PROVIDENCE – The city is investing $13 million to improve its parks and greenspaces, as well as celebrate the revitalization of Harriet and Sayles Park and the Mary E. Fogarty Green Schoolyard Complex.
In a release Wednesday, the city says the eight-figure investments represent Mayor Brett P. Smiley’s commitment to improving the city’s resiliency and quality of life. Nineteen revitalization projects, totaling more than $6 million, have already been completed this summer and all 39 projects are expected to be completed by next March, the city says.
The projects, city officials say, were supported by the City Council, and funding from the city’s capital improvement plan, community development block grant programs, American Rescue Plan Act funds, neighborhood investment funds, and the city’s parks department.
The renovations to Harriet and Sayles Park and the Fogarty schoolyard complex was the largest investment done by the city with this initiative. The city says the renovations included new outdoor classrooms, a multi-purpose field, an outdoor fitness area, a waterpark, new amenities and fencing.
The city says it also purchased and installed network hardware to offer free Wi-Fi in 11 parks and inside all of the city’s recreation centers.
Smiley and other city officials planned to formally unveil the renovations to the park and schoolyard complex Wednesday afternoon.
“Improving the quality-of-life in our neighborhoods includes providing our residents sustainable greenspaces they can enjoy in our city,” Smiley said in a statement. “By revitalizing our parks, we are prioritizing the long-term public health of our community and actively making Providence more sustainable and resilient.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
I hope India Point Park is one of the 39 projects because it has seriously declined with poor regular maintenance that allows walkways to disintegrate and for weeds to flourish especially along the pedestrian bridge over I-195 and the street along south side of highway. A definite eyesore.
Weeds are a sign of forlornness and since they are everywhere in downtown Providence, they have become symbolically the “city flower”.