According to the Trust for Public Land, 100% of Medford homes are located within a ten-minute walk of a park. Medford has a number of parks that are maintained by both the city and state. The City maintains over 118 acres of land through the Medford Parks Division of DPW. Improvements are continuously being made to our parks by both the city and state. We will try to share any information or news that we are aware of here.
Medford’s Open Space and Recreation Plan was updated in 2019 and the plan and all the appendixes are available for download here. It was the first plan in MA to fully incorporate Climate Resiliency.
Current Projects
For a comprehensive overview of a number of recent park projects, check out this video recording of a Parks and Paths presentation and outreach public event held virtually on February 17th, 2021. An informational slide deck on ongoing and completed projects is available here for download (February 2021). There are several projects highlighted below with additional materials to review.
The status of ongoing Parks Projects can be reviewed in this Google Spreadsheet.
Carr Park Vision Plan
The Office of Planning, Development & Sustainability hired CBA Landscape Architects to work with the community to create a Vision Plan for Carr Park through funding from the Community Preservation Act.
The Vision Plan for Carr Park is complete and can be viewed here.
Carr Park Phase 1:
Phase 1 is complete! Phase 1 work included two reconstructed baseball diamonds, an accessible loop pathway around the entire field, invasive plant species treatment and removal, removal of concrete and construction debris from the northern woods, formalization of the Stowers Ave trail connection, 4 dedicated pickleball courts, a drinking fountain/bottle filler, seating, and a grassy meadow/pollinator area.
This project was funded with a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant for $1,000,000, $1,260,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and $402,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding for the pickleball courts. Although Phase 1 is complete, the field will remain closed to the public until Summer 2025 to establish the grass lawn.
On October 11th, 2023, a Groundbreaking Ceremony for Phase I of Carr Park renovations was held.
Carr Park Phase 2:
After several additional public outreach sessions in 2023 and 2024, the City worked with CBA Landscape Architects to develop a final design. Phase 2 of the renovation will include a playground, a small splash pad, a covered gazebo, mini skatepark, teen area, adult fitness zone, and two basketball courts with one to be sheltered and having solar panels on the roof. A dog park– initially part of Phase 3– has been included in Phase 2 as well. This project was awarded a second LWCF grant for $1,000,000, $146,000 of Community Preservation Act funding, as well as a federal earmark through the Department of Energy with help from Representative Katherine Clark for $1,500,000. An additional $2,400,000 in ARPA funds has been allocated to the project.
Phase 2 went out to bid in Fall 2024 and Quirk Construction (the Contractor) was awarded the project contract. The City is working with the Contractor to keep parts of the park open for use while other parts are under construction. Starting February 10, 2025 the tennis and basketball court areas, a portion of the already fenced off central fields, and a segment of the loop pathway will be closed to the public to become a construction zone. Closing a portion of the loop pathway is necessary because the Contractor needs to be able to move materials and equipment between Winslow Avenue and the location of the new dog park. Once the dog park is completed, both it and the loop path will be re-opened to the public early this summer. In the meantime, for those who are interested, an alternate walking route could be to walk along the loop path on the portion that is available, and to eventually turn onto the Stowers Ave trail. From there, taking a left on Bell Ave and then a left on Fulton Ave would bring you in a loop back to the park!
The Contractor will start by setting up construction fencing, getting equipment and materials to the site, demolition of the original athletic courts, and starting on developing the dog park. The playground will remain open to the public until the first week of April 2025. The pickleball courts and a majority of the loop path will remain open to the public throughout construction and the central fields that are currently fenced off will be re-opened in May 2025.
For a complete rendering of Carr Park Phase 2 with detailed captions, click here.
Carr Park Phase 3:
The City’s next priority is working on identifying funding for a pump track at Carr Park. Stay tuned for updates!
Riverbend Park
Note: There is an upcoming public outreach session for this project. There will be a walking tour of possible COVID Memorial Sites at 11 am on November 23, 2024. The tour will begin at the McGlynn School rear parking lot.
Phase 1
In the spring of 2017, the City became aware of lead and arsenic at the surface of the northernmost end of Riverbend Park. The MA Department of Environmental Protection required that the area be fenced off and further testing be conducted. The City issued a statement and provided information on lead in soils, which can be read on the City’s website here. The majority of the area is now safe for public recreation as the highest areas of mercury and lead have been removed. The fence has been removed from that portion of the park and the future Clippership Connector is being designed to come through that area.
