City Gets $500,000 to Upgrade Furlong

 

By Chris Cassidy
STAFF WRITER

Salem News

November 24, 2008 05:41 am

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SALEM — Long-neglected Furlong Park will soon get a major makeover, thanks to a state grant.

On deck for the Franklin Street park: a new, more modern playground, plus a renovated tennis court, baseball field and basketball court and a brand-new launch for canoes and kayaks.

"We're obviously excited about it," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "If it weren't for this funding, I don't know how we'd be in a position to make these kinds of upgrades. This is definitely the catalyst for us to upgrade what's there."

Furlong Park, which Little League uses for some of its games, hasn't been updated in some time, said Doug Bollen, the city's director of park, recreation and community services. The playground is between 15 and 20 years old, and the tennis court is hardly ever used anymore, Bollen said.

"The park is tired," he said, "and now it's going to get a full upgrade."

City officials are most excited about the future construction of a launch for canoes and kayaks, opening up water access to the "very underutilized" North River, Driscoll said.

The state grant of $500,000 comes from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The city will also have to contribute a much smaller portion toward the park upgrades. Driscoll didn't have those figures immediately available Friday, but said it was far less than the $500,000 state portion.

It's the second year in a row the city has gotten a sizeable grant from the state agency.

Last year, it received money toward redeveloping an abandoned lot on Peabody Street into a park in The Point. Driscoll credited the city's work on developing an open space and recreation plan as well as help from Rep. John Keenan, Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry and Secretary Ian Bowles for the grant money.

The grant also addresses erosion issues at the waterfront park and includes the construction of a new walkway from the street to the shoreline.

A formal announcement with Driscoll, Keenan, Berry and Bowles is planned for tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at Furlong Park. It'll be moved to City Hall if it rains.

 

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