a skatepark, a new basketball court, graded walking trail, a walled amphitheater and other improvements aimed at making the park safer and increasing usage.

Today, current Park Department Superintendent Josh Medeiros is overseeing a wide-ranging, extensive series of projects to improve the entire park system.

Just a few months ago. the city parks department cut the ribbon on the City of Bristol’s first completed American Rescue Plan project, opening the new Rockwell Fitness Park!

It’s the first of a two-phased fitness expansion creating inclusive, accessible and equitable access to state-of-the-art exercise equipment.

The Park Department has over a dozen athletic courts under its jurisdiction and many of them had extensive crack damage which presented major safety hazards to users. In 2022 the department resurfaced basketball courts at Brackett Park, and Rockwell Park, and converted Peck Park tennis courts into tennis/pickleball hybrids.

Presently under construction are new post tension concrete courts at Wilson’s Field (1 basketball) and Seymour Park (1 basketball, 4 pickleball). When completed in the spring, the pickleball courts will become the city’s first fully dedicated pickleball court facility.

Casey Field and Stocks Playground will have playground and splash pad upgrades installed in the coming spring. The basketball court at Stocks Playground will also be resurfaced in the spring and will feature the addition of lights.

At Pine Lake, prefab bathrooms and a climbing wall should be installed in the spring using ARPA funds.

Kern Park renovations will also be paid for with ARPA funds. A contract was awarded for a Passive Use Master Plan at the December City Council meeting. Community engagement on the Master Plan will take place starting in February.

Following the completion of the Master Plan, the remaining ARPA funds will be used to implement the plan (i.e. construction).

Finally, the old tennis courts at the Veterans Memorial Boulevard have been removed and an urban garden is being constructed in its place.

The Urban Garden will include the addition of 21 native trees and over40 shrubs that will infiltrate storm water, improve air quality, and reduce ambient temperatures for this section of the city. The urban garden blends into the rest of the boulevard and creates a sustainable space for passive enjoyment.

All of these projects are important and will improve our citizens’ quality of life, but the biggest project to come is the four-year plan to renovate and redesign Page Park.

That story will be told later this week.

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