Phase 2
A 1000 square foot corner of the park, close to the Andrews School and adjacent to where the future Clippership Connector will tie into the existing path network, showed exceptionally high levels of soil contamination during testing. Phase 2 constructed a concrete cap (a type of engineered barrier) over the area and returned this corner of the park to active use. By “capping” that section, contamination at that corner was contained and does not pose a risk to park users or to the general public.
A meditative labyrinth has been constructed on top of this cap to transform the contaminated site into a space of healing. A public meeting on the project was held on March 3rd, 2021, and a Public Site Walk was conducted on April 8th, 2021. Artist Carolyn Lewenberg helped to design the space and it was opened to the public in 2023.
Currently, plans are underway to construct a COVID Memorial as a space for public gathering and reflection. There will be a public outreach session on November 23, 2024. Additional information can be found here.
This project is funded by the City’s Community Preservation Act Fund.
McGlynn Playground
Construction on the McGlynn Playground is complete and the park is officially open!
The park includes separate preschool and elementary play areas for students Pre-K to Grade 5, and features an inclusive wheelchair swing, multi-use field, a stage area, and a fully-accessible and curriculum-aligned outdoor classroom. The playground meets and goes beyond federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards to provide meaningful opportunities for students to play together. The new playground also builds climate resiliency and addresses the challenging drainage at the site both underneath the surface and using bioretention basins to capture stormwater. The site has 100% native plants and over 25 new trees will be installed.
Students from all grades gave input, including the strongly worded request from a 5th grader to preserve the tree currently in the middle of the site: “That tree is beloved and if anyone touches it, we will cry for the rest of our lives.” In the renovated playground, this tree will be surrounded by an accessible deck to protect the roots and make the tree available to everyone.
Morrison Park Playground
Upgrades to Morrison Park are complete!
In 2021 the Office of Planning, Development & Sustainability hired Copley Wolff Design Group to engage with the community to identify and prioritize playground enhancements, specifically geared to younger children. Landscape architects from Copley Wolff were at Morrison Park for three tabling sessions in Fall 2021 to talk with residents.
Based on input from the community, Copley Wolff prepared a final proposed design which has since been implemented. Construction was completed in Summer 2023 and the improvements were paid for by Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
Logan Park Natural Play Addition
The City of Medford is working with CBA Landscape Architects to add to Logan Park. The design process will build upon natural elements already present at the site, and develop options for a natural play area near the existing playground. The project design will be funded using a grant from CDBG (Community Development Block Grant). In addition, the City has identified a small amount of funding for the project implementation and plans to reuse “found” natural materials such as previously removed tree stumps, to minimize costs.
First, our design team gathered input from the community as well as the local Boy Scouts to help us understand the site and develop a “wish list” of goals and features that residents would like to include to improve the available space and enhance overall park design. Consultants were at the park in October 2021 to speak with residents, and the PDS Office hosted an online survey.
The team received some great feedback on our initial ideas from the community, which were compiled into a final design. Notably, the City received a Mass Cultural Council Grant to cut down a large tree needing removal and turn it into a sculpture. The city hopes to put the project out to bid this winter, with construction starting Summer 2025.
Gillis Park ADA Update
ADA Upgrades to Gillis Park are now complete!
In conversation with the community, the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability partnered with Warner Larson Landscape Architects to create a design that addressed significant accessibility and drainage issues in the park.
Working with Community Preservation Act funds, as well as funding from the American Rescue Plan and a $400,000 PARC grant, construction began in July 2023. This work improved accessibility to Gillis Park, upgrading street entrances and creating a loop pathway along the field. This project also included a picnic area, adult fitness area, and a structure for storage and concessions.
Construction was completed in Summer 2024 with help from Medford’s Community Preservation Act fund.
Clippership Connector
Construction on the Clippership Connector is underway and should be complete in August 2025!
The Clippership Connector is located along Mystic River, between Clippership Drive and Riverside Park. This half-mile waterfront path will connect more than 10 miles of contiguous greenways and provide a safe and scenic route between Medford Square, Andrew/McGlynn Schools, and Riverbend Park.
