Chelsea has submitted an application seeking State funding to help cover expenses for a comprehensive rehabilitation of Voke Park. City and state officials are optimistic that, if approved, Voke Park could undergo a $750,000 renovation starting next spring.
Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein, along with her colleagues Sen. Sal DiDomenico and Rep. Gene O’Flaherty, has thrown her support behind the City’s funding request. “We’ll be fighting for every dollar we can get,” she noted.
Approval through the State’s PARC (Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities) Program could provide up to $400,000 in State funding to assist with the park improvements. The City’s proposal to the State outlines plans to substantially enhance the playing field and spectator areas, rebuild the bocce court to regulation dimensions, modernize the children’s play area, ensure all bathrooms meet ADA requirements, and plant new trees while pruning existing ones, in addition to other planned enhancements.
City Councillor Paul Murphy expressed enthusiasm about the project. “We prioritize parks, and I’m thrilled that we’re about to open a rehabbed one while planning for the next here in Prattville,” he stated. During his initial term as district city councillor, Murphy has managed to include both Voke Park and Washington Park on the park rehabilitation list. Washington Park, which has already been rehabbed, is slated to open this month.
Before the Council’s summer recess, Murphy and his fellow councillors approved a measure to provide funding support for the Voke Park initiative.
“It was a top priority for all of my colleagues too because Voke Park not only serves the neighborhood, it also provides for baseball play for kids and bocce for our seniors from around the community,” Murphy explained.
According to City Manager Jay Ash, the collaborative effort and coordination among local and state officials, combined with support from the Patrick Administration, remains crucial for securing park investments in Chelsea.
“Just like what happens on the Voke Park field, we’ve got a team here that is working together to win another victory for Chelsea,” Ash noted. Under Ash’s leadership in Chelsea, every municipal park has undergone at least one major rehabilitation, and eight new parks have been constructed.
The City’s ongoing and growing park investments stem partly from the success of its economic development initiatives, according to Ash.
“When some people see hotels going up, they see just that,” Ash said. “However, I see so much more, from jobs and blight eradication to more funding to support police on our streets, repairs to our roadways and investments in our community, like rehabbed or new parks. We’re in a position to make those types of funding decision in part because of our economic development agenda and in part because the City Council and our legislative delegation are all focused and working together to achieve our common goals.”
The State is expected to announce its decision on the City’s PARC Grant application in the fall. Should the grant be awarded, the full rehabilitation program will require final review and approval before implementation begins next spring, with anticipated completion in spring of 2015.
“It’s as much about planning as it is about commitment. Fortunately, though, we’ve had plenty of both and the results will continue to show, both here in Prattville and throughout Chelsea,” Murphy concluded.