The City accepted bids for the park construction on February 27. The project was awarded on March 5 to David W. White and Son, Inc a well-regarded firm that has constructed many athletic fields in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We’ve met with the firm's principal and potential site supervisor, and are pleased and excited to get shovels in the ground. Given the fast-paced timeline we’ve laid out for the park’s construction, this work will proceed quickly—in fact, if weather permits, you could begin to see equipment on-site next week. Unfortunately, due to cost constraints, some of the park’s elements—including the community garden beds, the mural wall, and full site lighting—will not be included in this phase of park construction. However, Groundwork Lawrence and the City are pursuing alternative sources of grant funding that we hope will enable the garden beds and the mural wall to be fully installed sometime during 2009. What you will surely see in June at the completed park, however, are two playground areas (one for 5 - 12 year olds, and one for 2 - 5 year olds), an overlook to the pond with a colorful pavilion, a great big grassy lawn with lots of trees, a portion of the Spicket River Greenway trail, dedicated parking, park signage, and space set aside for the community garden beds (which will include an active water hookup). I hope you'll keep track of the work (and photos soon) here on the blog.
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