This project is a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) the City of Medford, the Mystic River Watershed Association, and WalkMedford through the DCR Partnership Grant Program. The DCR has hired Crosby, Schlessinger, Smallridge to do the design and engineering of this path. Following well-attended public meetings in 2020, Crosby, Schlessinger, Smallridge finalized their design and construction began in Fall 2023.
The project was somewhat delayed by the discovery of contaminated soil at the south end of the project, in the northern most tip of Riverbend Park. A portion of the problem area is owned by the DCR and a portion by the City of Medford, who collaborated to determine the extent of the problem and a remediation solution. A cap was constructed over the contaminated area, and remediation of the area is complete. Construction has begun and will be complete in August 2025.
Funding
The design of the path is funded through a DCR 2017 Partnership Grant and Wegman’s and the Solomon Foundation each provided $23,000 to support Medford’s share of the partnership. In 2019 the city received a second DCR Partnership Grant of $70,000 to continue the design and engineering. The 2019 grant was matched by a donation from the Solomon Foundation of $35,000 and the Cummings Foundation grant.
In 2018, the path was awarded a 100K for 100 grant from the Cummings Foundation to help pay for Medford’s costs related to the design and construction of the path.
DCR has committed to funding the full amount of the construction costs, and they have received a Federal Land and Water Grant to support their costs.
Wellington Underpass
The Wellington Underpass is the final phase of the Wellington Greenway shared use path that will link the current dead end at Wellington T station parking lot via a new underpass under Route 16. The project is a collaboration between the City of Medford, MassDOT, DCR, and MyRWA. A designer has been contracted and the engineering process is currently underway, supported by Gaming Commission Funds, a MassTrails Grant Application, and Transportation Investment Plan Construction Funding (MassDOT).
South Medford Connector
In 2017, the City received an $80,000 grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to conduct a feasibility study for a South Medford Connector path along the south side of the Mystic River. In 2018, the City received a $198,000 Transportation Planning Grant from the MA Gaming Commission to begin engineering and permitting for the path.
In Fall 2021, MassDOT began advancing the design of the Connector utilizing the existing Route 16/I-93 ramp system. The project is being closely coordinated with safety improvements at the intersection of the ramps with Main Street and South Street.
More information: South Medford Connector
MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Projects
MA Dept of Conservation and Recreation own and maintain Memorial and MacDonald Paths. They have been repaving paths through both parks in recent years. The path in Memorial Park was repaved in Spring 2017. The map here shows in green paths that were repaved during the Summer 2016. Most of the other paths have been repaved in subsequent years. During the summer of 2017 DCR built a boat landing and picnic area in MacDonald Park, with picnic benches and rain gardens. Photos from the construction (completed in 2018) are available from the website of landscape designer, Shadley Associates. Over the course of 2020, the DCR worked on the design and permitting of a new playground in MacDonald Park, near the State Police Station.
Malden River Greenways Vision Project
Located on the eastern edge of the City of Medford, the Malden river flows out of Malden and forms the border between Medford and Everett. Traditionally a very industrial area, the Medford side of the river is the home to the award winning RiversEdge property whose riverfront paths are open to the public. The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is working to create a shared vision for a seamless waterfront park system along both sides of the Malden River, connecting communities in Medford, Malden and Everett to this important natural resource.
Over the course of 2017, MyRWA partnered with cities, local developers/businesses, community groups and citizens to create a comprehensive vision that will support the implementation of vibrant and connected parklands along the river. Utile, the design consultant, developed a master plan and recommendations for new parks, paths, and amenities along the Malden River.
MyRWA held three public workshops in June, August and October to talk about the greenway plan and to share visions for the future of the Malden River. Notes and drawings from the meetings are available on MyRWA’s website here. See updates and stay connected via MyRWA’s e-newsletter and social media to join in the visioning process.
The project is a partnership between the MyRWA; the cities of Everett, Malden, and Medford; Bike to the Sea; Friends of the Malden River; Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation; Preotle, Lane and Associates; and Wynn Design and Development.
Wright’s Pond Rain Garden
A new rain garden at Wright’s Pond has been completed, thanks to the hard work of Medford residents and city employees!
The rain garden acts as both a stormwater drain and a water filtration system. The native plants planted in the garden will soak up runoff from precipitation events to prevent flooding. It will also infiltrate the water into the soil, preventing pollutants from entering Wright’s Pond and the nearby waterways.
