PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Jorge O. Elorza today joined members of the City Council, Parks Superintendent Wendy Nilsson, Recreation Director Michael Stephens, and staff from the City’s planning department to kick-off improvements to sports fields throughout the city.
“We are supporting strong, vibrant neighborhoods by investing in open, safe, and beautiful public spaces,” said Mayor Elorza. “These improvements will make our outdoor sports facilities more inviting and accommodating to the residents that rely on them for exercise and play. I thank my colleagues in the City Council for their support and look forward to seeing our families take advantage of these fields.”
The sports field projects are as follows:
• The soccer field at John Donigian Memorial Park in the city’s Olneyville neighborhood will see the installation of a synthetic mini soccer field, gravel bases, fencing, and striping, as well as the conversion of solar lighting to LED lighting. This project is set to begin next week and will utilize federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding allocated by the Mayor and Councilwoman Sabina Matos.
• The Collyer Park softball field in the Hope neighborhood will undergo work to re-grade its entire infield surface to restore it to its original specifications and will also receive 3 inches of new infield mix with higher clay content. The dugouts will also be retrofitted to receive new corrugated metal roofs.
• The Roger Williams Park softball field in the South Elmwood neighborhood has already seen infield renovations, including the capping of the top 3 inches of the field’s surface with a mix with higher clay content. A new irrigation system is set to be added which will be fed by a newly installed well that will be constructed in close proximity to the field. Additionally, the space’s outfield grass will be renovated. This project is possible through CDBG funding in addition to a grant from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
• The Bucklin Street Park softball field in the West End neighborhood has already undergone the re-grading of its infield surface and the installation of 3 inches of new infield mix with higher clay content. In the near future, the dugouts will receive new corrugated metal roofs to help protect players from sun exposure and new player benches.
In the coming weeks, the city will also begin installing dozens of new signage in parks throughout the city.