Improvements to Smith Playground
William F. Smith Playground
| Park Established 1894 |
Park renovation to include improvements to playground, new water spray feature, amphitheater, passive community space, and Western Avenue street improvements.
About
- Construction budget: $5,000,000
- Project features: Amphitheater, passive use, playground, water play, basketball, multi-use field, street hockey, wheel friendly areas
- Consultant: Stantec Planning and Landscape Architecture, Inc.
- Contractor: Argus Construction
- Construction budget: $4,500,000
- Project features: Little League and softball fields, dog park
- Consultant: Stantec Planning and Landscape Architecture, Inc.
- Contractor: To be determined
The Boston Parks and Recreation Department began a master plan of Smith Playground after years of advocacy by the Harvard Allston Task Force. The 2016 Master Plan:
- re-organizes the ballfields to remove overlapping uses
- provides passive spaces for neighborhood use of the park
- adds a perimeter pedestrian path for wayfinding and walking, and
- upgrades facilities and features.
Phase 1 improvements, funded by the Harvard Allston Public Realm Flexible Fund, and the City of Boston Capital Improvement Fund, were opened in fall 2019. Phase 1 includes the play area, new water play feature, amphitheater, multipurpose field, basketball courts, a street hockey court, and passive plaza space along Western Avenue.
Design of Phase 2 is currently underway. Construction is expected to begin late 2020. Improvements in Phase 2 include new ballfields for softball and Little League, a dog park, and additional elements to promote activity in the park.
Upcoming meetings
Upcoming meetingsCommunity meetings archive
We place information on upcoming and previous meetings in the public notices section of Boston.gov.
Related resources
Related resources- Smith Field Phase 1 Implementation Community Meeting #3 agenda (November 30, 2016)
- Smith Field Phase 1 Implementation Community Meeting #3 presentation (November 30, 2016)
- Smith Field Phase 1 Implementation Play Area Community Meeting agenda (April 25, 2017)
- Smith Field Phase 1 Implementation Play Area Community Meeting presentation (April 25, 2017)
- Smith Field Phase 1 Implementation Play Area Community Meeting Video (April 25, 2017)