Parks Department Announces Roslindale Park Improvements

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department will be holding public meetings to discuss improvements to the playground at Roslindale’s Fallon Field planned to commence in 2015.

“In an effort to plan ahead and manage our open space development in Roslindale, we're holding a series of meetings to open the conversation up to the public,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “This community has been very active in advocating for open space resources in their neighborhood, and we’d like to hear more as we outline options for improving the playground at Fallon Field.”

The first meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, at the Roslindale Community Center at 6 Cummins Highway.  Due to the lack of water spray recreation opportunities in Roslindale, creating one at Fallon Field is a priority for this project, along with updating the playground to transform it into a state-of-the-art play space.

Under the directive of Mayor Walsh, renovation of the playground is now on an accelerated design and bidding schedule with bid documents scheduled to be prepared as soon as early summer 2015 and construction beginning in the fall.  Construction would likely conclude in spring 2016.  Renovation of the two basketball courts and street hockey court at Fallon Field will begin in spring 2015 independently of the design and construction of the playground.  Those facilities are slated to be opened in late spring 2015.

Additional improvements to Roslindale’s parks are currently underway at Healy Playground with the three ball fields currently under construction.  The fields - one softball, one baseball, and one Little League - are undergoing renovations to improve drainage and overall turf quality and update the athletic site furnishings.  They are scheduled to be open in the spring.  In addition to the fields, the stairway on Washington Street is also being renovated.

Following the renovations at Fallon Field, the Parks Department will focus on further improvements to Healy Playground through upcoming funding cycles under the City’s Capital Budget.  The Parks Department will also be working in collaboration with other City departments and agencies to identify potential new spaces to add play and environmental value in Roslindale.

The most recent parks improvements in Roslindale were at Adams Park celebrated with a ribbon cutting celebration hosted by Mayor Walsh on October 18.  The $253,500 renovation project included the installation of a new performance space, walkways, a new electrical system, site furnishings, irrigation, and landscaping.  The designer for the project was Roslindale resident Kyle Zick of Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture, Inc.  The event also marked the return of the farmer’s market presented by Roslindale Village Main Street which was held on Saturdays through late November.