Garvey Playground improvements announced

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Parks Commissioner Ryan Woods today announced the status of improvements at Garvey Playground, a 5.27-acre park located at 340 Neponset Avenue in Dorchester. The $5,790,000 project budget was funded by Mayor Walsh’s Capital Improvement Plan and the Community Preservation Act.

“I am proud to reopen Garvey Park in Dorchester, representing an investment in the wellbeing of children and adults,” said Mayor Walsh. “Now, more than ever, as all residents face the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s vital that we improve and renovate open community spaces for the physical and mental health of Bostonians.” 

Improvements to Garvey Playground include age-appropriate play areas for children ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, including swings and a cooling station. A new artificial turf field can be used for Babe Ruth baseball, men and women's lacrosse, and flag football. The field also features integrated concrete bleachers that fit into the landscape. Other amenities include a dog recreation space, a field house terrace, scoreboards and lighting for the ball field, a basketball court, and a street hockey court. The state-of-the art playground was designed by GroundView Inc. and built by Fleming Brothers.

When weather permits, sealcoating will be completed on the basketball court and street hockey court, and a shade structure will be installed in the spring. Park users can also look forward to the trees and planted areas coming into full leaf along with the colorful blossoming of hundreds of spring bulbs.

Since 2014, the Walsh administration has invested more than $114 million across the city’s parks systems, representing some of the most significant parks investments in Boston’s history. The Fiscal Year 2021-2025 (FY21-FY25) Capital Plan includes enhanced support to maintain the City's Urban Wilds and Tree Canopy, increases in funding to plant and maintain trees across the city, as well as $36 million for new and ongoing open space projects.